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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

LST-15 / ARB-3 Phaon

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)
Aristaeus Class Battle Damage Repair Ship:
  • Laid down in September 1942 as LST-15 at Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, FL.
  • Reclassified, a Battle Damage Repair Ship, 25 January 1943
  • Launched, 30 January 1943
  • Commissioned, USS Phaon (ARB-3), 5 August 1943, Lt. George Fay Watson, USNR, in command
  • During WWII Phaon was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 6 February to 18 March 1944     		Tinian capture and occupation
    24 July to 1 August 1944
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 June 1944     		.

  • Following World War II Phaon (ARB-3) participated in Operation Crossroads during 1946 as a unit of Service Group - Task Group 1.8, commanded by Captain G.H. Lyttle, USN, during atomic bomb testing at Bikini Atoll
  • 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
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 8 July 1962, to Zidell Explorations Inc., Portland, OR.
  • Phaon received three battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,781 t(lt) 3,700 t.(fl)
    Length 328'
    Beam 50'
    Draft 11' 2"
    Speed 12 kts.
    Complement 260
    Armament two 40mm guns, eight 20mm guns
    Propulsion 2 General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    ARB-3 36k 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 Phaon (ARB-3) moored at Saipan with 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 Phaon (ARB-3) moored at Saipan with 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 Phaon (ARB-3) machine shop area of tank deck. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 79k Phaon (ARB-3) in dry dock, date and place unknown. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 60k 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 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 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 Phaon (ARB-3) crew members at Tanapag harbor, Saipan, 25 November 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 125k Phaon (ARB-3) on VJ-Day, Saipan, 15 August 1945. Caption for this photo indicates this signal was flowen to indicate victory over Japan. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 92k Phaon (ARB-3) assembled crew on VJ-Day at Saipan, 15 August 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 78k Phaon (ARB-3) assembled crew on VJ-Day at Saipan, 15 August 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 119k Phaon (ARB-3) assembled crew on VJ-Day at Saipan, 15 August 1945. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 59k 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 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 Phaon (ARB-3) crew member G. E. Justice, Jr., date unknown. Tom LaVictoire for C.L. LaVictoire USS Phaon
    ARB-3 129k Forward plan view of Phaon (ARB-3) at Navy Yard Mare Island, 20 March 1946.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1152-46.    		 Darryl Baker
    ARB-3 163k Speech presented in the US Senate commemorating Phaon (ARB-3)'s World War II service, date of presentation unknown. Wayne Vandervoort
    View the Phaon (ARB-3)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    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
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    Last Updated 18 August 2006