USS Gear
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Ordered | as HMS Pacific Salvor (BARS-4) |
| Builder | Basalt Rock Company |
| Laid down | date unknown |
| Launched | 24 October 1942 |
| Acquired | 21 September 1942 |
| Commissioned | 24 September 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 13 December 1946 |
| In service | 24 February 1953 |
| Out of service | date unknown |
| Stricken | 30 April 1981 |
| Fate | Sold for scrapping, 1 July 1982 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 1,441 tons |
| Displacement | 1,630 tons |
| Length | 213 ft 6 in (65.07 m) |
| Beam | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Draught | 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m) |
| Propulsion | diesel-electric , twin screws, 2,780 hp |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement | 120 |
| Armament | four machine guns |
USS Gear (ARS-34) was a
U.S. Navy during World War II
. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.
Gear (BARS-4), originally intended for the
U.S. Navy
and designated Gear (ARS-34) on 21 September 1942; and commissioned 24 September 1943.
World War II service
Gear departed
Eniwetok atoll in, the Marshall Islands. Here she performed salvage, towing, and repair for ships of the fleet as a unit of Service Squadron
10 until 17 July 1944.
Support operations at Saipan and Tinian
She provided similar services at
Marianas on 6 December 1944 for overhaul, and departed on 29 January 1945 with an amphibious assault force bound for Iwo Jima
.
Iwo Jima operations
Gear arrived in the outer transport area of
U.S. Marines under cover of intensive Naval gunfire and air attack. She proved invaluable in assisting the ships of the fleet, pumping out flooded spaces, repairing mortars, making ship repairs and performing various towing assignments. She returned to Saipan
on 5 March with an LSM and two LCI's in tow.
Okinawa operations
Four days later she was en route with a transport assault force that arrived off
Eniwetok
with two tank landing ships in tow for Pearl Harbor, arriving 6 July 1945.
Alaskan Sea Frontier service
Gear departed
San Pedro, California
, on the 23d for services there until decommissioned on 13 December 1946.
Reactivation with a civilian crew
Gear was assigned to the San Diego Group, U.S.
San Pedro, California
. Under contract to the Merritt Chapman Scott Corp., she continued Navy salvage and repair duties at San Pedro with occasional coast towing.
Final disposition
Gear was returned to
Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service
.
Military awards and honors
Gear won several
battle stars during World War II
:
- Iwo Jima operation
- Okinawa Gunto operation
Her crew was eligible for the following medals:
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal(2)
- World War II Victory Medal
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
- Photo gallery of USS Diver (ARS-5) at NavSource Naval History
- Basalt Rock Company at Shipbuilding History
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