USS Xanthus (AR-19)
Encyclopedia
USS Xanthus (AR-19) was a Xanthus-class
repair ship
acquired by the United States Navy
for the task of providing repairs to the fleet. She was named after Xanthus
, a mythical beast of Greek legend.
Intended for the Royal Navy as HMS Hecla (F 175), she was laid down under Maritime Commission
contract (MCE hull 2664) as Hecla on 6 June 1944 at Baltimore, Maryland, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard
, Inc.. She was launched on 31 July 1944, sponsored by Mrs. J.W.A. Waller, and delivered to the Navy on a loan basis on 16 August 1944.
On 6 December 1944, she was renamed Xanthus and designated AR-19. She was commissioned on 9 May 1945 with Commander Stanley G. Nichols in command.
, Xanthus arrived at Pearl Harbor
on 20 July to serve there as a repair ship. On 11 August, she sailed for Adak, Alaska
, to join forces massing there for the projected assaults on the Kurils and northern Japan
. The Japanese capitulation, however, obviated such operations. Instead of an invasion there was now an occupation.
(TG) 40.2, Xanthus proceeded to Japan and arrived at Ominato on 9 September—the same date that Japanese forces there surrendered to Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher
. The ship remained at Ominato through 21 November, serving as flagship
for the commander of TG 56.2, the repair and logistics group. Subsequently reporting for duty with Service Squadron 104, the ship operated out of Okinawa
through late January 1946.
, in the spring of that year, the repair ship was laid up at the Maritime Commission facility in the James River, Virginia, in an "on hand" status, through 1961.
. In 1974, she was sold for scrapping in Cleveland, Ohio
.
Xanthus class repair ship
The Xanthus class repair ships were a class of five auxiliary ships built for the United States Navy and Royal Navy. Ships of the class served in a diverse range of environments in varying capacities during both World War II and the Korean War. Xanthus class ships were in commission between...
repair ship
Auxiliary ship
An auxiliary ship is a naval ship which is designed to operate in any number of roles supporting combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliaries are not primary combatants, although they may have some limited combat capacity, usually of a self defensive nature.Auxiliaries are extremely...
acquired by 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...
for the task of providing repairs to the fleet. She was named after Xanthus
Xanthus
Xanthus may refer to:In Greek mythology:*Divine**Xanthus, the gods' name for Scamander, the great river of Troy and its patron god**Xanthus, one of the twelve sons of Pan who were allied with Dionysus*Human...
, a mythical beast of Greek legend.
Intended for the Royal Navy as HMS Hecla (F 175), she was laid down under Maritime Commission
United States Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and replaced the U.S. Shipping Board which had existed since World War I...
contract (MCE hull 2664) as Hecla on 6 June 1944 at Baltimore, Maryland, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
, Inc.. She was launched on 31 July 1944, sponsored by Mrs. J.W.A. Waller, and delivered to the Navy on a loan basis on 16 August 1944.
On 6 December 1944, she was renamed Xanthus and designated AR-19. She was commissioned on 9 May 1945 with Commander Stanley G. Nichols in command.
World War II operations
Following training operations and a transit of 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...
, Xanthus arrived 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...
on 20 July to serve there as a repair ship. On 11 August, 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...
, to join forces massing there for the projected assaults on the Kurils and northern Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
. The Japanese capitulation, however, obviated such operations. Instead of an invasion there was now an occupation.
End-of-war activity
As part of Task GroupTask force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
(TG) 40.2, Xanthus proceeded to Japan and arrived at Ominato on 9 September—the same date that Japanese forces there surrendered to Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher
Frank Jack Fletcher
Frank Jack Fletcher was an admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. Fletcher was the operational commander at the pivotal Battles of Coral Sea and of Midway. He was the nephew of Admiral Frank Friday Fletcher.-Early life and early Navy career:Fletcher was born in Marshalltown, Iowa...
. The ship remained at Ominato through 21 November, serving as flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
for the commander of TG 56.2, the repair and logistics group. Subsequently reporting for duty with Service Squadron 104, the ship operated out of Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
through late January 1946.
China operations
On 10 February 1946, Xanthus sailed for Tsingtao, China, and helped to stabilize troubled conditions there in the wake of the Japanese withdrawal. As Communist and Nationalist Chinese jockeyed for position in the volatile situation in their country, Xanthus supported American naval activities in that port until sailing for home on 8 April 1946.Return to Stateside
Subsequently arriving at 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....
, in the spring of that year, the repair ship was laid up at the Maritime Commission facility in the James River, Virginia, in an "on hand" status, through 1961.
Post-war decommissioning
On 1 September 1962, the ship was struck from the Navy ListNavy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
. In 1974, she was sold for scrapping in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
.