- USS Adonis (ARL-4)
The USS "Adonis" (ARL-4) was one of 39 "Achelous"-class
landing craft repair ships built for theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II . Named forAdonis (a handsome youth inGreek mythology who was loved byAphrodite ), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.Originally laid down as "LST-83" at
Jeffersonville, Indiana on31 March 1943 by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company; launched on14 June 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs. Frank R. Akhurst; commissioned on6 August 1943 atAlgiers, Louisiana for transportation toBaltimore, Maryland ; decommissioned on21 August 1943 for conversion by the Bethlehem Steel Company for service as a landing craft repair ship; redesignated "ARL-4" on26 August 1943 and simultaneously named "Adonis"; and placed in commission on12 November 1943 with Lieutenant Matthew E. Thompson in command. The new landing craft repair ship soon sailed toNorfolk, Virginia for shakedown training and carried out exercises inChesapeake Bay . She then made a cruise toNew York City and finally ended her training period atBoston, Massachusetts on the last day of the year. "Adonis" departed Boston on3 January 1944 with a convoy bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia. The ships arrived in Halifax on the 6th and put out to sea again on14 January beginning atransatlantic voyage toGreat Britain . The convoy reachedMilford Haven ,Wales on31 January . Two days later, "Adonis" got under way forDevonport, England . She dropped anchor there on5 February and commenced providing repair services to fleet units. She remained at Devonport until26 May and then moved toPortland Harbour . However, only a few days later, she was ordered to proceed to the assault area off theNormandy beachhead inFrance . "Adonis" got under way for her trip across theEnglish Channel on7 June , the day after "D-Day ." She arrived off "Omaha Beach " on the 8th and began providing repair services to damaged amphibious vessels. Rough seas made the work difficult, and the repair ship frequently changed her anchorage to avoid shellfire from enemy shore batteries. On1 August she cleared the area and headed back to Falmouth for repairs. The ship returned to the French coast on25 August , anchored off "Utah Beach ," and resumed her repair work. On1 November she sailed toCherbourg , France to pick up stores and equipment and returned to the waters off "Omaha Beach" on the 4th. She remained there for 10 days and was then ordered back to England. "Adonis" reached Devonport on15 November , resumed her maintenance work, and remained at that port through5 May 1945 . After a pause atBelfast ,Northern Ireland the ship began her voyage back to the United States and reached her home port, Norfolk, on31 May . Upon her arrival, the vessel was overhauled and then conducted sea trials and exercises in the Chesapeake Bay. The repair ship made a run toDavisville, Rhode Island on22 July to take on a load of pontoons and sailed for thePacific two days later. She transited thePanama Canal on4 August and, while en route toSan Diego, California received word of Japan's capitulation. After reaching San Diego on the 17th, she unloaded the pontoons atPort Hueneme, California on the 27th, and got under way forHawaii . Upon her arrival atPearl Harbor on6 September , "Adonis" set to work converting LSMs and LCIs into troop carriers which could be used to help return military personnel to the United States. She remained in Hawaiian waters through25 October , when the ship shaped a course forGuam where she operated until early December. She got under way forChina on the 3rd, and reachedShanghai on the 12th, remaining there into early 1946. Upon leaving Shanghai on14 March 1946 "Adonis" visited the Chinese ports ofTaku ,Chinwangtao ,Hulutao , andTsingtao . She departed the latter city on25 April and set a course for the west coast of the United States. The ship reachedAstoria, Oregon on18 May and, shortly thereafter, began preparations for her deactivation. "Adonis" was decommissioned on11 October 1946 and was assigned to the Columbia River Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet, Portland. The ship remained inactive there until her name was struck from theNaval Vessel Register on1 January 1960 . She was sold to Mr. Virgil Gene Thomas of California on14 October 1960 . "Adonis" won onebattle star for her World War II service.References
*
*
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.