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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Midas (ARB-5)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Xray - Juliet NJXJ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - 27 November 1944) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)

Aristaeus Class Battle Damage Repair Ship:

Laid down, 31 August 1943, as LST-514 at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.

Redesignated a Battle Damage Repair Ship, 3 November 1943

Launched, 24 December 1943

Completed as a Battle Damage Repair Ship at Maryland Dry Dock Co., Baltimore, MD.

Commissioned, USS Midas (ARB-5), 23 May 1944, at Baltimore, MD., LT. Robert A. Young, USNR in command.

During World War II USS Midas was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 5 to 18 and 12 to 29 November 1944

Placed in reserve, in commission, 30 November 1946, at San Diego, CA.

Decommissioned in January 1947 and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group.

Struck from the Naval Register, 15 April 1976

USS Midas earned one battle star for World War II service

Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD)

Final Disposition, sold MARAD for scrapping to Levine Metals Corp, advertised under PD-X-1034 dated 6 October 1980, sold 19 November 1980, $452,000 (lot of 2 ships)

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
	89k	*USS Midas* (ARB-5)** underway near Baltimore, MD., 18 March 1944, after completion of conversion to a Battle Damage Repair Ship. The profile of this class was very similar to the Achelous (ARL-1) class. with two short, widely spaced kingposts forward. US National Archives photo # 19-N-66520, RG-19 LCM, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Robert Hurst
	87k	*USS Midas* (ARB-5) underway, date and location unknown. Note Midas** is painted Camouflage Measure 31, Design 8L. US Navy photo from DANFS.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
09260503 NA 80-G235139	162k	*USS Midas* (ARB-5)** underway, 16 June 1944 at Hampton Roads, VA. US National Archives photos 80-G-235139 and 80-G-235140, US Navy photos now in the collections of the US National Archives	Rick Davis
09260504 NA 80-G235140	186k		Rick Davis

USS Midas (ARB-5)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Young, Robert Albert, USNR	23 May 1944 - January 1946
02	LT. Saravia, Jenaro, USN	January 1946 - March 1946
04	LCDR. Gilman Jr., John Edwin, USNR	March 1946 - January 1947


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves and Russ Moody

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
MARAD Vessel History Database

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Last Updated 26 March 2021