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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Patch at left, courtesy Ed Armijo via NAFTS, patch at right, courtesy Marcus Ray via NAFTS

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Grapple (ARS-7)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - November - Papa
NQNP

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 15 September 1944 and 30 December 1944) - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (1) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Taiwan Straits) - Vietnam Service Medal (5)
Fifth Row - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (2) - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
Sixth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

USS Grapple (ARS-7) was sold to Taiwan, renamed ROCS Da Hu (ARS-552)

Diver Class Rescue and Salvage Ship:

Laid down, date unknown, at Basalt Rock Co. Inc., Napa, CA.

Launched, 31 December 1942

Commissioned USS Grapple (ARS-7), 16 December 1943, at Vallejo, CA., LT. Robert Fisher in command

During WWII USS Grapple was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 July to 8 August 1944	Leyte operation Leyte landings, 20 October 1944
Western Caroline Islands operation Capture and occupation of Palau Islands - Peleliu, 6 September to 14 October 1944

Decommissioned, 30 August 1946, at San Diego, CA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group

Recommissioned, 20 December 1951, at San Diego, Lt. Roy Coniam in command

During the Korean War USS Grapple participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaign
Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 17 May to 7 June1952 18 to 25 July 1952 8 to 17 August 1952 5 to 23 September 1952 29 September to 5 October 1952 14 October to 3 November 1952

USS Grapple (ARS-7) was assigned to China service from 29 September to 5 October 1954

During the Vietnam War USS Grapple participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Vietnam War Campaigns
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 11 to 14 June 1968 23 to 30 June 1968	Vietnam Winter-Sprint 1970 10 to 22 November 969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V 1 to 10 July1968	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 10 November to 19 December 1970 10 to 11 March 1971
Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 1 July 1969 24 August to 12 October 1969

Decommissioned, date unknown

Struck from the Naval Register and sold to Taiwan under the Security Assistance Program, 1 December 1977, renamed ROCS Da Hu (ARS-552)

Current Disposition, active in the Republic of China Navy

USS Grapple earned the Navy Unit Commendation for service in Salvage, Fire Fighting, and Rescue Unit, Service Force, 7th Fleet - Philippine Islands area, 6 January to 15 February 1945, and three battle stars for World War II service, one battle star for Korean War service and five campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:
Displacement 1,897 t.
Length 213' 6"
Beam 39'
Draft 14' 8"
Speed 15 kts.

Complement

Officers 7

Enlisted 113

Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.

Armament

two twin 40mm AA gun mounts

four .50 cal. machine guns

Fuel Capacities

Diesel 2,150 Bbls

Gasoline 2,560 Gals

Propulsion

four Cooper Bessemer GSR-8 Diesel-electric engines

single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gears
Ship's Service Generators
two Diesel-drive 200Kw 120V D.C.
one Diesel-drive 60Kw 120V D.C.

twin propellers, 3,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Grapple (ARS-7)
	45k	*USS Grapple* (ARS-7)** drydocked in 1957, location unknown. Photos courtesy National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors, contributed by Bob Hall.	Robert Hurst
	39k
	39k
	49k	*USS Grapple* (ARS-7)** under way, at Pearl Harbor, date unknown. Photos courtesy National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors, contributed by Craig Rothhammer.	Robert Hurst
	27k	*USS Grapple* (ARS-7)** moored pierside, date and location unknown.	Bob Hall via NAFTS National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
	33k	*USS Grapple* (ARS-7)** under way, date and location unknown.	NAFTS Collection National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors
	25k	*USS Grapple* (ARS-7)** under way with a tow, date and location unknown.	Ed Armijo
	119k	Rescue and Salvage ships *USS Grapple* (ARS-7), USS Conserver (ARS-39), the Submarine Rescue Ship USS Greenlet (ASR-10) and the Fleet Tugs USS Cocopa (ATF-101) and USS Sioux (ATF-75)** attempting to pull the Destroyer USS Frank Knox (DD-742) off Pratas Reef in the South China Sea, some two hundred miles south east of Hong Kong. *Frank Know* ran aground 18 July 1965 and was finally refloated, 24 August 1965. This view was probably taken at about the time she was finally refloated on 24 August 1965. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 74179.	Tony Cowart
	129k	*USS Grapple* (ARS-7)** under way, circa 1968, location unknown. US Navy photo by PHCM L. P. Bodine.	Robert Hurst
	123k	*USS Grapple* (ARS-7)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	118k	*USS Grapple* (ARS-7)** under way, circa 1969, location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, December 1969, p.25.	Robert Hurst
ROCS Da Hu (ARS-552)
	103k	Ex-*USS Grapple* (ARS-7) in the Republic of China service as ROCS Da Hu (ARS-552)** moored pierside in Keelung, Taiwan Harbor, 13 June 2006.	Perry Huang
	384k	*ROCS Da Hu* (ARS-552)** moored pierside in Keelung, Taiwan Harbor, 13 June 2006.	Perry Huang
	353k	*ROCS Da Hu* (ARS-552)** moored pierside in Keelung, Taiwan Harbor, 13 June 2006.	Perry Huang
	384k	*ROCS Da Hu* (ARS-552)** moored pierside in Keelung, Taiwan Harbor, 13 June 2006.	Perry Huang

For more information about USS Grapple, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
USS Grapple ARS-7
National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Fisher, Robert	16 December 1943 - December 1944
02	LT. Thurman, Robert Kenneth	December 1944 - ?
03	LT. Smith, Joe Nelson	WW II
04	LT. Hale, James Charles	February 1946 - 30 August 1946
	Decommissioned	30 August 1946 - 20 December 1951
05	LT. Coniam, Roy	20 December 1951 - 1952
06	CDR. Clark, Charles Robert	1952 - 1953
07	CDR. Talley Sr., William Odell	? - January 1957
08	CDR. Wright, Gerald Taylor	January 1957 - April 1959
09	LCDR. Radcliff, Ralph, USN	April 1959 - October 1960
10	LCDR. Clark, Carroll Doyle	October 1960 - 1962
11	LCDR. Hale, James Charles	1962 - 1963
12	LCDR. Adams Jr., Robert Lee	1963 - 1964
13	LCDR. Minnich, Donald Ellsworth	1964 - 10 May 1967
14	LCDR. Jarrett, Edwin Bruce	10 May 1967 - 14 March 1968
15	LCDR. Pilcher, Charles Robert	14 March 1969 - 8 December 1971
16	LCDR. Lonnon, Lawrence W.	8 December 1971 - 1974
17	LCDR. Blackmon, Thomas Lester	1974 - 1975
18	LCDR. Cass, Dudley Eugene	1975 - 1977
19	LCDR. Shanahan, James Francis	1977 - 1977
20	LT. Smith, Chester Burton	1977 - 1 December 1977


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 13 October 2017