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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Chimaera (ARL-33)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Achelous Class Landing Craft Repair Ship:
  • Allocated as LST-1137
  • Redesignated ARL-33, 14 August 1944
  • Laid down. date unknown, as Chimaera (ARL-33) at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca IL.
  • Launched, 30 March 1945
  • Placed in reduced commissioned as USS Chimaera (ARL-33), for transit to her fitting out yard, LT. Frederick Clerk Jr. USNR in command
  • Decommissioned, 7 May 1945, at her conversion yard at Baltimore, MD.
  • Recommissioned, 7 August 1945, LT. Frederick Edson Clerk Jr. in command
  • During World War II USS Chimaera was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Following World War II USS Chimaera was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    23 January 1946 to 1 September 194723 January 1946 to 1 September 1947

  • Decommissioned, 8 March 1948, at San Pedro. CA.
  • Laid up at the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1961
  • Final Disposition, sold, 20 March 1962 to NASSCO, Terminal Island, San Pedro, CA., withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet, 13 April 1962
    Specifications:
    Length 328'
    Beam 50'
    Draft 11' 2" (lim)
    Speed 11.6 kts.
    Largest Boom Capacity 60 t.
    Complement
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 233
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal. dual purpose gun mount
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    six twin 20 mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 4,715 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    three Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    two Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    two propellers, 1,800shp
    twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Chimaera 80k USS Chimaera (ARL-33) underway, date and location unknown. Hyperwar, US Navy in WWII
    Chimaera 42k USS Chimaera (ARL-33) underway in Baltimore harbor, circa 1945. Hughes Studio Photo Collection, Prints and Photographs Division, Maryland Historical Society
    Chimaera 405k USS Chimaera (ARL-33) laid up in Reserve at San Diego, CA. Note USS Laysan Island (ARST-1) also visible in this photo.
    Photo by Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret.    		 Scott Nelson for his Grandfather Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret. USS Atlas
    USS Chimaera (ARL-33)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Clerk Jr., Frederick Edson, USNR12 April 1945 - 7 May 1945
     Decommissioned7 May 1945 - 7 August 1945
    01LT. Clerk Jr., Frederick Edson, USNR7 August 1945 - 9 October 1945
    02LCDR. Siebenthal, Stanley Arthur, USN9 October 1945 - October 1946
    04LCDR. Bogdan, Joseph George, USN10 July 1947 - 8 March 1948
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    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 Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Tank Landing Ship (LST) Photo Index Back To The Landing Craft Repair Ship (ARL) Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 27 October 2017