USS Rescuer
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Laid down | date unknown |
Launched | 1904 |
Acquired | 6 February 1942 |
Commissioned | 31 December 1942 |
Stricken | 22 December 1944 |
Fate | Wrecked 31 December 1942; later scrapped |
General characteristics | |
Displacement | 738 tons |
Length | 175 ft 6 in (53.49 m) |
Beam | 34 ft (10 m) |
Speed | 10 knots |
Armament | Armament four .30 cal. machine guns |
USS Rescuer (ARS-18) was a Rescuer-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.
Construction and commissioning
Rescuer (ARS-18) was built in 1904 as tug Casper by United Engine Works, and acquired for the Navy 6 February 1942 by the Port Director, San Pedro, California.
Service history
Assigned to the 13th Naval District on 7 February 1942, Rescuer underwent conversion at Seattle, Washington, then headed north to the waters of the Territory of Alaska, where she served during her brief naval career.
On 31 December 1942, while engaged in salvaging the stranded Soviet cargo ship SS Turksib near Scotch Cap (54°24′15″N 164°47′30″W / 54.40417°N 164.79167°W / 54.40417; -164.79167 (Scotch Cap)) on the southwest corner of Unimak Island in the Aleutian Islands, Rescuer was carried on to the beach in an 80-mph (129-km/h) gale, badly holed, and wrecked.[1] Her third engineer fell overboard and drowned.[1] Her name was struck from the Navy list on 22 December 1944.
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- ^ a b alaskashipwreck.com Alaska Shipwrecks (R)
External links
- Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Archived 2006-01-30 at the Wayback Machine
- NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - ARS-18 Rescuer
- v
- t
- e
- 1 Dec: HMAS Armidale
- 2 Dec: Lupo, HMS Quentin
- 3 Dec: Empire Dabchick, HMS Penylan
- 4 Dec: Muzio Attendolo, HMS Traveller
- 6 Dec: USS Grebe
- 7 Dec: Ceramic
- 8 Dec: U-254, U-611
- 9 Dec: I-3, HMS Marigold
- 11 Dec: HMS Blean
- 12 Dec: HMS P222, Teruzuki
- 14 Dec: Canberra Maru
- 15 Dec: U-626
- 16 Dec: USS S-49
- 17 Dec: HMS Firedrake
- 18 Dec: HMS Partridge, Tenryū
- 21 Dec: I-4
- 23 Dec: Sperrbrecher 138
- 25 Dec: HMS P48
- 26 Dec: U-357
- 27 Dec: U-336
- 28 Dec: Choyo Maru
- 29 Dec: USS Wasmuth
- 30 Dec: HMS Fidelity
- 31 Dec: HMS Achates, HMS Bramble, Friedrich Eckoldt, USS Rescuer
- Unknown date: HMS P311
- 7 Dec: USS R-16
- 9 Dec: HMS Porcupine
- 12 Dec: Empire Centaur, Tannenfels
- 14 Dec: HMS Argonaut
- 19 Dec: Donau
- 21 Dec: USS S-35
- 25 Dec: Nankai Maru, Uzuki