Remus LST-453

Remus

(LST-453: dp. 4,100; 1. 328'0"; b. 50'0", dr. 11'2"; s. 11 k.;
cpl. 289; a. 1 3", 1 40mm., 6 20mm.; cl. Achelous)

Remus (LST-453) was laid down by the Kaiser Co., Vaneouver! Wash., 28 July 1942; spon.sored by Mrs. Edward M. Argersmier; and commissioned as LST-45S on 21 January 1943, Lt. A. J. Hamre, USNR, in command.

Following shakedown off the west coast, LST-45S sailed west 2 March 1943 for Brisbane, Australia, via Pearl Harbor and Noumea. Arriving at Brisbane 8 May, she was converted to a repair ship and tender for amphibious craft.

She departed Brisbane for Milne Bay, 6 June 1943, arriving on 17 June as one of the first amphibious craft in New Guinea. Three days later she proceeded to Goodenough Island, where she tended and repaired LCT's and other small craft through the summer.

On 13 September she was ordered to Buna, where she added duties as flagship, Landing Craft Control Offieer, to her activities. While at Buna LST-46S was the only source of supply for ships operating in the forward area and was rcquired to tend up to 70 ships per month.

On 15 December LST-458 received several near misses from medium bombers which attacked her at Haniseh Harbor. She shifted to Cape Cretin, where there were also frequent air raids.

In January 1944 the ship was assigned a 400-ton pontoon dryDock and she continued to operate from one to two dryDocks throughout the remainder of her tour in the southwest Pacific, towing the dryDock forward with her on every move.

On 15 April the ship was sent to the Admiralty Islands to service ships staging for the Hollandia-Aitane invasion. She returned to Cape Cretin on 24 April 1944 and continued operations in that area until 14 June 1944. She then sailed for Alexishaven where she joined several other tenders on a rigid repair program to ready ships for future operations. On 15 August 1944 she was redesignated as ARW40 and named Remus.

Departing from Alexishaven 15 September 1944 for Mios Woendi, Remni became the advanced based tender of the 7th Fleet Amphibious Foree. On 12 January 1945, she sailed for Leyte arriving on the 22d to operate there throughout the remainder of her foreign service. Charged with repairs to all LCT's in the area, she operated two dryDocks, one 250-ton pontoon Dock for LCT's, and one 400-ton Dock for LCI's and LCS's.

Sailing east 17 October 1945, she transited the Panama Canal 6 December and arrived at New Orleans 8 days later to join the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Through the spring of 1946 she prepared landing craft for the mothball fleet, then on 15 July was herself decommissioned.

Struck from the Navy list 15 August 1946, she was sold to B. T. Jones for scrap 16 December 1947.