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USS Sphinx (ARL-24)
Encyclopedia
USS Sphinx (ARL-24) was one of 39 Achelous-class
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 the Sphinx
Sphinx
A sphinx is a mythical creature with a lion's body and a human head or a cat head.The sphinx, in Greek tradition, has the haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a woman. She is mythicised as treacherous and merciless...
(a mythical monster formed by joining the body of a lion and the head of a human), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Originally authorized as LST-963, the ship was redesignated as a landing craft repair ship (ARL) on 11 September 1944; laid down 20 October 1944 by the Bethlehem Steel Company of Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
; named Sphinx and redesignated ARL-24 on 11 September 1944; launched on 18 November 1944; converted into a landing craft repair ship at the Merrill Stevens Drydock, Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
; and commissioned on 10 May 1945. Sphinx completed fitting out and proceeded to 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....
for sea trials and shakedown in Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
.
World War II
On 12 June 1945 Sphinx sailed for the west coast; transited the Panama CanalPanama 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...
on 23 June; and proceeded via San Diego to San Francisco. She was assigned to the Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet, and ordered to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Sphinx arrived in 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...
on 31 July and repaired craft there until 27 August when she sailed for Adak, Alaska
Adak, Alaska
Adak , formerly Adak Station, is a city in the Aleutians West Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 326. It is the westernmost municipality in the United States and the southernmost city in Alaska. The city is the former location of the Adak Army Base and Adak...
.
Before she reached Adak, her sailing orders were modified, routing her 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 Mutsu Bay
Mutsu Bay
is a bay inside Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It includes three bays; Aomori Bay, Noheji Bay and Ōminato Bay. Mutsu Bay covers about 1660 km². The culture of scallops is prosperous in the bay....
, Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
on 14 September and began repairing and refitting minesweepers
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
. Sphinx moved to Yokosuka on 20 November and sailed for Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
on 3 December 1945. She operated in the central Pacific islands until entering Pearl Harbor on 9 January 1947 en route to the west coast for decontamination. The ship had participated in "Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads
Operation Crossroads was a series of nuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in mid-1946. It was the first test of a nuclear weapon after the Trinity nuclear test in July 1945...
," the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands....
in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
from early April to 29 August 1946. Sphinx arrived at San Pedro, California on 22 January where she was decontaminated and prepared for inactivation. She was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 26 May 1947.
Korean War
The outbreak of hostilities in KoreaKorean 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...
created a need for Sphinx's repair facilities 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,...
. She was recommissioned on 3 November 1950. After outfitting and holding shakedown training, she stood out of San Diego on 17 August 1951 and proceeded via Pearl Harbor to Japan. Sphinx arrived at Yokosuka on 29 September and operated from Japanese ports until 7 May 1952. During this time, she repaired and serviced fleet units that were being used in Korea
Korea
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...
. The ship returned to San Diego on 4 June 1952 and 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 redeployed to the Far East from 3 March to 9 December 1954. Sphinx operated along the west coast during 1955 and, on 31 January 1956, was again placed out of commission, in reserve, and berthed at San Diego.
Vietnam War
In January, 1967 orders were issued to reactivate Sphinx for use in VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. She was towed to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
in February and, on 16 December 1967, placed in commission. The ship sailed for the west coast on 8 January 1968 and arrived at San Diego on 23 February. On 22 April Sphinx and sailed for the western Pacific. The ships made port calls at Pearl Harbor, Kusaie, 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...
, and Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
. Sphinx sailed independently from there on 6 June and, four days later, arrived at Vung Tau
Vung Tàu
Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism...
, South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. Sphinx moved to Dong Tarn on 11 June and was assigned to the Mobile Riverine Force
Mobile Riverine Force
In the Vietnam War, the Mobile Riverine Force , initially designated Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Force, and later euphemistically the Riverines, were a joint US Army and US Navy force that comprised a substantial part of the Brown Water Navy...
in the Mekong Delta
Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries. The Mekong delta region encompasses a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of . The size of the area covered by water depends on the season.The...
. Her unit was Task Force (TF) 117 composed of 11 shallow-draft ships and over 150 river assault boats
Fast Patrol Craft
Patrol Craft Fast , also known as Swift Boats, were all-aluminum, long, shallow-draft vessels operated by the U.S. Navy, initially to patrol the coastal areas and later for work in the interior waterways as part of the Brown Water Navy to interdict Vietcong movement of arms and munitions,...
. The repair ship was on a non-rotating basis and, during 1969, had very little time underway. She operated in the Tien Giang and Ham Luong
Hàm Luông River
The Hàm Luông River is branch of Mekong River in the Mekong delta region, Vietnam. It flows for 70 kilometres through Ben Tre Province. It is the border of Châu Thành, Bến Tre, Giồng Trôm and Ba Tri, and Chợ Lách, Mỏ Cày Nam, Mỏ Cày Bắc and Thạnh Phú....
rivers, providing service and support for the river boats as they engaged in operations against the Viet Cong. The ship sailed from Vietnam on 21 June for a yard period at 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...
and returned on 25 August.
Upon her return to Vietnam, Sphinx operated along the Vam Co River. In addition to her regular duties, the ship served as the tactical operations center of the Can Giouc Interdiction Unit and also developed helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
capabilities, handling 50 landings before 31 December 1969. She remained in Vietnam until 14 December 1970 when she weighed anchor for a yard period at Yokosuka. On the last day of the year, the ship lost power in both main engines and was adrift 340 miles from Sasebo. On 2 January 1971 the took her under tow for Sasebo where she was repaired.
Sphinx was back off Vietnam on 11 March and remained there until sailing for the west coast several months later. She arrived at Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
on 2 July and prepared to rejoin the reserve fleet. On 30 September 1971 Sphinx was placed in reserve, out of commission, and remained berthed at Bremerton into December 1974. Sphinx 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 16 April 1977.
Intelligence-gatherer
Sphinx was reacquired by the Navy in 1985 and commissioned in July, 1985 at Puget Sound Naval ShipyardPuget Sound Naval Shipyard
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility is a United States Navy shipyard covering 179 acres on Puget Sound at Bremerton, Washington...
, Bremerton. In 1985, the ship went through a $25 million overhaul to become an intelligence-collection platform. It conducted patrols off the Pacific coast of El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
monitoring the actions of the communist guerrilla forces
Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front
The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front is, since 1992, a left-wing political party in El Salvador and formerly a coalition of five revolutionary guerrilla organizations...
. The ship was decommissioned for the last time on 16 June 1989 at Norfolk and laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
Museum ship
Custody of Sphinx was transferred on 2 December 2002 to the Dunkirk Historical Lighthouse and Veterans Park Museum in Dunkirk, New York for preservation, where she was regarded as the "Sole Survivor of All LST's in The U.S. Mothball Fleet Today."
Sphinx received one battle star for Korean service and eight for service in Vietnam.