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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

AFDB-1 Artisan ex ABSD-1
(Sections, A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,K)
IX-521 / IX-525

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Yankee - Romeo - Bravo NYRB

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal

AFDB-1 Class Large Auxiliary (10-section, non-self-propelled) Floating Dry Dock:

Constructed in sections during 1942 and 1943 at Everett Shipbuilding Co., Everett, WA., the Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Eureka, CA., the Pollack-Stockton Shipbuilding Co., Stockton, CA.., and Chicago Bridge & Iron Co., Morgan City, LA.

Commissioned, USS ABSD-1, 10 May 1943, at Everett, WA., CAPT.. A.R. Mack, USN, in command

During World War II ABSD-1 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater

ABSD-1 was towed to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides and assembled for service in World War II

Disassembled and towed to Manicani Bay, P.I. and reassembled for service by September 1945

Decommissioned on 31 May 1946, in the Philippines

Redesigned AFDB-1 in August 1946

Disassembled and towed to Pearl Harbor for lay up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet

Recommissioned, 2 June 1951, at Pearl Harbor, HI.

Towed by sections to Orote, Guam, Marianas Islands, reassembled and ready for duty in March 1952

Decommissioned, 1 November 1956, at Apra Harbor, Guam, Marianas Islands

Five sections towed to Subic Bay, P.I. reassembled and place in service 17 November 1970

Named Artisan, 7 June 1979

Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register in October 1986

Reinstated in the Naval Register in March 1987

Final/Current Disposition

Sections A,G,H,I sold for scrapping by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service, 1 March 1987
Section B redesignated IX-534, Status: Laid up at NISMF, Pearl Harbor, HI., 1 March 1987
Section E laid up at NISMF, Pearl Harbor, HI., 1 March 1987
Section F disposed of as a target, 1 March 1987
Section C redesignated IX-525, Status: Active, Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kekaha, HI.
Section D redesignated IX-521, Status: Struck from the Naval Register, 26 April 2006, Laid up at Naval Inactive Ships Onsite Maintenance Office, Pearl Harbor, HI.

Specifications:
Displacement 38,500 t.(lt) (10 sections)
Length 927' (10 sections)
Beam 256'
Draft 9' (light), 78' (flooded)
Height 28' (keel to welldeck)
Inside Width 133' 7"
Lifting Capacity 90,000 tons
Complement 690

Specifications: IX-521 and IX-525
Displacement 3,500 t.
Length 280'
Beam 80'
Draft 9' (light)

Size	Image Description	Source/ Contributed By
88k	*ABSD-1* with California (BB-44) in the dock, at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands, circa September 1944. US Navy photo from DANFS	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
106k	*ABSD-1* with California (BB-44) in the dock, at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands, 8 September 1944 as repairs to the ship nears completion. Scaffolding along the port side of the ship shows the damaged area.	.
87k	*ABSD-1* with California (BB-44) in the dock, at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands, circa 1944. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1971.	Stanley C. Svec
98k	*ABSD-1* with an four LSTs in the dock, probably at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands, (date unknown). US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1971.	Stanley C. Svec
248	Cleveland (CL-55) docked in *ABSD-1, at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. January 1944. US Navy photo #2173-44*	Darryl Baker
76k	Cleveland (CL-55) in *ABSD-1* at Aessi Island, off Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 12 January 1944. US Navy photo Center # NH 98059 for the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.	US Naval Historical Center
188k	Columbia (CL-56) docked in *ABSD-1* at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, January 1944. US Navy photo #2169-44	Darryl Baker
199k	Columbia (CL-56) docked in *ABSD-1* at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, January 1944. US Navy photo #2170-44	.
133k	*AFDB-1* with West Virginia (BB-48) high and dry in the dock, off Aessi Island, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, 13 November 1944. The battleship was docked for upkeep and repair to propellers damaged when she touched ground off Leyte on 21 October. US National Archives photo # 80-G-314220, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
83k	*USS ABSD-1* at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, with *LSM-67* and *LSM-218* in the dock, 17 November 1944. US Navy photo, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.	USS LSM / LSMR Association
90k	*USS ABSD-1* at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, with, front, left to right *LSM-67* and *LSM-218* and at the rear, left to right, *LSM-269* and *LSM-219, 17 November 1944. US Navy photo # NH 22082A*, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.	Bill Brinkley and the USS LSM/LSMR Association
97k	*USS ABSD-1* at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, with, front, left to right *LSM-67* and *LSM-218* and at the rear, left to right, *LSM-269* and *LSM-219*, 17 November 1944. US Navy photo, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.	USS LSM / LSMR Association
72k	Antelope (IX-109) entering *ABSD-1* at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands, 5 January 1945. US Navy photo # NH 97018 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center	US Naval Historical Center
150k	*ABSD-1* with Antelope (IX-109) and *LST-120* in the dock at Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands, 8 January 1945 US National Archives photo # 80-G-314233, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
67k	*AFDB-1* at Orote, Guam, Marianas Islands, with Wisconsin (BB-64) in her dock, circa April 1952 US Navy photo from DANFS	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
67k	*AFDB-1* decommissioning crew, 1 November 1956, at Apra Harbor, Guam, Marianas Islands US Navy photo	A. L. Vick EMP1 USNR USS AFDB-1
235k	*AFDB-1* decommissioning crew, 1 November 1956, at Apra Harbor, Guam, Marianas Islands. Orote Point in the background. US Navy photo	A. L. Vick EMP1 USNR USS AFDB-1
273k	*AFDB-1* decommissioning crew, 1 November 1956, at Apra Harbor, Guam, Marianas Islands US Navy photo	A. L. Vick EMP1 USNR USS AFDB-1