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History | |
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United States | |
Ordered | as HMS Pacific Salvor (BARS-4) |
Builder | Basalt Rock Company |
Laid down | date unknown |
Launched | 24 October 1942 |
Acquired | 21 September 1942 |
Commissioned | 24 September 1943 |
Decommissioned | 13 December 1946 |
In service | 24 February 1953 |
Out of service | date unknown |
Stricken | 30 April 1981 |
Fate | Sold for scrapping, 1 July 1982 |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage | 1,441 tons |
Displacement | 1,630 tons |
Length | 213 ft 6 in (65.07 m) |
Beam | 39 ft (12 m) |
Draught | 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m) |
Propulsion | diesel-electric, twin screws, 2,780 hp |
Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h) |
Complement | 120 |
Armament | four 40 mm guns, four 0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine guns |
USS Gear (ARS-34) was a Diver-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.
Gear (BARS-4), originally intended for the Royal Navy under terms of the Lend-Lease Program, was launched as HMS Pacific Salvor (BARS-4) on 24 October 1942 by the Basalt Rock Company in Napa, California; acquired by the U.S. Navy and designated Gear (ARS-34) on 21 September 1942; and commissioned 24 September 1943.
Gear departed San Diego, California, on 6 December 1943 en route via Pearl Harbor and the Gilbert Islands to Eniwetok atoll in, the Marshall Islands. Here she performed salvage, towing, and repair for ships of the fleet as a unit of Service Squadron 10 until 17 July 1944.
She provided similar services at Saipan (25 July – 7 August), shifting to Apra Harbor, Guam, on 8 August 1944 for various operations that included the towing and sinking of concrete barges on Calalan Bank to serve as a breakwater; pulling amphibious landing ships off various beaches: and towing a ship to Tinian and Saipan before return. She returned to Pearl Harbor from the Marianas on 6 December 1944 for overhaul, and departed on 29 January 1945 with an amphibious assault force bound for Iwo Jima.
Gear arrived in the outer transport area of Iwo Jima on 19 February 1945 to witness the landing of U.S. Marines under cover of intensive Naval gunfire and air attack. She proved invaluable in assisting the ships of the fleet, pumping out flooded spaces, repairing mortars, making ship repairs and performing various towing assignments. She returned to Saipan on 5 March with an LSM and two LCI's in tow.
Four days later she was en route with a transport assault force that arrived off Okinawa on 1 April, D-day of invasion. Subsequently, she assisted with battle damage repairs on various ships. On April 2 and 3, she assisted USS Alpine APA-92 which had been hit by a Kamikazi and its bomb the evening of April 1. She also assisted Wichita (CA-45), England (DE-635), Aaron Ward (DD-483) and Ingraham (DD-694). She departed Okinawa on 15 May for repair service at Ulithi (21 May – 12 June), then proceeded via Eniwetok with two tank landing ships in tow for Pearl Harbor, arriving 6 July 1945.
Gear departed Pearl Harbor on 11 July and arrived at Portland, Oregon on the 20th. After voyage repairs, she performed towing and salvage for the Alaskan Sea Frontier at Adak, Alaska, until 6 May 1946, returning to San Pedro, California, on the 23d for services there until decommissioned on 13 December 1946.
Gear was assigned to the San Diego Group, U.S. Pacific Reserve Fleet until 24 February 1953. A civilian crew of the Merritt Chapman Scott Corp. then operated her for Navy towing and salvage service at San Pedro, California. Under contract to the Merritt Chapman Scott Corp., she continued Navy salvage and repair duties at San Pedro with occasional coast towing.
Gear was returned to U.S. Navy custody (date unknown) and struck from the Naval Register, 30 April 1981. Final Disposition: she was sold for scrapping, 1 July 1982, by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service.
Gear won several battle stars during World War II:
Her crew was eligible for the following medals:
USS Anzio (ACV/CVE/CVHE-57), was a Casablanca-class escort carrier of the United States Navy that saw service during World War II in the Pacific War. Originally classified as an auxiliary aircraft carrier ACV-57, the vessel was laid down in 1942, in Vancouver, Washington, by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company and initially named Alikula Bay, then renamed Coral Sea and redesignated CVE-57 in 1943. Coral Sea took part in naval operations supporting attacks on the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, New Guinea and the Marianas Islands. In September 1944, she was renamed Anzio. As Anzio, the escort carrier took part in assaults on the Bonin Islands and Okinawa. Following the cessation of hostilities in 1945, Anzio was among the escort carriers used in Operation Magic Carpet, returning US soldiers to the United States. Following this service, she was laid up in reserve at Norfolk, Virginia, in 1946. The escort carrier was redesignated CVHE-57 on 15 June 1955, before being sold for scrap in 1959.
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USS Highlands (APA-119) was a Haskell-class attack transport built and used by the US Navy in World War II. She was a Victory ship design, VC2-S-AP5. She was named after Highlands County, Florida, United States.
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USS Hocking (APA-121) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946, including participating in the Iwo Jima invasion. She was scrapped in 1974.
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USS Spectacle (AM-305) was a steel-hulled Admirable class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. A trained crew boarded the new vessel, practiced with her minesweeping gear, and then proceeded to the Pacific Ocean to clear mines from Japanese beaches so that Allied forces could invade. While performing this dangerous task of mine clearance, a Japanese plane strafed her, and another deliberately crashed into her. When she returned to the United States, her battle damage was so severe that the U.S. Navy decided to scrap, rather than to repair, her. She was awarded two battle stars.
USS Tekesta (AT-93) was Navajo-class fleet tug built during World War II for the United States Navy. Shortly after being built, it was crewed by trained Navy personnel and sent into the Pacific Ocean to provide tug service to damaged ships in battle areas. For successfully performing this dangerous work, she was awarded four battle stars by the war's end.
USS Hamlin (AV-15) was a Kenneth Whiting-class seaplane tender in the United States Navy.
USS LST-888 was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Late in her career she was renamed Lee County (LST-888) – after counties in twelve Southern and Midwestern states, the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear that name – but saw no active service under that name.
USS Preserver (ARS-8) was a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for coming to the aid of stricken vessels. Preserver was laid down by Basalt Rock Company in Napa, California, 26 October 1942, launched 1 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Walter F. LaFranz, and commissioned 11 January 1944.
USS Shackle (ARS-9) was a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for coming to the aid of stricken vessels.
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USS Clamp (ARS-33) was a Diver-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.
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This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.