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

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    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:

    Korean War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    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:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    11 to 14 June 1968
    23 to 30 June 1968
    Vietnam Winter-Sprint 1970
    10 to 22 November 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    1 to 10 July 1968
    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, 1 December 1977
  • Struck from the Naval Register and sold to Taiwan under the Security Assistance Program, 1 December 1977, renamed ROCS Da Hu (ARS-552)
  • 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
  • Current Disposition, active in the Republic of China Navy
    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)
    Grapple 45k USS Grapple (ARS-7) drydocked in 1957, location unknown.
    Photos courtesy National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors, contributed by Bob Hall.
    Robert Hurst
    Grapple 39k
    Grapple 39k
    Grapple 49k USS Grapple (ARS-7) underway, at Pearl Harbor, date unknown.
    Photos courtesy National Association of Fleet Tug Sailors, contributed by Craig Rothhammer.
    Robert Hurst
    Grapple 27k USS Grapple (ARS-7) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Bob Hall
    via NAFTS
    National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Grapple 33k USS Grapple (ARS-7) underway, date and location unknown. NAFTS Collection
    National Association
    of Fleet Tug Sailors
    Grapple 25k USS Grapple (ARS-7) underway with a tow, date and location unknown. Ed Armijo
    Knox 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
    Grapple 129k USS Grapple (ARS-7) underway, circa 1968, location unknown.
    US Navy photo by PHCM L. P. Bodine.
    Robert Hurst
    Grapple 123k USS Grapple (ARS-7) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Grapple 118k USS Grapple (ARS-7) underway, circa 1969, location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, December 1969, p.25.
    Robert Hurst
    Grapple
    09370716
    231k USS Grapple (ARS-7) moored pierside, circa 1970s, location unknown.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # L45-111.01.01
    Robert Hurst
    ROCS Da Hu (ARS-552)
    Grapple 103k Ex-USS Grapple (ARS-7) in the Republic of China service as ROCS Da Hu (ARS-552) moored pierside at Keelung, Taiwan, 13 June 2006. Perry Huang
    Grapple 384k ROCS Da Hu (ARS-552) moored pierside at Keelung, Taiwan , 13 June 2006. Perry Huang
    Grapple 353k ROCS Da Hu (ARS-552) moored pierside at Keelung, Taiwan, 13 June 2006. Perry Huang
    Grapple 384k ROCS Da Hu (ARS-552) moored pierside at Keelung, Taiwan, 13 June 2006. Perry Huang
    Grapple
    09370715
    183k ROCS Da Hu (ARS-552) and ROCS Da-Juen (ARS-556) (ex-USS Recovery (ARS-43), moored pierside at Keelung, Taiwan, 27 December 2013.
    Photo courtesy of Xuan Shisheng. licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
    Robert Hurst


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

  • Commanding Officers
    01LT. Fisher, Robert, USN16 December 1943 - 11 November 1944
    02LT. Thurman, Robert Kenneth, USNR11 November 1944 - 6 July 1945
    03LT. Smith, Joe Nelson, USN6 July 1945 - 9 October 1945
    04LT. Scoville, Charles Arthur, USN9 October 1945 - January 1946
    05LTjg. Owens, William Francis, USNRJanuary 1946 - 27 February 1946
    06LT. Hale, James Charles, USN27 February 1946 - 30 August 1946
     Decommissioned30 August 1946 - 20 December 1951
    07LT. Coniam, Roy, USN20 December 1951 - 9 November 1952
    08LT. Beck Jr., William, USN9 November 1952 - 5 January 1953
    09LT. Wishmeyer, Raymond Virgil, USN5 January 1953 - 20 December 1954
    10CDR. Talley Sr., William Odell, USN29 December 1954 - January 1957
    11CDR. Wright, Gerald Taylor, USNRJanuary 1957 - April 1959
    12LCDR. Radcliffe, Robert John, USNApril 1959 - November 1960
    13LCDR. Clark, Carroll Doyle, USN November 1960 - 4 July 1962
    14LCDR. Adams Jr., Robert Lee, USN (USNA 1951)4 July 1962 - 5 November 1964
    15LCDR. Minnich, Donald Ellsworth, USN5 November 1964 - 10 May 1967
    16LCDR. Jarrett, Edwin Bruce, USN10 May 1967 - 14 March 1968
    17LCDR. Pilcher, Charles Robert, USN14 March 1969 - 8 December 1971
    18LCDR. Lonnon, Lawrence Walter, USN8 December 1971 - 1974
    19LCDR. Blackmon, Thomas Lester, USN1974 - 1975
    20LCDR. Cass, Dudley Eugene, USN1975 - 1977
    21LCDR. Shanahan, James Francis, USN (USNA 1964)1977 - September 1977
    22LT. Smith, Chester Burton, USNSeptember 1977 - 1 December 1977
     LCDR. Hale, James Charles, USNno dates
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

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    Last Updated 17 November 2023