.gif)
USS Atlas (ARL-7)
Encyclopedia
USS Atlas (ARL-7) was one of 39 Achelous-class
landing craft
repair ships built for the United States Navy
during World War II
. Named for Atlas
(in Greek mythology
, the son of the Titan
Iapetus
and Clymene
and the brother of Prometheus
), she was the second U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Originally laid down as LST-231 on 3 June 1943 at Seneca, Illinois
by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company; launched on 19 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Nettie Singer; named 'Atlas and redesignated a landing craft repair ship ARL-7 on 3 November 1943; and commissioned on 15 November 1943 for the voyage to the conversion yard. She arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on 14 December 1943; entered the Bethlehem Steel Key Highway Shipyard; and was placed out of commission for her conversion to a landing craft repair ship. Her modifications completed early in February, 1944 Atlas was recommissioned at Baltimore on 8 February 1944, Lieutenant
Buell A. Nesbitt in command.
, Nova Scotia
to the British Isles
. She arrived in Milford Haven
, Wales
on 29 March and remained there for two days before moving to Falmouth, England where she arrived on 1 April. She remained at Falmouth until the end of May when she proceeded to Plymouth
to prepare for the invasion of Europe. Though not present for the actual assault, Atlas arrived on the scene on 8 June, two days after "D-Day," and immediately began repairing damaged landing craft. Her crew worked about 14 hours a day returning their charges to active service while frequently fighting to fend off enemy air attacks. She served at various locations on both sides of the English Channel
almost until the end of hostilities in Europe
. On 16 April 1945 the ship left Plymouth to return to the United States
. She entered Norfolk on 5 May to begin seven weeks of repairs in preparation for duty in the Pacific.
Underway again on 22 June, the vessel transited the Panama Canal
between 8–10 July and arrived in San Diego, California
on the 25th. She remained there until 15 August, the day after Japan capitulated
, before departing that port and heading for the Central Pacific. After stops at Pearl Harbor
and Eniwetok, Atlas arrived at Guam
in the Mariana Islands
late in September and performed her repair duties there until late November. On the 27th, she shaped a course back toward Eniwetok and entered the lagoon at that atoll on 4 December 1945 for a five-month tour of repair work. At the end of April 1946, she stood out of the Eniwetok anchorage to begin the voyage back to the United States. She made a stop at Pearl Harbor en route before arriving in Astoria, Oregon
on 24 May. There, she joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet though she was not officially decommissioned until 13 September 1946.
. She was recommissioned at Astoria on 1 June 1951, Lieutenant Commander
Jaroslav Kohl in command, and operated along the west coast until early November. On the 12th, the landing craft repair ship got underway for the Far East
and made a stop at Pearl Harbor from 24 November to 1 December before continuing on to Japan
. She arrived at Yokosuka on 21 December and, for the next nine months, repaired amphibious warfare ships and craft damaged in the Korean War
. She operated primarily at Yokosuka and Sasebo
but also saw service at Okinawa. On 25 September 1952, she left Yokosuka and shaped a course back to the United States. The ship stopped off at Pearl Harbor before continuing on to San Diego where she arrived on 24 October.
Atlas operated along the California
coast until March 1954. She stood out of San Diego on the 16th of that month for another tour of duty in the Far East, reentered Yokosuka on 15 April, and resumed repair work on American amphibious warfare ships and craft operating in the Orient
. On 15 August, the vessel departed Yokosuka on her way to Indochina
where the Viet Minh
had recently won independence from France
. With the certainty that a communist regime was to be established in the north, the United States assisted those who wished to leave the north before the communist regime took complete control. Atlas arrived in Haiphong
on 28 August to provide repair services while anchored in Henrietta Pass. She also provided station ship, mail exchange and communication relay services. She got underway again on 24 September shaping a course back toward Japan
. She arrived in Yokosuka on 7 October but remained there only three days before beginning her homeward voyage. Following the customary port call at Pearl Harbor, she continued on to the California coast and reached San Diego on 7 November. Operations in and out of her home port filled her time until 16 March 1955. On that day, Atlas pointed her bow westward from San Diego for the final deployment of her career. After a stop at Pearl Harbor, the landing craft repair ship entered Yokosuka on 17 April. In addition to her repair work there, she put to sea for two special operations of unspecified nature in the Okinawa area. She also made liberty calls at Beppu and Kobe
in Japan as well as at Hong Kong
. On 21 September, Atlas weighed anchor at Yokosuka and shaped a course via Pearl Harbor for home and arrived at San Diego on 19 October.
On 7 November, the ship headed north, reached Astoria on 14 November, and began preparations for inactivation. She was decommissioned on 13 April 1956 and was berthed with the Astoria Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet. She remained in reserve until her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 June 1972. She was sold to the Marine Power & Equipment Company of Seattle, Washington
on 18 September 1973 for scrapping.
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 Atlas
Atlas (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
(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...
, the son of the Titan
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
Iapetus
Iapetus (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Iapetus , also Iapetos or Japetus , was a Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia, and father of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius and through Prometheus, Epimetheus and Atlas an ancestor of the human race...
and Clymene
Clymene
Clymene or Klymenê may refer to*104 Klymene, an asteroid*Clymene dolphin , a dolphin endemic to the Atlantic Ocean*Clymene Moth*In Greek mythology:...
and the brother of Prometheus
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus is a Titan, the son of Iapetus and Themis, and brother to Atlas, Epimetheus and Menoetius. He was a champion of mankind, known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals...
), she was the second U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Originally laid down as LST-231 on 3 June 1943 at Seneca, Illinois
Seneca, Illinois
Seneca is a village in LaSalle and Grundy counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 2,371 at the 2010 census.The LaSalle County portion of Seneca is part of the Ottawa–Streator Micropolitan Statistical Area, while the small portion that lies in Grundy County is part of the...
by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company; launched on 19 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Nettie Singer; named 'Atlas and redesignated a landing craft repair ship ARL-7 on 3 November 1943; and commissioned on 15 November 1943 for the voyage to the conversion yard. She arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on 14 December 1943; entered the Bethlehem Steel Key Highway Shipyard; and was placed out of commission for her conversion to a landing craft repair ship. Her modifications completed early in February, 1944 Atlas was recommissioned at Baltimore on 8 February 1944, 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...
Buell A. Nesbitt in command.
World War II
After shakedown training along the Atlantic coast, Atlas departed Boston, Massachusetts at the end of the second week in March and steamed via HalifaxCity 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...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. She arrived in 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 29 March and remained there for two days before moving to Falmouth, England where she arrived on 1 April. She remained at Falmouth until the end of May when she proceeded to Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
to prepare for the invasion of Europe. Though not present for the actual assault, Atlas arrived on the scene on 8 June, two days after "D-Day," and immediately began repairing damaged landing craft. Her crew worked about 14 hours a day returning their charges to active service while frequently fighting to fend off enemy air attacks. She served at various locations on both sides of 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...
almost until the end of hostilities in Europe
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
. On 16 April 1945 the ship left Plymouth to return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She entered Norfolk on 5 May to begin seven weeks of repairs in preparation for duty in the Pacific.
Underway again on 22 June, the vessel 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...
between 8–10 July and arrived in 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...
on the 25th. She remained there until 15 August, the day after Japan capitulated
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
, before departing that port and heading for the Central Pacific. After stops 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...
and Eniwetok, Atlas arrived at 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...
in the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
late in September and performed her repair duties there until late November. On the 27th, she shaped a course back toward Eniwetok and entered the lagoon at that atoll on 4 December 1945 for a five-month tour of repair work. At the end of April 1946, she stood out of the Eniwetok anchorage to begin the voyage back to the United States. She made a stop at Pearl Harbor en route before arriving in 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 24 May. There, she joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet though she was not officially decommissioned until 13 September 1946.
Korean War
Atlas remained inactive until midway through 1951 when the Fleet was expanding to meet the demand for warships caused by fighting in KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. She was recommissioned at Astoria on 1 June 1951, Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
Jaroslav Kohl in command, and operated along the west coast until early November. On the 12th, the landing craft repair ship got underway for the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
and made a stop at Pearl Harbor from 24 November to 1 December before continuing on to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She arrived at Yokosuka on 21 December and, for the next nine months, repaired amphibious warfare ships and craft damaged in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. She operated primarily at Yokosuka and Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
but also saw service at Okinawa. On 25 September 1952, she left Yokosuka and shaped a course back to the United States. The ship stopped off at Pearl Harbor before continuing on to San Diego where she arrived on 24 October.
Atlas operated along the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
coast until March 1954. She stood out of San Diego on the 16th of that month for another tour of duty in the Far East, reentered Yokosuka on 15 April, and resumed repair work on American amphibious warfare ships and craft operating in the Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
. On 15 August, the vessel departed Yokosuka on her way to Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
where the Viet Minh
Viet Minh
Việt Minh was a national independence coalition formed at Pac Bo on May 19, 1941. The Việt Minh initially formed to seek independence for Vietnam from the French Empire. When the Japanese occupation began, the Việt Minh opposed Japan with support from the United States and the Republic of China...
had recently won independence from 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...
. With the certainty that a communist regime was to be established in the north, the United States assisted those who wished to leave the north before the communist regime took complete control. Atlas arrived in Haiphong
Haiphong
, also Haiphong, is the third most populous city in Vietnam. The name means, "coastal defence".-History:Hai Phong was originally founded by Lê Chân, the female general of a Vietnamese revolution against the Chinese led by the Trưng Sisters in the year 43 C.E.The area which is now known as Duong...
on 28 August to provide repair services while anchored in Henrietta Pass. She also provided station ship, mail exchange and communication relay services. She got underway again on 24 September shaping a course back toward Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. She arrived in Yokosuka on 7 October but remained there only three days before beginning her homeward voyage. Following the customary port call at Pearl Harbor, she continued on to the California coast and reached San Diego on 7 November. Operations in and out of her home port filled her time until 16 March 1955. On that day, Atlas pointed her bow westward from San Diego for the final deployment of her career. After a stop at Pearl Harbor, the landing craft repair ship entered Yokosuka on 17 April. In addition to her repair work there, she put to sea for two special operations of unspecified nature in the Okinawa area. She also made liberty calls at Beppu and Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
in Japan as well as at 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...
. On 21 September, Atlas weighed anchor at Yokosuka and shaped a course via Pearl Harbor for home and arrived at San Diego on 19 October.
On 7 November, the ship headed north, reached Astoria on 14 November, and began preparations for inactivation. She was decommissioned on 13 April 1956 and was berthed with the Astoria Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet. She remained in reserve 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 June 1972. She was sold to the Marine Power & Equipment Company of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
on 18 September 1973 for scrapping.