USS Abele (AN-58)

USS "Abele" (AN-58) was a "Ailanthus"-class net laying ship in the service of the United States Navy, named after a type of Asian ornamental tree.

She was laid down on 8 January 1943 at New Bern, North Carolina, by the Barbour Boat Works; launched on 19 August 1943, sponsored by Mrs. G. B. Waters; and commissioned at Morehead, North Carolina, on 2 June 1944, with Lieutenant Commander J. H. Bloodworth in command.

Following brief shakedown training out of Norfolk, Virginia and Boston, Massachusetts, the net laying ship sailed on 11 August for the Pacific Ocean. She made stops at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Panama Canal Zone, Manzanillo, Mexico; and San Diego, California. On 27 September, she reached Pearl Harbor and reported to Commander, Minecraft, Pacific Fleet, who assigned her to target towing and net defense duty.

On 24 January 1945, "Abele" left Pearl Harbor, bound for Iwo Jima. After sailing via Eniwetok and Guam with Task Group 51.5, the ship arrived off Iwo Jima on 20 February and began laying a torpedo net. She remained in the area for eight days laying nets and fleet moorings before getting underway on the 28th and heading for Saipan to prepare for the upcoming Okinawa invasion.

After a brief period spent in the Leyte Gulf staging area, "Abele" arrived off Kerama Retto on 26 March to begin laying net defenses. Although she was attacked by Japanese suicide boats and aircraft during the next seven weeks, she suffered no damage. On 18 April, the ship assisted in the downing of one enemy airplane. On 12 May, she sailed to Nagagusuku Wan, Okinawa, and assisted in laying five miles of heavy anti-torpedo nets across the harbor entrance. She also claimed credit for downing one Japanese "Val" on 11 June.

"Abele" was ordered to Tinian on 5 August to recover the anti-torpedo net located there. Following the formal Japanese surrender early in September, the ship got underway to return to the west coast of the United States. She reached San Francisco, California in late November. "Abele" was decommissioned on 1 March 1946, her name was struck from the Navy list on 28 March 1946, and the vessel was transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal on 7 May 1947.

"Abele" won one battle star for her World War II service.

As of 2004, no other ships in the United States Navy have borne this name.