USS Remus (ARL-40)

USS ''LST-453'' was a United States Navy used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. She was converted at Brisbane, Australia, into an , shortly after commissioning, and used in the repairing of landing craft. She was later renamed for Remus (along with Romulus, one of the legendary twin sons of Mars and the Vestal Rhea Silvia), she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.

Construction

''LST-453'' was laid down on 28 July 1942, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 973, by Kaiser Shipyards, Vancouver, Washington; launched on 10 October 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Edward M. Argersinger; and commissioned on 21 January 1943.

Service history

Conversion to repair ship

Following shakedown off the West Coast, ''LST-453'' sailed west 2 March 1943, for Brisbane, via Pearl Harbor and Nouméa. Arriving at Brisbane 8 May, she was converted to a repair ship and tender for amphibious craft. She departed Brisbane for Milne Bay, 6 June 1943, arriving on 17 June, as one of the first amphibious craft in New Guinea. Three days later she proceeded to Goodenough Island, where she tended and repaired LCTs and other small craft through the summer. On 13 September, she was ordered to Buna, where she added duties as flagship, Landing Craft Control Officer, to her activities. While at Buna, ''LST-453'' was the only source of supply for ships operating in the forward area and was required to tend up to 70 ships per month.

On 15 December, ''LST-453'' received several near misses from medium bombers which attacked her at Hanisch Harbor. She shifted to Cape Cretin, where there were also frequent air raids. In January 1944, the ship was assigned a pontoon dry dock and she continued to operate from one to two dry docks throughout the remainder of her tour in the southwest Pacific, towing the dry dock forward with her on every move. On 15 April, the ship was sent to the Admiralty Islands to service ships staging for the Hollandia-Aitape invasion. She returned to Cape Cretin on 24 April 1944, and continued operations in that area until 14 June 1944. She then sailed for Alexishafen where she joined several other tenders on a rigid repair program to ready ships for future operations.

Renaming

On 15 August 1944, she was redesignated as ARL-40 and named ''Remus''. Departing from Alexishafen 15 September 1944, for Mios Woendi, ''Remus'' became the advanced based tender of the 7th Fleet Amphibious Force. On 12 January 1945, she sailed for Leyte arriving on 22 January, to operate there throughout the remainder of her foreign service. Charged with repairs to all LCTs in the area, she operated two dry docks, one pontoon dock for LCTs, and one 400-long-ton dock for LCIs and LCSs.

Decommissioning

Sailing east 17 October 1945, she transited the Panama Canal 6 December, and arrived at New Orleans eight days later to join the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Through the spring of 1946, she prepared landing craft for the mothball fleet, then on 15 July, was herself decommissioned. Struck from the Naval Vessel Register 15 August 1946, she was sold to B. T. Jones for scrap 16 December 1947.

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Romulus (ARL-40)
Achelous-class repair ships
Achelous-class repair ships converted from LST-1-class ships
Ships built in Vancouver, Washington
1943 ships
World War II auxiliary ships of the United States
S3-M2-K2 ships