USS Apollo (AS-25) was an Aegir-class

USS Aegir (AS-23)

USS Aegir was the lead ship of her class of submarine tenders in the United States Navy.Aegir was laid down on 31 March 1943 under a Maritime Commission contract by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Company in Pascagoula, Mississippi and launched on 15 September 1943, sponsored by Mrs. James A. Sweeney...

 submarine tender

Submarine tender

A submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines.Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies, nor to carry a full array of maintenance equipment and...

 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...

.

Apollo was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 860) on 24 June 1943 at Pascagoula, Mississippi

Pascagoula, Mississippi

Pascagoula is a city in Jackson County, Mississippi, United States. It is the principal city of the Pascagoula, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, as a part of the Gulfport–Biloxi–Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. The population was 26,200 at the 2000 census...

, by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation

Ingalls Shipbuilding

Ingalls Shipbuilding is a shipyard located in Pascagoula, Mississippi, USA, originally established in 1938, and is now part of Huntington Ingalls Industries...

; launched on 6 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. James B. Hill; and acquired by the 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...

 and simultaneously placed in commission on 31 December 1943, Commander Charles D. Schutz in command.

The vessel proceeded to the Atlantic Basin Iron Works

Atlantic Basin Iron Works

The Atlantic Basin Iron Works was an ironworks that operated in Brooklyn, New York, in the early to mid-20th century. It built U.S. Navy warships during World War I and II.Founded before 1910, the yard had its headquarters at 18-20 Summit Street...

, Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

, New York, and was decommissioned there on 14 January 1944 to undergo conversion for naval service as a submarine tender

Submarine tender

A submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines.Submarines are small compared to most oceangoing vessels, and generally do not have the ability to carry large amounts of food, fuel, torpedoes, and other supplies, nor to carry a full array of maintenance equipment and...

. Apollo was recommissioned on 29 September 1944, Captain John C. McCutchen in command.

Pacific Fleet, 1944–1945

After loading stores, the new submarine tender got underway for shakedown in the waters off New London, Connecticut

New London, Connecticut

New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....

, and in Block Island Sound

Block Island Sound

Block Island Sound is a strait in the open Atlantic Ocean, approximately wide, separating Block Island from the coast of Rhode Island in the United States...

. She then took on spare parts and equipment at New London before departing Connecticut on 6 November, bound for 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...

.

Apollo transited the Panama Canal on 13 November; paused briefly at San Diego, CA, for replenishment; and continued on to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On 10 December, the ship set 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...

, Mariana Islands, and arrived in Apra Harbor

Apra Harbor

Apra Harbor is a deep-water port on the western side of Guam in the Mariana Islands. The harbor is formed by Orote Peninsula in the south and Cabras Island in the north. To the south, the harbor narrows and then widens again to form an inner harbor. The southern end of the harbor is the location...

 11 days later. She then commenced providing services to various submarines of the Pacific Fleet

United States Pacific Fleet

The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...

. Her tour of duty at Guam ended on 10 July 1945, when the vessel got underway to return to Pearl Harbor. Shortly after her arrival, her crew resumed submarine tending activities.

Following the Japanese capitulation, Apollo set sail on 27 August for the east coast of the United States. She transited the Panama Canal on 12 September and continued on to New Orleans, where she dropped anchor on the 16th. The ship resumed her voyage on 30 October; arrived at Yorktown, Virginia

Yorktown, Virginia

Yorktown is a census-designated place in York County, Virginia, United States. The population was 220 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of York County, one of the eight original shires formed in colonial Virginia in 1634....

, on 3 November; and began unloading her ammunition. Four days later, Apollo sailed on to New London. Upon reaching that port on the 8th, the tender took up the task of placing submarines of the New London Group, 16th Fleet, in an inactive status.

Decommissioning , 1946–1974

On 16 October 1946, Apollo was placed in commission, in reserve. She was decommissioned on 12 February 1947 and was berthed at New London. On 1 July 1963, her name was struck from the Navy list, and the vessel was transferred to the Maritime Administration for layup in the James River

James River (Virginia)

The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...

. She was sold to the Union Minerals & Alloys Corporation. for scrapping in 1974.