. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.
Extricate (ARS-16) was launched 12 September 1942 by Snow Shipyards, Inc., Rockland, Maine, sponsored by Mrs. Lewis Corman; and commissioned 27 July 1943.
World War II North Atlantic service
After taking on salvage gear at
aviation gas. Extricate also fought a dock fire, and performed salvage work before leaving Naples 30 November for Palermo and Bari
.
Commended for clearing Bari harbor
Assigned to clear the harbor of Bari, glutted with 17 ships sunk when two ammunition ships had been exploded by German bombing, Extricate won commendation from the British forces to whom she was then attached for the manner in which she carried out her duties. She raised two ships, beached a third, got an undamaged ship and three barges off the beach after they had been grounded in a storm, and carried out a miscellany of other salvage missions.
Invasion of Southern France
Extricate was overhauled at
Marseilles, clearing the harbor, fighting fires there and at Toulon, and putting to sea to rescue mined merchantmen. From 17 November to 17 December she was at the Azores for harbor and mooring work, and on 30 December she returned to Charleston, South Carolina
, for overhaul.
Transfer to the Pacific Fleet
Extricate sailed from Charleston, South Carolina, 11 February 1945 for
Okinawa from 29 June. Here she salvaged sunken and beached landing craft
and provided repair services for large ships.
Destroyed by a typhoon
During the typhoon of 16 September, while aiding another ship, Extricate lost power, and fouled both anchors. She continued her salvage operations, although further imperiled by damage from an underwater obstruction. But another typhoon on 9 October beached Extricate, and she flooded so badly from the pounding that she had to be abandoned.
Decommissioning
She was decommissioned 5 December 1945 and destroyed with explosives 4 March 1946.
United States
United States Navy
Royal Danish Navy
