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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Arneb (LKA-56)
ex
 USS Arneb (AKA-56) (1944 - 1969)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Hotel - Hotel
NHHH
Tactical Voice Radio Call "Snowball Uncle"
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Antarctic Service Medal (11) - Armed Forces Expansionary Medal (1-Dominican Republic) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Andromeda Class Amphibious Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down as SS Mischief, a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1159), at Moore Drydock Co., Oakland, CA.
  • Launched, 6 July 1943
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 16 November 1943
  • Towed to Portland OR. for conversion to an Attack Cargo Ship
  • Commissioned USS Arneb (AKA-56), 28 April 1944, at Willamette Iron and Steel Co. Portland OR., CDR. Howard R. Shaw in command
  • During WWII USS Arneb was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Thirteen, COMO. M.O. Carlson USN (16);
    TransDiv Thirty-Nine (flagship), CAPT. G.E. Maynard and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944     		Manila Bay - Bicol operation
    Zambles-Subic Bay, 20 to 31 January 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 13 to 30 October and 19 to 29 November 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 10 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS Arneb was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East and China service for the following periods;

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    4 to 29 October 19454 to 29 October 1945
    7 March to 11 May 194613 May to 4 June 1946
    3 to 26 November 1946 

  • Decommissioned, 16 March 1948, at Philadelphia, PA.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, 19 March 1949
  • Following recommissioning USS Arneb performed Occupation service in Europe for the following periods; 17 January to 14 May 1950 and 6 October 1952 to 26 January 1953
  • Redesignated (LKA-56), 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned, 12 August 1971 at Norfolk, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 13 August 1971
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold, 1 March 1973, for scrapping to Andy International, Houston, TX.
  • USS Arneb received four battle stars for her World War II service and a Meritorious Unit Commendation for the recovery mission for Apollo 7
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,556 t.(lt) 14,200 t.(lim)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 66
    Enlisted 363
    Largest Boom Capacity 60 t.
    Cargo Capacity 4,900 DWT
    non-refrigerated 4,440 Cu ft.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boats
    eight LCMs
    one LCP(L)
    fifteen LCVPs
    Fuel Capacity
    NFSO 10,990 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric steam turbine
    two Foster and Wheeler D-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gear
    three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed By / Source
    Arneb 360k Amidships looking aft plan view of USS Arneb (AKA-56) at Mare Island, 7 February 1946.
    Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 556-46, 2/7/46    		 Darryl Baker
    Arneb 300k Forward plan view of USS Arneb (AKA-56) at Mare Island, 7 February 1946. USS Haven (AH-12) is seen at left.
    Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # 557-46, 2/7/46    		 Darryl Baker
    LSM-451 394k Ships berth at Mare Island, 12 February 1946, are from left to right;
    USS LSM-451,
    USS Montrose (APA-212),
    USS Uvalde (AKA-88),
    USS Arneb (AKA-56) and
    USS Haven (AH-12).
    Additional LSMs that can be identified include;
    USS LSM-428,
    USS LSM-350, and
    USS LSM-426,
    US Navy photo courtesy Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum photo.    		 Darryl Baker
    Arneb 107k USS Arneb (AKA-56), an early Moore Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.-built unit, photographed off Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 13 February 1946. The first three Moore-built units were converted at Portland, OR., where they received pole radar masts forward of the stack supporting an air search radar. Their surface search radar antenna was mounted on the fore topmast just above the lookout station. The stack on all the Moore-built ships appears to be larger than on the ships built by Federal Ship Building Corp.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-116746, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Robert Hurst
    Arneb 91k USS Arneb (AKA-56) underway off the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, 22 April 1949. Arneb was refitted for Arctic operation, which probably explains the gunhouse fitted to her 5"/38 aft.
    Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.    		 Robert Hurst
    Arneb 14k USS Arneb (AKA-56) underway, circa 1951, location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Arneb 240k USS Arneb (AKA-56) officers, 12 December 1953. The commanding officer, CAPT. Joseph Caldwell Wylie (center) front row, Contributed heavily to the 1943 US Navy doctrine for Combat Information Centers, based on his experience as Executive Officer of USS Fletcher (DD-445) during the naval battles off Guadalcanal.
    US Navy photo.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Arneb 74k USS Arneb (AKA-56) moored to the ice shelf at Kainan Bay, Antarctic as an LCM pushes USNS Greenville Victory (T-AK-237) into position to refuel Arneb during "Operation Deepfreeze II", in 1957.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, August 1962    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Arneb 44k USS Arneb (AKA-56) unloading supplies at Hallet during "Operation Deepfreeze II". USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282) in the background.
    US Navy photo    		 Jim Hager
    Arneb 37k USS Arneb (AKA-56) listing to port in order to repair ice damage to her hull, during "Operation Deepfreeze II", 1957. Note the "mike boat" (LCM) lowered over the port side to increase the list.
    US Navy photo    		 Jim Hager
    Arneb 42k USS Arneb (AKA-56) listing to port in order to repair ice damage to her hull, during "Operation Deepfreeze II", 1957.
    US Navy photo    		 Jim Hager
    Arneb 20k USS Arneb (AKA-56) listing to port in order to repair ice damage to her hull, during "Operation Deepfreeze II", 1957.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Arneb 18k USS Arneb (AKA-56) and USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282) in the pack ice during "Operation Deepfreeze II", 1957
    US Navy photo    		  
    Arneb 37k USS Arneb (AKA-56) and USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282) trapped between bay ice and land ice after a storm New Year's eve 1956.
    US Navy photo    		 Jim Hager
    Arneb 82k USS Arneb (AKA-56), during "Operation Deepfreeze 1962-63 Kenneth C Uhlir SM2 USS Arneb
    Arneb 139k USS Arneb (AKA-56) underway in the Antarctic icepack during "Operation Deepfreeze", in 1962-63.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, August 1962    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Arneb 86k USS Arneb (AKA-56) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1963    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Arneb 278k USS Arneb (AKA-56) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 David Buell
    Arneb 46k USS Arneb (AKA-56), 10 December 1969, off loading stores at Little America 1960-61
    US Navy photo # 1046469    		 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. 1, pg. 394
    Arneb 243k USS Arneb (AKA-56) departing Genoa, Italy, 6 January 1971. Photo by Carlo Martinelli

    For more photos and information about USS Arneb, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • Carl R. Friberg Jr.'s Arneb Page
  • Commanding Officers
    • 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 Amphibious Cargo Ship (AKA) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 19 April 2013