USS ARL-5

USS ARL-5 was one of 39 Achelous-class landing craft repair ships built for the United States Navy during World War II.

History
United States
Name:	USS ARL-5
Builder:	Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company, Jeffersonville, Indiana
Laid down:	8 March 1943, as LST-81
Launched:	28 May 1943
Commissioned:	21 July 1943
Decommissioned:	19 July 1943
Reclassified:	ARL-5, 20 July 1943
Stricken:	29 October 1946
Fate:	Transferred to the Royal Navy, 29 July 1943 Sold to Argentina, 20 August 1947
History
United Kingdom
Name:	HMS LSE-1
Acquired:	29 July 1943
Fate:	Returned to the US Navy, 21 May 1946
History
Argentina
Name:	ARA Ingeniero Hodesh ARA Ingeniero Iribas
Acquired:	20 August 1947
Fate:	Sold 1967
General characteristics
Class and type:	Achelous class landing craft repair ship
Displacement:	2,220 long tons (2,256 t) light 4,200 long tons (4,267 t) full
Length:	328 ft (100 m)
Beam:	50 ft (15 m)
Draft:	11 ft 2 in (3.40 m)
Propulsion:	2 × General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed:	12 knots (14 mph; 22 km/h)
Complement:	255 officers and enlisted men
Armament:	2 × quad 40 mm w/Mk-51 directors 2 × twin 40 mm w/Mk-51 directors 6 × twin 20 mm

Originally laid down as LST-81 on 8 March 1943 at Jeffersonville, Indiana by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company; launched on 28 May 1943; sponsored by Miss Bettie Meador; and commissioned on 21 July 1943. She was decommissioned on 19 July 1943, and redesignated ARL-5 on 20 July 1943.

On 29 July 1943, she was transferred to the United Kingdom and served the Royal Navy as HM LSE-1 until 21 May 1946, when she was returned to the United States. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 29 October 1946.

On 20 August 1947, LST-81 was sold to Argentina and served that government as ARA Ingeniero Hodesh (Q-21), then renamed ARA Ingeniero Iribas (Q-21). She was sold by the Argentine Navy in 1967.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• "LST-81 / ARL-5". Amphibious Photo Archive. Retrieved 23 April 2007.