- USS Tackle (ARS-37)
USS Tackle (ARS-37) was a
Tackle-class rescue and salvage ship acquired by theU.S. Navy duringWorld War II . She served in the dangerous North Atlantic waters, and returned home proudly at war’s end with twobattle stars .Acquisition for the war effort
"Tackle", ex
SS W. R. Chamberlain, Jr. , built in1912 by theNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.,Newport News, Virginia , was owned and operated by W. R. Chamberlain and Co.The ship was acquired through the
War Shipping Administration in1943 . She was renamedUSS Tackle (ARS-37) on8 June 1943 ; taken over by the Navy atOran ,Algeria , on19 June 1943 ; and commissioned on5 August 1943 atPalermo ,Sicily .World War II North Atlantic Operations
"Tackle" was assigned to the Salvage Force,
U.S. 6th Fleet , and operated betweenAlgeria n ports until early1944 . She took a load of salvage equipment toBizerte ,Tunisia , on30 March and moved to Palermo, Sicily, on4 April . The ship shuttled betweenSicily , Naples, andNorth Africa n ports until mid-August.Invasion of southern France operations
"Tackle" sailed with
Task Force 84, on21 August , to participate in the landings onsouthern France . She arrived atBaie de Cavalaire on the 24th and moved to Port de Bouc on1 September . On4 September , "Tackle" was being towed to the fueling and watering berth in the Basin Petrolier by the French tug Provencal.Damaged by an exploding mine
At 1425 hours, a mine exploded between the two ships. The French tug was sunk, and "Tackle" suffered considerable damage to her port side and engine rooms. She was towed to
Toulon on the 8th for temporary repairs and, five days later, thence toPalermo . Permanent repairs were completed there on20 October , and she sailed forToulon five days later."Tackle" made a voyage from
Algeria toMarseilles in November and spent December1944 shuttling between Algerian ports. On30 January 1945 , she returned toMarseilles . Her designation was changed to ARS(T)-4 on1 February . The ship steamed toPalermo on the 13th. While she was there, her designation was changed to IX-217. She returned toAlgeria on20 March .Too damaged to remain in service
"Tackle" stood out of
Oran on17 April en route to theUnited States . She arrived atNorfolk, Virginia , on18 May ; and, on27 June , it was determined that the ship was unfit for further naval service. "Tackle" was decommissioned on13 September and struck from theNavy list on11 October 1945 . Her ultimate fate is unknown.Awards
"Tackle" received two
battle stars for World War II service.References
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*World War II External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/37/3737.htm NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - ARS-37 / ARST-4 / IX-217 Tackle]
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