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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Phaon (ARB-3)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Xray - Delta
 NJXD
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (24 June 1944, Saipan)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (2 KIA, 11 WIA, 24 June 1944, Saipan)
USS Aristaeus Class Battle Damage Repair Ship:
  • Laid down. 17September 1942, as LST-15 at Dravo Corp. Neville Island, PA.
  • Reclassified, a Battle Damage Repair Ship, 25 January 1943
  • Launched, 30 January 1943
  • Delivered and placed in reduced commission, date unknown, for delivery to her conversion yard, Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, FL
  • Decommissioned at Tampa Fl., date unknown
  • Commissioned, USS Phaon (ARB-3), 5 August 1943, LT. George Fay Watson, USNR, in command
  • During WWII USS Phaon was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Gilbert Islands operation, 20 November to 8 December 1943 Tinian capture and occupation, 24 July to 1 August 1944
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 19 June to 10 August 1944     		 

  • USS Phaon (ARB-3) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.8.1 Service Group - Repair and Service Unit for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946
  • Decommissioned in January 1947 at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1961
  • USS Phaon earned three battle stars for World War II service
  • Sold, 8 July 1962, to Zidell Explorations Inc., Portland, OR.
  • Registered in 1966 by the DeLong Corp, New York as freight barge DeLong 103
  • Out of documentation by 1989
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    USS Specifications:
    Displacement 1,781 t.(lt) 4,100 t.(fl)
    Length 328'
    Beam 50'
    Draft 11' 2"
    Speed 11.6 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 20
    Enlisted 234
    Largest Boom Capacity 50 t.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts
    eight single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Ship's Service Generators
    four 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    two 100Kw 450V A.C.
    Fuel Oil Capacity Diesel 4,480 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    two propellers, 1800shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    ARB-3 36k USS Phaon (ARB-3) moored to a buoy in the harbor at Saipan, circa late 1944 to early August 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 58k USS Phaon (ARB-3) moored at Saipan with USS LSM-327 moored to her starboard side, circa late 1944 to early August 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 45k USS Phaon (ARB-3) moored at Saipan with USS LSM-327 moored to her starboard side, circa late 1944 to early August 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 101k USS Phaon (ARB-3) machine shop area of tank deck. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 79k USS Phaon (ARB-3) in dry dock, date and place unknown. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 60k USS Phaon (ARB-3) crew members, left to right, Abney, Norstad, & Jones, at Saipan, date unknown. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 116k USS Phaon (ARB-3) crew members in the main engine room, date and place unknown. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 89k USS Phaon (ARB-3) engine room "Motor Macs" during an R&R break in front of a Shinto shrine on Saipan in 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 75k USS Phaon (ARB-3) crew members at Tanapag harbor, Saipan, 25 November 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 125k USS Phaon (ARB-3) on VJ-Day, Saipan, 15 August 1945. Caption for this photo indicates this signal was flown to indicate victory over Japan. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 92k USS Phaon (ARB-3) assembled crew on VJ-Day at Saipan, 15 August 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 78k USS Phaon (ARB-3) assembled crew on VJ-Day at Saipan, 15 August 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 119k USS Phaon (ARB-3) assembled crew on VJ-Day at Saipan, 15 August 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 59k USS Phaon (ARB-3) senior officers addressing the assembled crew on VJ-Day at Saipan, 15 August 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 68k USS Phaon (ARB-3) crew members H. Abney and C. L. LaVictoire, taking it easy on Saipan during an R&R break, date unknown. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 56k USS Phaon (ARB-3) crew member G. E. Justice, Jr., date unknown. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3
    09260319    		 130k USS Phaon (ARB-3) underway off Mare Island Navy Yard, 18 March 1946.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 83812    		 Mike Green
    ARB-3 129k Forward plan view of USS Phaon (ARB-3) at Navy Yard Mare Island, 20 March 1946.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1152-46.    		 Darryl Baker
    ARB-3 163k Copy of speech presented, 25 January 1999, in the US Senate commemorating USS Phaon (ARB-3)'s World War II service. Wayne Vandervoort
    USS Phaon (ARB-3)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Watson, George Fay, USNR5 August 1943 - 30 July 1944
    02LCDR. Ostrander, Arthur Thomas, USNR30 July 1944 - 1 January 1945
    03LT. Hustead, Charles Lawrence, USNR1 January 1945 - 1 November 1945
    04LT. Horstkamp, William Francis, USN1 November 1945 - July 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    Last Updated 5 January 2024