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USS Adonis (ARL-4)
Encyclopedia
USS Adonis (ARL-4) was one of 39 Achelous-class
landing craft
repair ships built for the United States Navy
during World War II
. Named for Adonis
(a handsome youth in Greek mythology
who was loved by Aphrodite
), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Originally laid down as LST-83 at Jeffersonville, Indiana
on 31 March 1943 by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company; launched on 14 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Frank R. Akhurst; commissioned on 6 August 1943 at Algiers, Louisiana
for transportation to Baltimore, Maryland; decommissioned on 21 August 1943 for conversion by the Bethlehem Steel Company for service as a landing craft repair ship; redesignated ARL-4 on 26 August 1943 and simultaneously named Adonis; and placed in commission on 12 November 1943, Lieutenant
Matthew E. Thompson in command.
for shakedown training and carried out exercises in Chesapeake Bay
. She then made a cruise to New York City
and finally ended her training period at Boston, Massachusetts on the last day of the year. Adonis departed Boston on 3 January 1944 with a convoy bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
. The ships arrived in Halifax on the 6th and put out to sea again on 14 January beginning a transatlantic voyage to Great Britain
.
The convoy reached Milford Haven
, Wales
on 31 January. Two days later, Adonis got under way for Devonport, England. She dropped anchor there on 5 February and commenced providing repair services to fleet units. She remained at Devonport until 26 May, and then moved to Portland Harbour
. However, only a few days later, she was ordered to proceed to the assault area off the Normandy
beachhead in France
. Adonis got under way for her trip across the English Channel
on 7 June, the day after "D-Day." She arrived off "Omaha Beach
" on the 8th and began providing repair services to damaged amphibious vessels. Rough seas made the work difficult, and the repair ship frequently changed her anchorage to avoid shellfire from enemy shore batteries. On 1 August, she cleared the area and headed back to Falmouth
for repairs.
The ship returned to the French coast on 25 August, anchored off "Utah Beach
," and resumed her repair work. On 1 November, she sailed to Cherbourg, France to pick up stores and equipment and returned to the waters off "Omaha Beach" on the 4th. She remained there for 10 days and was then ordered back to England. Adonis reached Devonport on 15 November, resumed her maintenance work, and remained at that port through 5 May 1945. After a pause at Belfast
, Northern Ireland
, the ship began her voyage back to the United States and reached her home port, Norfolk, on 31 May. Upon her arrival, the vessel was overhauled and then conducted sea trials and exercises in the Chesapeake Bay. The repair ship made a run to Davisville, Rhode Island
on 22 July to take on a load of pontoons
and sailed for the Pacific two days later. She transited the Panama Canal
on 4 August and, while en route to San Diego, California
received word of the Japanese surrender. After reaching San Diego on the 17th, she unloaded the pontoons at Port Hueneme, California
on the 27th, and got under way for Hawaii
.
Upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor
on 6 September, Adonis set to work converting LSMs and LCIs
into troop carriers which could be used to help return military personnel to the United States. She remained in Hawaiian waters through 25 October, when the ship shaped a course for Guam
where she operated until early December. She got under way for China
on the 3rd, and reached Shanghai
on the 12th, remaining there into early 1946. Upon leaving Shanghai on 14 March 1946 Adonis visited the Chinese ports of Taku
, Chinwangtao, Hulutao, and Tsingtao. She departed the latter city on 25 April and set a course for the west coast of the United States. The ship reached Astoria, Oregon
on 18 May and, shortly thereafter, began preparations for her deactivation. Adonis was decommissioned on 11 October 1946 and was assigned to the Columbia River Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet, Portland. The ship remained inactive there until her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 January 1960. She was sold to Mr. Virgil Gene Thomas of California on 14 October 1960.
Achelous class repair ship
The Achelous class repair ship was a class of ship built by the US Navy during World War II.As the US gained experience in amphibious operations, it was realized that some sort of mobile repair facility would be useful for repairing the damage that frequently occurred to smaller vessels such as...
landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
repair ships built for 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...
. Named for Adonis
Adonis
Adonis , in Greek mythology, the god of beauty and desire, is a figure with Northwest Semitic antecedents, where he is a central figure in various mystery religions. The Greek , Adōnis is a variation of the Semitic word Adonai, "lord", which is also one of the names used to refer to God in the Old...
(a handsome youth in Greek mythology
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...
who was loved by Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Originally laid down as LST-83 at Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville is a city in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It is directly across the Ohio River to the north of Louisville, Kentucky along I-65. The population was 44,953 at the 2010 census...
on 31 March 1943 by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company; launched on 14 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Frank R. Akhurst; commissioned on 6 August 1943 at Algiers, Louisiana
Algiers, Louisiana
Algiers is a neighborhood within the city of New Orleans. It is the portion of Orleans Parish on the West Bank of the Mississippi River.Algiers is also known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans.-History:...
for transportation to Baltimore, Maryland; decommissioned on 21 August 1943 for conversion by the Bethlehem Steel Company for service as a landing craft repair ship; redesignated ARL-4 on 26 August 1943 and simultaneously named Adonis; and placed in commission on 12 November 1943, 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...
Matthew E. Thompson in command.
Service history
The new landing craft repair ship soon sailed to Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, 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....
for shakedown training and carried out exercises in Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake 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...
. She then made a cruise to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and finally ended her training period at Boston, Massachusetts on the last day of the year. Adonis departed Boston on 3 January 1944 with a convoy bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
. The ships arrived in Halifax on the 6th and put out to sea again on 14 January beginning a transatlantic voyage to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
The convoy reached Milford Haven
Milford Haven
Milford Haven is a town and community in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is situated on the north side of the Milford Haven Waterway, a natural harbour used as a port since the Middle Ages. The town was founded in 1790 on the north side of the Waterway, from which it takes its name...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
on 31 January. Two days later, Adonis got under way for Devonport, England. She dropped anchor there on 5 February and commenced providing repair services to fleet units. She remained at Devonport until 26 May, and then moved to Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour
Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: .-History:...
. However, only a few days later, she was ordered to proceed to the assault area off the Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
beachhead in 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...
. Adonis got under way for her trip across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
on 7 June, the day after "D-Day." She arrived off "Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
" on the 8th and began providing repair services to damaged amphibious vessels. Rough seas made the work difficult, and the repair ship frequently changed her anchorage to avoid shellfire from enemy shore batteries. On 1 August, she cleared the area and headed back to Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
for repairs.
The ship returned to the French coast on 25 August, anchored off "Utah Beach
Utah Beach
Utah Beach was the code name for the right flank, or westernmost, of the Allied landing beaches during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as part of Operation Overlord on 6 June 1944...
," and resumed her repair work. On 1 November, she sailed to Cherbourg, France to pick up stores and equipment and returned to the waters off "Omaha Beach" on the 4th. She remained there for 10 days and was then ordered back to England. Adonis reached Devonport on 15 November, resumed her maintenance work, and remained at that port through 5 May 1945. After a pause at Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, the ship began her voyage back to the United States and reached her home port, Norfolk, on 31 May. Upon her arrival, the vessel was overhauled and then conducted sea trials and exercises in the Chesapeake Bay. The repair ship made a run to Davisville, Rhode Island
Davisville, Rhode Island
Davisville, Rhode Island was the former home of the U.S. Navy SeaBees. It was located at Quonset Point on Narragansett Bay, an area now included in the town of North Kingstown. The Navy acquired the property in 1939 and built Naval Air Station Quonset Point...
on 22 July to take on a load of pontoons
Pontoon (boat)
A pontoon is a flotation device with buoyancy sufficient to float itself as well as a heavy load. A pontoon boat is a flattish boat that relies on pontoons to float. Pontoons may be used on boats, rafts, barges, docks, floatplanes or seaplanes. Pontoons may support a platform, creating a raft. A...
and sailed for the Pacific two days later. She transited 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...
on 4 August and, while en route to San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
received word of the Japanese surrender. After reaching San Diego on the 17th, she unloaded the pontoons at Port Hueneme, California
Port Hueneme, California
Port Hueneme is a small beach city in Ventura County, California surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Pacific Ocean. The name derives from the Spanish spelling of the Chumash wene me, meaning "Resting Place". The area was discovered by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in the mid 16th century...
on the 27th, and got under way for Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.
Upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 6 September, Adonis set to work converting LSMs and LCIs
Landing Craft Infantry
The Landing craft, Infantry or LCI were several classes of sea-going amphibious assault ships of the Second World War utilized to land large numbers of infantry directly onto beaches. They were developed in response to a British request for a vessel capable of carrying and landing substantially...
into troop carriers which could be used to help return military personnel to the United States. She remained in Hawaiian waters through 25 October, when the ship shaped a course for Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
where she operated until early December. She got under way for China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
on the 3rd, and reached Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
on the 12th, remaining there into early 1946. Upon leaving Shanghai on 14 March 1946 Adonis visited the Chinese ports of Taku
Taku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
, Chinwangtao, Hulutao, and Tsingtao. She departed the latter city on 25 April and set a course for the west coast of the United States. The ship reached Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
on 18 May and, shortly thereafter, began preparations for her deactivation. Adonis was decommissioned on 11 October 1946 and was assigned to the Columbia River Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet, Portland. The ship remained inactive there until her 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 January 1960. She was sold to Mr. Virgil Gene Thomas of California on 14 October 1960.