US Navy Auxiliary Ships: Aristaeus (ARB-1) Class

USS Midas (ARB-5) on 29 May 1944
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        ARISTAEUS (ARB-1)
Design:        Navy LST
Displacement (tons):        1,781 light, 4,100 lim.
Dimensions (feet):        328.0' oa, 316.0' pp x 50.0' e x 11.2' lim
Original Armament:        1-3"/50 2-40mmQ 8-20mm (1943-44: ARB 1-6)
Later armaments:        2-40mmQ 8-20mm (1945: ARB 7-12)
Complement:        253 (1944)
Speed (kts.):        11.6
Propulsion (HP):        1,800
Machinery:        G.M. diesels, 2 screws

Construction:

ARB	Name	Reclas.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
1	ARISTAEUS	13 Jan 43	NYd Philadelphia	12 Nov 42	1 Feb 43	18 May 43
2	OCEANUS	13 Jan 43	NYd Philadelphia	12 Nov 42	11 Feb 43	22 May 43
3	PHAON	13 Jan 43	Dravo, Pittsburgh	17 Sep 42	30 Jan 43	5 Aug 43
4	ZEUS	3 Nov 43	Chicago Bridge, Seneca	17 Jun 43	26 Oct 43	11 Apr 44
5	MIDAS	3 Nov 43	Chicago Bridge, Seneca	31 Aug 43	24 Dec 43	23 May 44
6	NESTOR	3 Nov 43	Chicago Bridge, Seneca	13 Sep 43	20 Jan 44	24 Jun 44
7	SARPEDON	14 Aug 44	Bethlehem-Hingham SYs	11 Jul 44	21 Aug 44	19 Mar 45
8	TELAMON	14 Aug 44	Bethlehem-Hingham SYs	5 Dec 44	10 Jan 45	1 Jun 45
9	ULYSSES	14 Aug 44	Bethlehem-Hingham SYs	2 Nov 44	2 Dec 44	20 Apr 45
10	DEMETER	14 Aug 44	Chicago Bridge, Seneca	25 Oct 44	19 Jan 45	3 Jul 45
11	DIOMEDES	14 Aug 44	Chicago Bridge, Seneca	19 Oct 44	11 Jan 45	23 Jun 45
12	HELIOS	14 Aug 44	Chicago Bridge, Seneca	23 Nov 44	14 Feb 45	23 Jul 45

Disposition:

ARB	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
1	ARISTAEUS	15 Jan 47	1 Jul 61	14 Mar 62	Sold	--
2	OCEANUS	24 Jan 47	1 Jul 61	3 May 62	Sold	--
3	PHAON	1947	1 Jul 61	10 Aug 62	Sold	--
4	ZEUS	30 Aug 46	1 Jun 73	10 Jul 74	Sold	--
5	MIDAS	15 Jan 47	15 Apr 76	19 Nov 80	MA/S	19 Nov 80
6	NESTOR	29 Nov 45	3 Jan 46	9 Oct 45	Lost	--
7	SARPEDON	29 Jan 47	15 Apr 76	14 Jan 77	Sold	--
8	TELAMON	20 May 47	1 Jun 73	29 Jan 74	Sold	--
9	ULYSSES	28 Feb 47	1 Jan 61	Jun 61	Trf.	--
10	DEMETER	26 May 47	1 Mar 59	31 Jul 59	Sold	--
11	DIOMEDES	3 Dec 46	1 Jan 61	Jun 61	Trf.	--
12	HELIOS	3 Dec 46	10 Dec 77	19 Jan 62	Trf.	--

Class Notes:
FY 1942 (ARB 3-6), 1943 (ARB 1-2), 1944 (ARB 7-12), all as LSTs. All were built under LST contracts and reclassified and fitted as ARB's before entering service.

Throughout 1942 the Navy looked for possible sources for additional auxiliary vessels, and it eventually found an answer in the LST program. In mid-1942 the landing craft program temporarily lost some of its urgency as plans for a 1943 Cross-Channel operation were deferred, and in October 100 of the 490 LSTs then on order were cancelled. The Navy apparently found that a few LSTs could be spared to fill other critical needs. On 3 Dec 42 COMINCH directed the conversion of three LSTs to repair ships for landing craft, and on 18 Dec 42 he directed that three more be converted to Battle Damage Repair Ships and two to Motor Torpedo Boat Tenders. On 2 Jan 43 three new hull type designations were proposed for these ships, respectively ARL, ARB, and AGP. The types and hull number assignments were approved by SecNav on 13 Jan 43. On 25 Jan 43 the LSTs designated to become ARB 1-2 and AGP-1 were changed from LST 326-328 to LST 328-330 to minimize unnecessary work by the shipbuilder, and this date is carried in BuShips records as the reclassification date for all three ARBs and both AGPs. Despite the reclassification dates shown here (which come from BuShips and OpNav records), the ships made the transit from the building to the conversion yards as LSTs, assuming their ARB designations and hull numbers only upon decommissioning and entering the conversion yard.

On 11 Jun 43, as part of a major review of auxiliary ship requirements, the Auxiliary Vessels Board stated that, with the great numbers of ships of all types in the various and extended operating areas, it considered that additional repair ships were essential at the earliest practicable date, and that in planning an auxiliary vessel conversion program for 1944 and 1945 the conversion of LSTs and EC2 ships to repair ships was the most expeditious and economical method of meeting maintenance needs. It noted that these converted ships could relieve to a great extent the need for installation of shore-based repair facilities in the forward operating areas. As part of this effort, it recommended that a program of six LST conversions to ARBs be authorized, three in 1944 and three in 1945. These ships were ARB 4-9.

On 2 May 44 the Auxiliary Vessels Board reviewed the construction program of ARBs and AGPs that it had authorized on 11 Jun 43 and concluded that the number of these ships provided for was inadequate. It recommended that three more ARBs of the LST type be constructed for delivery in the second quarter of 1945. These ships were ARB 10-12.

All units of the ARB-1 class were modified to ARB's by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md., except ARB-3 by Tampa SB, Tampa, Fla. Units built on the Mississippi River were taken to New Orleans, where they were placed in full commission and remained for a few days for voyage repairs and loading of stores. Combat crews then delivered them to Baltimore, with a three-day shakedown enroute at St. Andrews Bay, Florida, to ensure their safe passage. Gibbs and Cox was the design agent for all three LST conversion designs. According to the history written by the crew of ARB-3, the main differences between an ARB and an LST were heavier armament, greater deck facilities for cargo handling, a much longer superstructure deck, and last and most important the tank deck covered with lathes, grinders, drills, metal cutters, welding machines, and other shop equipment. Its crew was larger than an LST crew and included a large number of highly specialized rated enlisted men trained in ship repair. In the ARBs, the bow ramp and bow door control gear were not to be installed during construction and the bow doors were welded shut. Two derricks each with a 10-ton boom and a 50-ton “A” frame were fitted. The first six ships of the class had a 3"/50 gun on the main deck at the extreme stern with a 40mm quad mount just forward of and above it. In these ships the entire stern anchor-handling rig with its 3,000 pound Danforth anchor was moved to the starboard bow to provide emergency anchoring facilities, although the anchor appears to have been quickly moved to a new hawse pipe. In the last six units the 3"/50 gun was omitted and the 40mm mount was moved to a raised platform on the extreme stern, under which the usual LST stern anchor was restored. All units had a single "A" frame crane on the port side amidships and two widely-spaced short kingposts forward, as in the earlier ARLs.

Ship Notes:

ARB	Name	Notes
1	ARISTAEUS	Ex LST-329 25 Jan 43, ex LST-326 13 Jan 43. Completed as LST 18 Feb 43. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. (arrived from Philadelphia, 24 Feb 43, no ferry commission being needed for this inland waterways transit). In USN reserve 1946-61. To buyer 16 Apr 62.
2	OCEANUS	Ex LST-328 25 Jan 43, ex LST-327 13 Jan 43. Completed as LST 18 Feb 43. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. (arrived from Philadelphia, 24 Feb 43). Final drydocking 9 Aug 46 at San Pedro. Decomm. at San Diego 24 Jan 47 "in interests of inactivation program," 93% inactivated. Placed in inactive status 28 Jan 47, out of commission in reserve, inactivation complete except minor items. In USN reserve 1946-61 (including time "in commission in reserve"). To buyer 6 Jun 62. Merc. ZB-102F (barge) 1963
3	PHAON	Ex LST-15 13 Jan 43. Ferry commission as LST-15 30 Mar 43 to ca. 16 Apr 43. Converted by Tampa SB, Tampa, Fla. Final drydocking 18 Apr 47 at San Pedro. Placed in inactive status 1 Jul 47, out of commission in reserve, inactivation complete (may have been decommissioned earlier, as was ARB-2). In USN reserve 1946-61. Merc. ZB-103A (barge).
4	ZEUS	Ex LST-132 3 Nov 43. Ferry commission as LST-132 9 Nov-23 Dec 43 (from reduced to full commission at New Orleans 23 Nov 43). Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. In USN reserve 1946-73.
5	MIDAS	Ex LST-514 3 Nov 43. Ferry commission as LST-514 8 Jan-18 Feb 44 (from reduced to full commission at New Orleans 19 Jan 44). Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. In commission in reserve 30 Nov 46, decomm. ca. Jan 47. In USN reserve 1946-76.
6	NESTOR	Ex LST-518 3 Nov 43. Ferry commission as LST-518 29 Jan-4 Mar 44 (from reduced to full commission at New Orleans 11 Feb 44). Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. Wrecked in typhoon at Okinawa 9 Oct 45. Wreck sold by FLC May 47 (included in the "Berry" sale to Oklahoma-Philippines Co.).
7	SARPEDON	Ex LST-956 14 Aug 44. Ferry commission as LST-956 16-29 Nov 44. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. In USN reserve 1946-76.
8	TELAMON	Ex LST-976 14 Aug 44. Ferry commission as LST-976 5-19 Feb 45. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. In USN reserve 1946-73.
9	ULYSSES	Ex LST-967 14 Aug 44. Ferry commission as LST-967 27 Dec 44 to 9 Jan 45. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. In USN reserve 1946-61. Trf. to West Germany as ODIN. Stk. by Germany 20 Dec 91.
10	DEMETER	Ex LST-1121 14 Aug 44. Ferry commission as LST-1121 31 Jan-2 Mar 45. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. In USN reserve 1946-59 (in service in reserve from 26 May 47 at Green Cove Springs, Florida, as a reserve fleet accomodation ship). Merc. MOTONAVE 1961, lost as DEMETER 1964.
11	DIOMEDES	Ex LST-1119 14 Aug 44. Ferry commission as LST-1119 23 Jan-21 Feb 45. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. In USN reserve 1946-61. Trf. to West Germany as WOTAN. Stk. by Germany 23 Aug 91.
12	HELIOS	Ex LST-1127 14 Aug 44. Ferry commission as LST-1127 26 Feb-16 Mar 45. Converted by Maryland DD, Baltimore, Md. In USN reserve 1946-62. Loaned to Brazil as BELMONTE. Sold to Brazil 28 Dec 77. Stk. by Brazil 6 Jun 97, sunk as target off Rio de Janeiro 19 Mar 02 by PERNAMBUCO (ex USS BRADLEY, FF-1041) and three other ships.