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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Zeus (ARB-4)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Xray - Golf
 NJXG
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Aristaeus Class Battle Damage Repair Ship:
  • Projected as LST-132
  • Laid down, 17 June 1943, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 26 October 1943
  • Redesignated as ARB-4, a Battle Damage Repair Ship
  • Converted to a battle damage repair ship by the Maryland Drydock Co. at Baltimore, MD.
  • Commissioned, USS Zeus (ARB-4) 11 April 1944, at Norfolk, VA., LT. William C. Groves, USN in command
  • During World War II USS Zeus was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Decommissioned, 30 August 1946
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet at Sand Diego, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 June 1973
  • Sold 1 August 1974, by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service to Snopac Enterprises for merchant service as a salmon processor and freight ship, renamed MV Cape St. Elias
  • Sold in 1988 to Icicle Sea Foods, renamed MV Coastal Star
  • Sold to SNOPAC Products Inc., December 2007, renamed MV SNOPAC Innovator
  • Renamed MV Gordon Jensen, April 2012
  • Current Disposition serves as a transport and berthing vessel for SNOPAC Products Inc. processing crews in Alaska
    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
    USS Zeus (ARB-4)
    Zeus
    09260408    		 92k Three-quarter bow view of USS Zeus (ARB-4) underway, 18 April 1944, one week after commissioning. Note shielded 40mm Bofors mount forward, and the ship’s distinctive tank landing ship origins.
    US National Archives, Catalog No. 19-LCM-66068    		 Mike Green
    Zeus 121k USS Zeus (ARB-4) underway near Baltimore, MD., 18 April 1944, after completion of conversion to a Battle Damage Repair Ship. Note the 3"/50 gun on the stern with the 40 mm quad mount just forward of and above it.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-66069, RG-19 LCM, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Robert Hurst
    Zeus 207k USS Zeus (ARB-4) laid up in reserve in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group, date unknown. Stan Svec
    Zeus 141k USS Zeus (ARB-4) laid up in reserve at Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1977. Photos by Karsten Petersen with permission
    Zeus 136k
    Commercial Service
    Zeus 84k Ex-USS Zeus (ARB-4) in commercial service as the Snopac Enterprises transport and berthing vessel MV Cape St. Elias moored pierside at Seattle, WA. in 1987.
    Photo by Chris Howell.    		 Robert Hurst
    Zeus 7k Ex-USS Zeus (ARB-4) in Commercial service as the Icicle Sea Food Co. ship MV Coastal Star underway, date and location unknown. Icicle Sea Food web site
    Zeus 291k Ex-USS Zeus (ARB-4) in commercial service as the Snopac Enterprises MV Gordon Jensen moored pierside at the Icle Seafoods pier, Lake Washington Ship Canal, Seattle, WA., 11 October 2014.
    Photo by Kyle Stubbs.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Zeus (ARB-4)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Groves, William Claire, USN11 April 1944 - May 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Service Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index Back To The Battle Damage Repair Ship (ARB) Photo Index
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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 11 September 2020