US Navy Auxiliary Ships: Vulcan (AR-5) Class

USS Vulcan (AR-5) on 10 January 1945
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        VULCAN (AR-5)
Design:        Navy AR-5
Displacement (tons):        9,140 light, 16,200 lim.
Dimensions (feet):        529.3' oa, 520.0' pp x 73.3' e x 23.3' lim.
Original Armament:        4-5"/38 (1941: AR-5)
Later armaments:        4-5"/38 12-20mm (1942: AR-5);
4-5"/38 4-40mmT 24>23-20mm (1943-44: all); 4-5"/38 4-40mmT 8<14-20mmT (1946-56: all); 4-5"/38 4-40mmT (1957: AR-8);
4-5"/38 (1957-59: all); 3-5"/38 (1972-4: AR-6); 4-5"/38 4-20mmS (1975-76: AR-5);
none (1972-74: AR 7-8); 4-20mmS (1975-79: all)
Complement:        1032 (1944)
Speed (kts.):        19.2
Propulsion (HP):        11,000
Machinery:        NYSB turbines (Allis-Chalmers in AR 6-8), 2 screws

Construction:

AR	Name	Ord.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
5	VULCAN	1 Aug 39	New York SB	26 Dec 39	14 Dec 40	16 Jun 41
6	AJAX	9 Sep 40	Los Angeles SB & DD	7 May 41	22 Aug 42	30 Oct 42
7	HECTOR	4 Nov 40	Los Angeles SB & DD	28 Jul 41	11 Nov 42	7 Feb 44
8	JASON	4 Nov 40	Los Angeles SB & DD	9 Mar 42	3 Apr 43	19 Jun 44

Disposition:

AR	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
5	VULCAN	30 Sep 91	28 Jul 92	1 Feb 99	MA/T	2006
6	AJAX	31 Dec 86	16 May 89	23 May 97	Sold	--
7	HECTOR	31 Mar 87	19 Aug 94	20 Apr 89	Trf.	--
8	JASON	24 Jun 95	24 Jun 95	31 Mar 00	MA/T	2006

Class Notes:
FY 1940 (AR-5), 1941 (others). Lengths: 529.4 (AR 6-7), 530.0 (AR-8). Construction of AR-5 was directed by CNO on 30 Jun 38 and construction of the other three was directed by SecNav on 5 Aug 40. AR-8 was completed as a heavy hull repair ship (ARH-1) and retained that classification until 9 Sep 57. Two other ships, AR 15-16, were originally ordered to the AR-5 design, but they were reordered on 13 Apr 44 as C3's of the AR-13 class (q.v.).

In 1934-35 Navy mobilization planners developed the concept of a specialized type of repair ship, Heavy Hull Repair Ships (XARH). A rationale offered for the type was that, if the fleet were operating in an area at a considerable distance from dry docking facilities, some means should be provided to make a damaged ship sufficiently seaworthy to enable it to reach a repair yard, or in cases of minor damage, to make repairs on the spot. On 20 October 1940 the CNO wrote that the time had come for the General Board to determine the characteristics for a heavy hull repair ship. He elaborated on this request on 10 December, noting that the concept developed in the 1930s was too large (20,000 tons or more) and specialized to be of use in normal times and instead recommending that the characticteristics of the AR-6 type be modified to allow it to perform some heavy repairs while retaining most of its other capabilities. The General Board adopted characteristics on 23 December 1940 for a modified AR-6 ship that could, in addition to its regular repair functions, do heavy hull repairs, regun 5" AA and 5" DP batteries of all ships and 6" main batteries of light cruisers, and repair heavy machinery parts and heavy ordnance parts, except guns. The ship was to have substantially enhanced welding and salvage capabilities, and one of its two large cranes was to be increased from 20 to 30 tons in capacity. In compensation, facilities for aviation repairs were to be deleted and those for optical, radio instrument, fire control, sound, and gyro compass repairs would be curtailed as necessary. JASON (AR-8) was chosen to receive the modifications and was reclassified ARH-1 before being laid down. By 1957 the differences between her and her sisters had apparently diminished to the point where her special classification was no longer required, and she reverted to her original designation of AR-8.

Ship Notes:

AR	Name	Notes
5	VULCAN	To NDRF 22 Apr 92. MA disposal contract awarded late 2006. Departed NDRF 19 Dec 06 for scrapyard at Chesapeake, Va. Scrapping complete 11 Nov 07.
6	AJAX	To Point Mugu, Cal., 22 Jan 92 for use as target. To NDRF 13 Jul 96. Sold by Navy, out of NDRF and to buyer 16 Jun 97, scrapping complete 15 Dec 97.
7	HECTOR	Trf. to Pakistan 1989 as MOAWIN. Returned 1994, sold by MA 29 Sep 94, to buyer 17 Oct 94.
8	JASON	Reclassified ARH-1 15 Aug 41, reverted to AR-8 9 Sep 57. To NDRF 19 Jul 96. Sold by Navy for scrap 23 May 97 and out of NDRF to buyer 3 Oct 97 , back to NDRF 2 Jun 99 and scrap contract cancelled 9 Jun 99. MA disposal contract awarded late 2006. Departed NDRF 8 Jan 07 for scrapyard at Brownsville, Tex. Scrapping complete 14 Jan 08.