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USS Hoist (ARS-40)
Encyclopedia
USS Hoist (ARS-40) was a Bolster-class rescue and salvage ship
acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II
. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.
Hoist was launched 31 March 1945 by Basalt Rock Company
in Napa, California
; sponsored by Mrs. William E. Howard; and commissioned 21 July 1945, Lt. Comdr. R. M. Brunner in command.
Hoist sailed from San Francisco, California
, 6 September 1945 to begin salvage operations in the Far East
.
until 15 March 1946.
, 15 July. After overhaul she sailed to Bayonne, New Jersey
, and trained students at the Naval Training Salvage School until 23 February. From March 1947 to December 1948, Hoist continued salvage operations along the East and Gulf coasts. She sailed 8 December for Narsak, Greenland
, where she operated for 2 weeks before returning to Bayonne, New Jersey
.
In mid-January 1949 she sailed for the Azores
to repair an underwater pipeline, returning 16 March. Hoist sailed 23 March to tow targets for aircraft squadron exercises off Bermuda
, helping maintain the high readiness of the fleet for service when needed, then sailed 9 May for the Virginia Capes
for training operations. Hoist now based her operations out of Norfolk, Virginia
, and on 9 August steamed to assist Simon Newcomb
(AGSC-14) aground in Mother Burns Cove, Labrador
. Towing the vessel to Argentia, Newfoundland, Hoist resumed her salvage and repair duties out of Norfolk, with annual deployments to the North Atlantic and periodic operations in the Caribbean
and Florida
waters, keeping the Navy in top fighting condition to preserve the peace throughout the world. In addition to her salvage and repair services she acted as station ship, performed towing operations, and engaged in amphibious exercises.
From early 1960 through 1964, Hoist continued similar services, but concentrated on local salvage duties out of Norfolk and operations in Florida
and the Caribbean
.
at the site of the tragedy. Next, performing one of her many rescues, Hoist along with and , freed , which had grounded 2 March 1965. Blue Jacket was pulled free in 2 days saving her perishable cargo of frozen stores valued at $2,000,000. From 11 October to 12 November, Hoist was busy with towing operations when ordered to assist in the salvage of , a floating drydock attached to the Polaris
program. Hoist and raised Alamogordo in 3 weeks. For the remainder of the year Hoist was active in local salvage duties.
, Spain
, to take part in the recovery of an H-bomb
. The unarmed weapon was dropped when a B-52 Stratofortress
and KC-135
flying tanker collided. On 7 April after successful completion of the mission Hoist returned to Norfolk, where she arrived 4 May. Hoist performed salvage operations in the Virginia Capes
area into 1967. The recovery is a key event in the movie Men of Honor
.
Hoist
was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 30 September 1994. Her title was transferred to the Maritime Administration, 29 November 2001. She was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
, James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia
. Final Disposition: Hoist was sold for scrapping, 17 July 2007, for $61,000 to North American Ship Recycling, Sparrows Point, Maryland.
After North American Recycling closed its doors, the Hoist was left abandoned. The vessel was acquired by Bay Bridge Enterprises of Chesapeake Virginia with the company being paid $95,000 for the disposal. The vessel was towed to their Chesapeake yard, arriving on December 1, 2007.
Rescue and salvage ship
Rescue and salvage ships in the United States Navy were common during World War II. Their purpose was to come to the rescue of stricken ships, usually because of their towing ability, and to tow away ships damaged because of enemy action or engine failure....
acquired by the U.S. Navy 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...
. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.
Hoist was launched 31 March 1945 by Basalt Rock Company
Basalt Rock Company
Basalt Rock Company was a multifaceted industrial operation that was founded in 1920. The company started as a rock quarrying operation located a few miles south of Napa, California near the Napa River. It later branched out into the ship building business in 1941 when it started building ships...
in Napa, California
Napa, California
-History:The name Napa was probably derived from the name given to a southern Nappan village whose people shared the area with elk, deer, grizzlies and cougars for many centuries, according to Napa historian Kami Santiago. At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the...
; sponsored by Mrs. William E. Howard; and commissioned 21 July 1945, Lt. Comdr. R. M. Brunner in command.
End-of-World War II operations
After shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
Hoist sailed from San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, 6 September 1945 to begin salvage operations in 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,...
.
Pacific Ocean operations
Hoist arrived at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, on 11 October and commenced salvage and repair duties until 23 December. Two days later she arrived at Wakanoura Wan and operated there, and at SaseboSasebo, 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...
until 15 March 1946.
North Atlantic operations
Hoist returned to San Pedro, California, 1 June and sailed for 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....
, 15 July. After overhaul she sailed to Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
, and trained students at the Naval Training Salvage School until 23 February. From March 1947 to December 1948, Hoist continued salvage operations along the East and Gulf coasts. She sailed 8 December for Narsak, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, where she operated for 2 weeks before returning to Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
.
In mid-January 1949 she sailed for the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
to repair an underwater pipeline, returning 16 March. Hoist sailed 23 March to tow targets for aircraft squadron exercises off Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, helping maintain the high readiness of the fleet for service when needed, then sailed 9 May for the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
for training operations. Hoist now based her operations out of Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, 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....
, and on 9 August steamed to assist Simon Newcomb
USS Simon Newcomb (AGSC-14)
USS Simon Newcomb was a acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II, and whose task was assisting in minesweeping and surveying coastal waters.-History:...
(AGSC-14) aground in Mother Burns Cove, Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
. Towing the vessel to Argentia, Newfoundland, Hoist resumed her salvage and repair duties out of Norfolk, with annual deployments to the North Atlantic and periodic operations in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
waters, keeping the Navy in top fighting condition to preserve the peace throughout the world. In addition to her salvage and repair services she acted as station ship, performed towing operations, and engaged in amphibious exercises.
From early 1960 through 1964, Hoist continued similar services, but concentrated on local salvage duties out of Norfolk and operations in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
Searching for the Thresher
From 29 May through 25 August 1964, Hoist operated with Trieste IIBathyscaphe Trieste II
Trieste II ' was the successor to Trieste — the United States Navy's first bathyscaphe purchased from its Swiss designers. The original Trieste design was heavily modified by the Naval Electronics Laboratory in San Diego, California and built at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard...
at the site of the tragedy. Next, performing one of her many rescues, Hoist along with and , freed , which had grounded 2 March 1965. Blue Jacket was pulled free in 2 days saving her perishable cargo of frozen stores valued at $2,000,000. From 11 October to 12 November, Hoist was busy with towing operations when ordered to assist in the salvage of , a floating drydock attached to the Polaris
UGM-27 Polaris
The Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fuel nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile built during the Cold War by Lockheed Corporation of California for the United States Navy....
program. Hoist and raised Alamogordo in 3 weeks. For the remainder of the year Hoist was active in local salvage duties.
Recovering an H-bomb off the Spanish coast
On 16 February 1966 Hoist arrived at PalomaresPalomares, Almería
Palomares is an agricultural, fishing and tourist village on the Mediterranean Sea in the Almería province of Andalusia, Spain. It is about 20 meters above sea level...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, to take part in the recovery of an H-bomb
Teller-Ulam design
The Teller–Ulam design is the nuclear weapon design concept used in most of the world's nuclear weapons. It is colloquially referred to as "the secret of the hydrogen bomb" because it employs hydrogen fusion, though in most applications the bulk of its destructive energy comes from uranium fission,...
. The unarmed weapon was dropped when a B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
and KC-135
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
flying tanker collided. On 7 April after successful completion of the mission Hoist returned to Norfolk, where she arrived 4 May. Hoist performed salvage operations in the Virginia Capes
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
area into 1967. The recovery is a key event in the movie Men of Honor
Men of Honor
Men of Honor is a 2000 drama film, starring Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding, Jr. The film was directed by George Tillman, Jr...
.
Decommissioning
Hoist
Hoist may refer to:*Hoist , a machine for lifting loads*hoist controller, a machine for raising and lowering goods or personnel by means of a cable*Hydraulic hooklift hoist, another machine* Hoist , another machine...
was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register, 30 September 1994. Her title was transferred to the Maritime Administration, 29 November 2001. She was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
National Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...
, James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia
Lee Hall, Virginia
Lee Hall is a former unincorporated town long located in the former Warwick County. Since 1958, Lee Hall has been a suburban community in the extreme western portion of the independent city of Newport News in the Commonwealth of Virginia....
. Final Disposition: Hoist was sold for scrapping, 17 July 2007, for $61,000 to North American Ship Recycling, Sparrows Point, Maryland.
After North American Recycling closed its doors, the Hoist was left abandoned. The vessel was acquired by Bay Bridge Enterprises of Chesapeake Virginia with the company being paid $95,000 for the disposal. The vessel was towed to their Chesapeake yard, arriving on December 1, 2007.
Military awards and honors
The Navy record does not currently list battle stars for Hoist. However, her crew was eligible for the following medals, ribbons, and commendations:- Secretary of the Navy Letter of Commendation (3)
- Navy Unit CommendationNavy Unit CommendationThe Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
(2) - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2)
- Battle "E" RibbonNavy E RibbonThe Battle Efficiency Ribbon, Navy "E" Ribbon, or the Battle "E" ribbon was established in July 1976 by Secretary of the Navy J. William Middendorf. The Navy "E" Ribbon denotes permanent duty on U.S. Navy ships, squadrons, or units that have won a battle efficiency competition after July 1, 1974...
(5) - Navy Expeditionary MedalNavy Expeditionary MedalThe Navy Expeditionary Medal is an award of the United States Navy which was first created in August 1936 by General Orders of the Department of the Navy...
(CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
) - American Campaign MedalAmerican Campaign MedalThe American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalThe Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...
- World War II Victory MedalWorld War II Victory MedalThe World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
- Navy Occupation Service MedalNavy Occupation Service MedalThe Navy Occupation Service Medal is a decoration of the United States Navy which was issued to Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel who participated in the European and Asian occupation forces following the close of the World War II. The decoration was also bestowed to personnel who...
(with AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
clasp) - National Defense Service MedalNational Defense Service MedalThe National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
- Armed Forces Expeditionary MedalArmed Forces Expeditionary MedalThe Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal is a military award of the United States military, which was first created in 1961 by Executive Order of President John Kennedy...
(CubaCubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, 2-LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
)
External links
- NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - ARS-40 Hoist
- http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/4emergencysmall/basalt.htm Basalt Rock Compay Shipbuilding History