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USS Achelous (ARL-1)
Encyclopedia
USS Achelous (ARL-1) was one of 39 tank landing ship
s converted into landing craft repair ships for service in the United States Navy
during World War II
. The lead ship in her class, she was named for the Greek god
Achelous
, the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
She was laid down as the unnamed LST-10 on 15 August 1942 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
by the Dravo Corporation; launched
on 25 November 1942; sponsored by Mrs. George F. Wolfe, the wife of the chief engineer of Dravo; named Achelous and redesignated ARL-1 on 13 January 1943; and commissioned
on 2 April 1943 at Baltimore, Maryland, Captain
B. N. Ward in temporary command. Later that day, command of the landing craft repair ship passed to Lieutenant
Walter Ringies.
, stopped at Norfolk, Virginia
on 22 April to take on supplies on 28 April, and sailed on the 28th with a convoy bound for North Africa
. She paused in Bermuda
from 2–9 May, and arrived in Oran, Algeria
on 26 May.
Achelous moved to Bizerte
, Tunisia
on 1 June and remained there until 14 July providing varied services to landing craft. Following the Allied
invasion of Sicily
, Achelous moored at Licata
, Sicily from 15 July-4 August to perform repair work. She returned to Bizerte on 15 August, and for the next three days underwent two enemy air raids. During the second raid, Achelous guns assisted in downing two German planes. Achelous spent one week in mid-September at Palermo
, Sicily. She got underway with Convoy UGS-19 on 16 October, reached Port Said
, Egypt
, on 23 October, and transited the Suez Canal
on 25 October. The repair ship then headed for Massawa
, Italian Eritrea
, where she arrived on 31 October. The next day, she entered a British-owned floating drydock at Massawa. The ship left the drydock on 4 November and got underway for India
. She arrived at Calcutta in early December and spent approximately one month providing services in the China Burma India theater.
In early 1944, Achelous left India and sailed to the Mediterranean to support operations along the Italian
coast. She remained at these duties for seven months. In July, the landing craft repair ship began preparations for the assault on the southern coast of France
. In mid-August, she dropped anchor off the French coast and set up a pontoon drydock to service landing craft used in the invasion. These duties occupied her through most of 1944. Late in the year, the repair ship was reassigned to the Pacific Ocean
and began her voyage via the Strait of Gibraltar
and the Panama Canal
to her new area of operations. She transited the Panama Canal on 7 March 1945 and proceeded to Eniwetok, where she arrived on 24 April. Achelous then was assigned to support the invasion and occupation of Okinawa, her last combat operation of World War II. Following the War, Achelous returned to the west coast. She was placed out of commission in reserve in January 1947 and berthed in the Columbia River Group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Achelous name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 June 1973 and the ship was sold on 21 January 1974 to Overseas Shipyard, Ltd. of Hong Kong
for scrapping.
Tank landing ship
Landing Ship, Tank was the military designation for naval vessels created during World War II to support amphibious operations by carrying significant quantities of vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto an unimproved shore....
s converted into landing craft repair ships for service in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The lead ship in her class, she was named for the Greek god
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
Achelous
Achelous
In Greek mythology, Achelous was the patron deity of the "silver-swirling" Achelous River, which is the largest river of Greece, and thus the chief of all river deities, every river having its own river spirit. His name is pre-Greek, its meaning unknown...
, the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
She was laid down as the unnamed LST-10 on 15 August 1942 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
by the Dravo Corporation; launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 25 November 1942; sponsored by Mrs. George F. Wolfe, the wife of the chief engineer of Dravo; named Achelous and redesignated ARL-1 on 13 January 1943; and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 2 April 1943 at Baltimore, Maryland, Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
B. N. Ward in temporary command. Later that day, command of the landing craft repair ship passed to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Walter Ringies.
Service history
Achelous held shakedown in Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
, stopped at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
on 22 April to take on supplies on 28 April, and sailed on the 28th with a convoy bound for North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. She paused in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
from 2–9 May, and arrived in Oran, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
on 26 May.
Achelous moved to Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
on 1 June and remained there until 14 July providing varied services to landing craft. Following the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
invasion of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, Achelous moored at Licata
Licata
Licata is a city and comune located on the south coast of Sicily, at the mouth of the Salso River , about midway between Agrigento and Gela...
, Sicily from 15 July-4 August to perform repair work. She returned to Bizerte on 15 August, and for the next three days underwent two enemy air raids. During the second raid, Achelous guns assisted in downing two German planes. Achelous spent one week in mid-September at Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Sicily. She got underway with Convoy UGS-19 on 16 October, reached Port Said
Port Said
Port Said is a city that lies in north east Egypt extending about 30 km along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Suez Canal, with an approximate population of 603,787...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, on 23 October, and transited the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
on 25 October. The repair ship then headed for Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
, Italian Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, where she arrived on 31 October. The next day, she entered a British-owned floating drydock at Massawa. The ship left the drydock on 4 November and got underway for India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She arrived at Calcutta in early December and spent approximately one month providing services in the China Burma India theater.
In early 1944, Achelous left India and sailed to the Mediterranean to support operations along the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
coast. She remained at these duties for seven months. In July, the landing craft repair ship began preparations for the assault on the southern coast of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In mid-August, she dropped anchor off the French coast and set up a pontoon drydock to service landing craft used in the invasion. These duties occupied her through most of 1944. Late in the year, the repair ship was reassigned to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and began her voyage via the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
and the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
to her new area of operations. She transited the Panama Canal on 7 March 1945 and proceeded to Eniwetok, where she arrived on 24 April. Achelous then was assigned to support the invasion and occupation of Okinawa, her last combat operation of World War II. Following the War, Achelous returned to the west coast. She was placed out of commission in reserve in January 1947 and berthed in the Columbia River Group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Achelous name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 1 June 1973 and the ship was sold on 21 January 1974 to Overseas Shipyard, Ltd. of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
for scrapping.