USS Bolster (ARS-38) Class

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USS Opportune (ARS-41) circa October 1945
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        BOLSTER (ARS-38)
Design        Navy ARS-38
Displacement (tons):        1,441 light, 1,990 lim.
Dimensions (feet):        213.5' oa, 207.0' wl x 43.0' e x 13.75' lim.
Original Armament:        2-40mmT 6-20mmS
Later armaments:        2-40mmT 2-20mmT 2-20mmS (1949-52: all); 2-40mmT (1958-63: all);
1-40mmS (1963-72: all); 1-40mmS 2-20mmT (1972: ARS-40); 1-40mmS 2- 20mmS (1977: ARS 41-42);
2-20mmT (1972: ARS-43);
None (1975: ARS-40, 43);
2-20mmS (1977-80: all); 3-20mmS (1982: ARS-39)
Complement        --
Speed (kts.):        16
Propulsion (HP):        3,000
Machinery:        2 screws, diesel-electric

Construction:

ARS	Name	Ord.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
38	BOLSTER	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	20 Jul 44	23 Dec 44	1 May 45
39	CONSERVER	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	10 Aug 44	27 Jan 45	9 Jun 45
40	HOIST	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	13 Sep 44	31 Mar 45	21 Jul 45
41	OPPORTUNE	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	13 Sep 44	31 Mar 45	5 Oct 45
42	RECLAIMER	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	11 Nov 44	23 Jun 45	20 Dec 45
43	RECOVERY	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	6 Jan 45	4 Aug 45	15 May 46
44	RETRIEVER	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	31 Jan 45	16 Jun 45	--
45	SKILLFUL	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	25 Apr 45	--	--
46	SUPPORT	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	7 Aug 45	--	--
47	TOILER	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	--	--	--
48	URGENT	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	--	--	--
49	WILLING	7 Dec 43	Basalt Rock	--	--	--

Disposition:

ARS	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
38	BOLSTER	24 Sep 94	24 Sep 94	1 Feb 99	MA/T	--
39	CONSERVER	1 Apr 94	1 Apr 94	13 Nov 04	Tgt.	--
40	HOIST	30 Sep 94	30 Sep 94	29 Nov 01	MA/T	30 Nov 07
41	OPPORTUNE	30 Apr 93	30 Apr 93	1 Feb 99	MA/T	28 Aug 03
42	RECLAIMER	16 Sep 94	16 Sep 94	28 Jul 01	MA/T	--
43	RECOVERY	30 Sep 94	30 Sep 94	30 Sep 98	Trf	--
44	RETRIEVER	--	--	13 Aug 45	Canc.	--
45	SKILLFUL	--	--	13 Aug 45	Canc.	--
46	SUPPORT	--	--	12 Aug 45	Canc.	--
47	TOILER	--	--	12 Aug 45	Canc.	--
48	URGENT	--	--	12 Aug 45	Canc.	--
49	WILLING	--	--	12 Aug 45	Canc.	--

Class Notes:
FY 1944. On 11 Jun 43 the Auxiliary Vessels Board recommended construction of 15 tenders (AD 26-29, AR 13-16, AS 27-30, and AV 18-20) and one ammunition ship (AE-13) to support the large number of combatants whose construction the President had just approved. The Board also noted that Naval construction facilities were available for building a limited number of various smaller types of auxiliary craft. After careful study of the requirements of the various operating areas and the numbers of the various smaller types then in commission and building, the Board recommended construction during the calendar years 1944 and 1945 of 18 fleet tugs (AT 148-165), 12 salvage vessels (ARS 38-49), and 12 gasoline tankers (AOG 48-59). It added that it saw no need for more vessels of the AVP or ASR types. The salvage vessels were to be of steel to the standard design and were to be completed at a rate of two per quarter beginning in the third quarter of 1944. Their designed speed was 16 knots, actual speed was probably a bit lower as in the ARS-5 class.

The ARS-38 class ships were virtually identical to the ARS-5 class except for a slightly increased beam. On 23 Aug 43 the Navy's Supervisor of Shipbuilding at San Francisco reported to BuShips that the results of the inclining experiment of ARS-33 (ex BARS-3, see ARS-5 class) indicated that her stability was unsatisfactory. On 25 Aug 43 BuShips directed that her Commanding Officer be directed that under no circumstances should he stow salvage anchors on the main deck but instead they must be stowed in the hold. In the same letter BuShips directed SupShips San Francisco to investigate the installation of blisters for the later vessels of the class. By 7 Sep 43 the Bureau had abandoned the idea of fitting sheathing or blisters to the class. An internal BuShips memo dated 21 Dec 43 indicated that forces afloat had found that restrictions placed on the loads that the booms on the foremast could carry because of stability concerns and the requirement to stow salvage anchors in the hold were inhibiting operations. Forces afloat also wanted to replace the ships 1.1" quadruple AA gun mounts with 40mm twins and to restore the towing engine that had been eliminated from the ARS-5 design because the ships were constantly being assigned towing duties. The memo concluded by recommending that the beam of ARS 38-49 be increased as necessary to give the ships sufficient stability to present a good working platform and accommodate the proposed additional topside weights. By the end of December the Bureau had decided to widen these twelve ships by four feet. The increased beam made the ships of this class more stable than the original ARS-5 design and gave them a larger lifting capacity and more room for stowage of salvage equipment.

Ship Notes:

ARS	Name	Notes
38	BOLSTER	To NDRF 19 Sep 96. Still in NDRF Suisun Bay 2010.
39	CONSERVER	Decomm 30 Sep 86, recomm. 26 Sep 87. To have been sold to Mexico as MATLALCUEYE 23 Jul 98 but transfer canc. Offered to Taiwan ca. 2000 as TA TUEN but not accepted. Sunk as target 13 Nov 04 near Hawaii.
40	HOIST	Report of transfer to Taiwan 30 Sep 98 as TA PENG was incorrect. To NDRF 19 Jun 01. Departed NDRF for scrapping 28 Aug 07, scrapping contract cancelled and reawarded 30 Nov 07 to Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, Va. Scrapping completed 21 Apr 08.
41	OPPORTUNE	To NDRF 5 Aug 93, withdrawn by Navy 18 Jan 95, to NDRF 3 Aug 95, scrapping contract 28 Aug 03 with Bay Bridge Enterprises, Chesapeake, Va, from NDRF 5 Dec 03, scrapping completed 12 Jan 05.
42	RECLAIMER	In USN reserve 1946-50 (decomm. 23 Jun 47, recomm. 1 Dec 50). To NDRF 6 Oct 00. Still in NDRF Suisun Bay 2010.
43	RECOVERY	Sold to Taiwan 1998 as TA DE, still listed 2009.
44	RETRIEVER	CNO on 27 Aug 45 directed contract be terminated, action had been taken 13 Aug 45.
45	SKILLFUL	CNO on 27 Aug 45 directed contract be terminated, action had been taken 13 Aug 45.
46	SUPPORT	CNO on 11 Aug 45 directed BuShips to terminate contract, contract terminated 12 Aug 45.
47	TOILER	CNO on 11 Aug 45 directed BuShips to terminate contract, contract terminated 12 Aug 45.
48	URGENT	CNO on 11 Aug 45 directed BuShips to terminate contract, contract terminated 12 Aug 45.
49	WILLING	CNO on 11 Aug 45 directed BuShips to terminate contract, contract terminated 12 Aug 45.