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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

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 Uniform"
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia or Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Antarctic Service Medal (11)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Dominican Republic) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - 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)
    Asia 4 to 29 October 19454 to 29 October 1945
    Asia 7 March to 11 May 194613 May to 4 June 1946
    Asia 3 to 26 November 1946 
    Europe 17 January to 14 May 1950 
    Europe 6 October 1952 to 26 January 1953 

  • Decommissioned, 16 March 1948, at Philadelphia, PA.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, 19 March 1949
  • Redesignated (LKA-56), 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned, 12 August 1971 at Norfolk, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 13 August 1971
  • USS Arneb earned four battle stars for her World War II service and a Meritorious Unit Commendation for the recovery mission for Apollo 7
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 27 February 1973, to Andy International, Houston, TX. under MARAD contract (PD-X-954 dated 24 January 1973) for $87,666.66
    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
    NSFO 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
    100205625    		 513k USS Arneb (AKA-56) at Willamette Iron an Steel Co., Portland, OR., 28 April 1944, just after commissioning. Her Camouflage is measure Measure 32/8T
    U.S Navy Bureau of Ships photo # 19-N-66031 from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    Arneb
    100205626    		 648k USS Arneb (AKA-56) at Willamette Iron an Steel Co., Portland, OR., circa April-May 1944 after commissioning. Her Camouflage is measure Measure 32/8T
    U.S Navy photo # 80-G-181223 from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    Arneb
    100205627    		 660k USS Arneb (AKA-56) departing Willamette Iron an Steel Co., Portland, OR., 10 May 1944 enroute to San Diego for shakedown training. Her Camouflage is measure Measure 32/8T
    U.S Navy Bureau of Ships photo # 19-N-66030 from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    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, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Arneb 91k USS Arneb (AKA-56) under way 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) under way, 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 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 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 46k USS Arneb (LKA-56), 10 December 1959, off loading stores at Little America 1960-61
    US Navy photo # 1046469    		 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Vol. 1, pg. 394
    Arneb 82k USS Arneb (AKA-56), during "Operation Deepfreeze 1962-63 Kenneth C Uhlir SM2 USS Arneb
    Arneb 199k USS Arneb (AKA-56) moored in the Antarctic icepack during "Operation Deepfreeze", in 1962-63.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, August 1962    		 Robert Hurst
    Arneb 86k USS Arneb (AKA-56) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, July 1963    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Arneb 278k USS Arneb (AKA-56) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 David Buell
    Arneb 87k USS Arneb (AKA-56) underway in 1965, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    Arneb 385k Port bow view of USS Arneb (AKA-56), 14 November 1968, at anchor, either launching or recovering her boats, location unknown
    US Naval Air Station Norfolk Photographic Laboratory DAP # 31426-11-68 by PH2 Q. Klinkefus    		 Charles Landrum
    Arneb 204k USS Arneb (LKA-56) duty section crew members at "movie call" watching a film on the main deck while the ship was in port at Fremantle, Western Australia during one of the ship's "Deepfreeze" deployments. Carla Evans
    Arneb 243k USS Arneb (LKA-56) departing Genoa, Italy, 6 January 1971. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    USS Arneb Additional Ships Patches
    Arneb
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski    		 Arneb
    Contributed by Tommy Trampp
    USS Arneb (AKA-56 / LKA-56)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Shaw Howard Rutherford, USN28 April 1944 - 1 November 1944
    02LCDR. Barton, Alan R., USNR1 November 1944 - 6 March 1945
    03CDR. Collins, Edward Thomas, USN6 March 1945 - 3 August 1945
    04LCDR. Barton, Alan R., USN3 August 1945 - 13 December 1945
    05CDR. Jones, Bascom Sylvester USNR13 December 1945 - 15 October 1946
    06unknown15 October 1946 - 16 March 1948
     Decommissioned16 March 1948 - 19 March 1949
    07CAPT. Hazen, Joseph Truman, USN (USN 1927)1950 - July 1951
    08CAPT. Fahy, John Southworth, USN (USNA 1932)October 1951 - July 1953
    09CAPT. Gimber Jr., Harry Meeker Steward, USN (USNA 1932)July 1952 - July 1953
    10CAPT. Wylie Jr., Joseph Caldwell, USN (USNA 1932) :RADMJuly 1953 - September 1954
    11CAPT. Johnson, Ralph Clarence, USN (USNA 1932) :RADMSeptember 1954 - July 1955
    12CAPT. Smythe, Lawrence William, USN (USNA 1932)July 1955 - 3 July 1956
    13CAPT. Johnson, Nels Clarence, USN (USNA 1934) :VADM3 July 1956 1956 - 10 July 1957
    14CAPT. Hinckley Jr., Robert Messigner, USN (USNA 1936)10 July 1957 - 27 September 1958
    15CAPT. Schwaner Jr., Henry Carl, USN (USNA 1936)27 September 1958 - 21 October 1959
    16CAPT. Shuman Jr., Edwin Arthur, USN21 October 1959 - 30 September 1960
    17CAPT. Hunnicutt, James Littleton, USN30 September 1960 - 7 September 1961
    18CAPT. Bobczynski, Sigmund Albert, USN (USNA 1939)7 September 1961 - 22 September 1962
    19CAPT. Rifenburgh, Edward Garris, USN 22 September 1962 - September 1963
    20CAPT. Bishop, Charles Birney, USN (USNA 1942)September 1963 - August 1964
    21CAPT. Cook, Creighton William, USN (USNA 1944)August 1964 - 1965
    22CAPT. Hartman, Raymond Graham, USN1965 - 1 July 1966
    23CAPT. Moore Jr., Horace Newland, USN1 July 1966 - 1 July 1967
    24CAPT. Hayes Jr., Arthur Michael, USN (USNA 1946)1 July 1967 - 16 September 1968
    25CAPT. Koch, Ferdinand Brailler, USN (USNA 1946) :RADM16 September 1968 - 15 December 1969
    26CAPT. Schoultz, Robert Francis (Dutch), USN :VADM15 December 1969- January 1971
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Excerpt from a Remembrance of USS ARNEB AKA-56 in Operation Blue Jay
    "Ice Flow Rips Hole in Hull of Freighter", Greenfield Recorder Gazette (Massachusetts) newspaper article, 2 January 1957
    MARAD Vessel History Database

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    Last Updated 19 May 2023