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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

AR-20 Laertes

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (2) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Xanthus Class Repair Ship:
  • Laid down, 7 August 1944, as Dutiful, a Maritime Commission type (EC2-S-C1) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2674) at Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard Inc., Baltimore, MD.
  • Intended for Great Britain as HMS Dutiful (F-176)
  • Launched, 14 September 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy, 28 September 1944
  • Retained by the US Navy
  • Commissioned USS Laertes (AR-20), 24 March 1945
  • Decommissioned, 15 January 1947, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, 19 December 1951, at San Diego, CA.
  • Decommissioned, 26 February 1954, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 1972
  • Laertes received two battle stars for Korean service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,801 t.(lt) 10,920 t.(fl)
    Length 441' 6"
    Beam 56' 11"
    Draft 27' 11" (max.)
    Speed 12.5 kts.
    Complement 525
    Armament one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount, three 3"/50 guns, four 40mm guns, twelve 20mm guns
    Propulsion two 220 PSI boilers, single three cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating engine, single 4 blade, 18' 6" propeller, Shaft Horsepower, 2,500
    Propulsion reciprocating steam engine, single shaft, 2,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Laertes 111k Laertes (AR-20) underway off Norfolk, VA, 1 April 1945
    US Navy photo # NH 96913 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Laertes 54k Laertes (AR-20) enroute to Sasebo, Japan in 1952 Jerry O Johnson BM3 USN, USS Laertes1949-1958
    Laertes 58k Laertes (AR-20) at Sasebo, Japan, with nine minesweepers and a harbor tug alongside, 8 October 1952.
    Ships nested on her port side are (from left):
    Impeccable (AM-320);
    Gladiator (AM-319);
    Shoveler (AM-382);
    Defense (AM-317) and
    Devastator (AM-318)    .
    Ships nested to starboard are (from left):
    Condor (AMS-5);
    Kite (AMS-22);
     Curlew (AMS-8);
    Chatterer (AMS-40)     and
    Wallacut (YTB-420)
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-63229 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Laertes 70k ex-Laertes (AR-20) at the breakers yard, Tacoma, WA., circa 1972 David Nixon
    Laertes 63k ex-Laertes (AR-20) at the breakers yard, Tacoma, WA., circa 1972 David Nixon
    View the Laertes (AR-20)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    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 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 18 February 2005