USS Remus (ARL-40)

USS LST-453 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. She was converted at Brisbane, Australia, into an Achelous-class repair ship, shortly after commissioning, and used in the repairing of landing craft. She was later renamed for Remus (along with Romulus, one of the legendary twin sons of Mars and the Vestal Rhea Silvia), she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.

History
United States
Name:
  • LST-453
  • Remus
Namesake: Remus
Ordered: as a Type S3-M-K2 hull, MCE hull 973[1]
Builder: Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington
Yard number: 157[1]
Laid down: 28 July 1942
Launched: 10 October 1942
Commissioned: 21 January 1943
Decommissioned: 15 July 1946
Renamed: Remus, 15 August 1944
Reclassified: ARL-40, 15 August 1944
Refit: converted to Landing Craft Repair Ship, May 1943
Stricken: 15 August 1946
Identification:
Honors and
awards:		 2 × battle stars
Fate: transferred to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, 14 December 1946
United States
Operator: MARAD
Status: sold for scrapping, 16 December 1947
General characteristics [2]
Class and type:
Displacement:
  • LST:
  • 1,625 long tons (1,651 t) (light)
  • 4,080 long tons (4,145 t) (full (seagoing draft with 1,675 short tons (1,520 t) load)
  • 2,366 long tons (2,404 t) (beaching)
  • ARL:
  • 3,900 long tons (4,000 t) light
  • 4,100 long tons (4,200 t) full
Length: 328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draft:
  • LST:
  • Unloaded: 2 ft 4 in (0.71 m) forward; 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m) aft
  • Full load: 8 ft 2 in (2.49 m) forward; 14 ft 1 in (4.29 m) aft
  • Landing with 500 short tons (450 t) load: 3 ft 11 in (1.19 m) forward; 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) aft
  • ARL:
  • 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: 11.6 kn (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph)
Troops:
  • LST:
  • 16 officers, 147 enlisted men
Complement:
  • LST:
  • 13 officers 147 enlisted
  • ARL:
  • 22 officers 233 enlisted
Armament:

Construction

LST-453 was laid down on 28 July 1942, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 973, by Kaiser Shipyards, Vancouver, Washington; launched on 10 October 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Edward M. Argersinger; and commissioned on 21 January 1943, with Lieutenant A. J. Hamre, USNR in command.[3]

Service history

Conversion to repair ship

Following shakedown off the West Coast, LST-453 sailed west 2 March 1943, for Brisbane, via Pearl Harbor and Nouméa. Arriving at Brisbane 8 May, she was converted to a repair ship and tender for amphibious craft. She departed Brisbane for Milne Bay, 6 June 1943, arriving on 17 June, as one of the first amphibious craft in New Guinea. Three days later she proceeded to Goodenough Island, where she tended and repaired LCTs and other small craft through the summer. On 13 September, she was ordered to Buna, where she added duties as flagship, Landing Craft Control Officer, to her activities. While at Buna, LST-453 was the only source of supply for ships operating in the forward area and was required to tend up to 70 ships per month.[4]

On 15 December, LST-453 received several near misses from medium bombers which attacked her at Hanisch Harbor. She shifted to Cape Cretin, where there were also frequent air raids. In January 1944, the ship was assigned a 400-long-ton (410 t) pontoon dry dock and she continued to operate from one to two dry docks throughout the remainder of her tour in the southwest Pacific, towing the dry dock forward with her on every move. On 15 April, the ship was sent to the Admiralty Islands to service ships staging for the Hollandia-Aitape invasion. She returned to Cape Cretin on 24 April 1944, and continued operations in that area until 14 June 1944. She then sailed for Alexishafen where she joined several other tenders on a rigid repair program to ready ships for future operations.[4]

Renaming

On 15 August 1944, she was redesignated as ARL-40 and named Remus. Departing from Alexishafen 15 September 1944, for Mios Woendi, Remus became the advanced based tender of the 7th Fleet Amphibious Force. On 12 January 1945, she sailed for Leyte arriving on 22 January, to operate there throughout the remainder of her foreign service. Charged with repairs to all LCTs in the area, she operated two dry docks, one 250-long-ton (250 t) pontoon dock for LCTs, and one 400-long-ton dock for LCIs and LCSs.[4]

Decommissioning

Sailing east 17 October 1945, she transited the Panama Canal 6 December, and arrived at New Orleans eight days later to join the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Through the spring of 1946, she prepared landing craft for the mothball fleet, then on 15 July, was herself decommissioned. Struck from the Naval Vessel Register 15 August 1946, she was sold to B. T. Jones for scrap 16 December 1947.[4]

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References
  1. Kaiser Vancouver 2010.
  2. Navsource 2014.
  3. DANFS LST-453 2015.
  4. DANFS Remus 2015.

Bibliography
  • "LST-453". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 3 August 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  • "Remus". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  • "Kaiser Vancouver, Vancouver WA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 27 November 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  • "USS Remus (ARL-40)". Navsource.org. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2017.


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