- USS Nestor (ARB-6)
The USS "Nestor" (ARB-6) was one of 12 "Aristaeus"-class battle damage repair ships built for the
United States Navy during World War II. Named for Nestor (inGreek mythology , the son ofNeleus , the King ofPylos andChloris ), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.Originally laid down as USS LST-518 on 13 September 1943 by the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company of
Seneca, Illinois ; launched sponsored by Miss Rita Jenkins; converted by Maryland Dry Dock Company ofBaltimore, Maryland ; and commissioned 24 June 1944 with Commander Frank W. Parsons, USNR, in command. Designed to make emergency repairs in forward areas to battle-damaged ships, "Nestor" leftNorfolk 4 August 1944 for Guantanamo Bay, thePanama Canal , andUlithi , arriving 21 October to take up her primary mission. During the next five and a half months she acted as tender to small craft and repaired all types of naval vessels frombattleship s to LCIs. "Nestor" left Ulithi 19 April 1945 forKerama Retto , seized in the initial phase of theOkinawa Campaign to serve as a base for the ships engaged in the main assault. Japanese air attacks, often by suicide plane, inflicted heavy damage on the fleet, and "Nestor" worked round-the-clock, often under fire her self, to help keep the fighting ships in action. AsOkinawa itself became secure, "Nestor" enteredBuckner Bay 10 July and continued her vital services, which here included the tremendous task of building acofferdam . "Nestor" was driven aground by wind and heavy seas in the devastatingTyphoon Louise of 9 October, and had to be abandoned. She decommissioned 29 November, Stricken 3 January 1946 and her hulk was sold for scrap on 1 May 1947.In November, 1945 the CNO directed that the hulk be sunk or destroyed, but this was not done and she became one of around 15 Okinawa typhoon wrecks that were finally sold for scrap in two batches in May and November, 1947 by the State Department's Foreign Liquidations Commission. "Nestor" along with USS|LST-823| and USS|LST-826 three floating docks and some smaller craft, were included in the May batch and were purchased by the Oklahoma-Philippines Company in what was referred to as the "Berry sale". The date of her scrapping is not known.
"Nestor" earned one
battle star for World War II service.References
*
*
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.