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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Prometheus (AR-3)
ex
 USS Prometheus (Repair Ship No. 2) (1914 - 1920)
 USS Ontario (Collier No. 2) (1910 - 1914)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Tango - Papa
 NETP
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Mexican Service Medal - Haitian Campaign Medal
Second Row - World War I Victory Medal - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Ontario Class Collier / Prometheus Class Repair Ship:
  • Laid down, 18 October 1907, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.
  • Launched, 5 December 1908
  • Commissioned USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2), 15 January 1910
  • Decommissioned, 7 April 1913, for conversion to a Repair Ship
  • Recommissioned USS Prometheus (Repair Ship No. 2), 23 December 1914
  • Designated (AR-3), 17 July 1920
  • Decommissioned, 4 October 1924, at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, WA.
  • Recommissioned, 15 May 1942, at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton
  • Decommissioned, 1 July 1946
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 31 July 1946, and simultaneously Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 29 August 1950 to Ziedell Shipwrecking Co., Portland, OR.
  • USS Prometheus earned one battle star for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,940 t.
    Length 466' 4"
    Beam 60' 2"
    Draft 19' 6"
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement (AR) 737
    Armament (AR) two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts, four 3"/50 guns, four 40mm guns
    Propulsion coal fired boilers, converted to oil, steam turbine, single propeller
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2)
    Prometheus 526k Bow view of USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2), 3 December 1904, at Navy Yard Mare Island, two days before her launching. US Navy photo by McMillan Darryl Baker
    Prometheus 481k Bow view of USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2), 4 December 1904, at Navy Yard Mare Island, the day before her launching. US Navy photo by E. K. Halverson. Darryl Baker
    Prometheus 469k Broadside view USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2) launch day, 5 December 1904, at Navy Yard Mare Island. US Navy. Darryl Baker
    Prometheus 299k USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2) half way down the building way during her launching at Mare Island, 5 December 1908. US Navy. Darryl Baker
    Prometheus 272k USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2) is waterborne for the first time after launching at Mare Island, 5 December 1908. Unadilla (Harbor Tug No. 4) is on her port side. US Navy. Darryl Baker
    Prometheus 380k USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2) entering the water for first time during her launching at Mare Island, 5 December 1908. Unadilla (Harbor Tug No. 4). Other ships in photo left to right: USS Fortune (Harbor Tug No. 11), and USS Active (Harbor Tug No. 14) is to the far right. US Navy photo. Darryl Baker
    Prometheus 345k USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2) with USS Fortune (Harbor Tug No. 11) made up to her port bow immediately after launching, 5 December 1908. US Navy photo. Darryl Baker
    Prometheus 59k USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2) off Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 15 April 1910.
    US Navy photo # NH 44050 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Prometheus 58k USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2) off Mare Island Navy Yard, 8 April 1910
    off Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo CA
    US Navy photo # NH 70617 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Prometheus 51k USS Ontario (Fleet Collier No. 2) off Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 8 April 1910.
    US Navy photo # NH 70616 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Jupiter 222k USS Ontario is aft of USS Jupiter (Fleet Collier No.3) at Mare Island Navy Yard between 18 and 31 July 1913. USS Ontario was undergoing conversion to the repair ship. Prometheus. Note the bow of YW-16 visible forward of Jupiter.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # BK 622 10, Navy Photo 5351, 18-31 July 1913.    		 Darryl Baker
    USS Prometheus (Fleet Repair Ship No. 2)
    Prometheus 44k USS Prometheus (Fleet Repair Ship No.2) wearing dazzle camouflage while at anchor, date and location unknown.
    Photo from "Jane's All The World's Fighting Ships 1924".    		 Robert Hurst
    Prometheus 61k USS Prometheus (Fleet Repair Ship No.2) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Darryl L. Baker
    Bridgeport 117k Ships dressed with flags in Brest harbor, awaiting the arrival of President Woodrow Wilson, in December 1918 or March 1919. Ships present include USS Bridgeport (ID # 3009) at left, USS Prometheus (Fleet Repair Ship No. 2) is in the center, with tugs alongside. Two US Navy destroyers, another tug, and the Italian cruiser Libia are in the center and right distance. In the right-center foreground are two "Menhaden Fisherman" minesweepers, one wearing the numeral "5". Tugs may include USS Osceola and two units of the Allegheny class.
    US Navy photo # NH 42571 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center         		US Naval Historical Center
    Prometheus 74k USS Prometheus (Fleet Repair Ship No. 2) at Guantanemo Bay, Cuba, January 1920. Note battleships in background. The original print of this photo was incorrectly identified as USS Vestal.
    US Navy photo # NH 50271 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    USS Prometheus (AR-3)
    Prometheus 91k USS Prometheus (AR-3) laid up at Puget Sound Navy Yard while being reconditioned for return to active service, 3 June 1941.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-24258 a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Prometheus 93k USS Prometheus (AR-3) laid up at Puget Sound Navy Yard while being reconditioned for return to active service, 3 June 1941.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-24262, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Prometheus 78k USS Prometheus (AR-3) laid up at Puget Sound Navy Yard while being reconditioned for return to active service, 3 June 1941.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-24256, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Prometheus 101k USS Prometheus (AR-3) underway off Puget Sound Navy Yard while being reconditioned for return to active service, circa 1941-42.
    Puget Sound Navy Yard photo now in the collections of the NARA Seattle Branch.    		 Tracy White
    Prometheus 129k USS Prometheus (AR-3) during the Guadalcanal Campaign, 1942-43 with USS South Dakota (BB-49) and two destroyers alongside for repairs.
    US National Archives photo #80-G-36088, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    View the USS Prometheus (AR-3)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Commanding Officers
    .CAPT. Osterhaus, Hugo,~1923 - 4 October 1924
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    No Information Available
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 3 July 2009