45-547: USS Arneb (AKA-56/LKA-56) was an Andromeda -class attack cargo ship named after Arneb , the brightest star in the southern constellation Lepus . She served as a commissioned ship for 27 years and 3 months, the longest time in commission of any AKA. Arneb (AKA-56) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1159) as Mischief by the Moore Dry Dock Company at Oakland, California , launched on 6 July 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Carol J. Palmer,
90-571: A Meritorious Unit Commendation for the recovery mission for Apollo 7. Andromeda class attack cargo ship The Andromeda -class attack cargo ships were a class of amphibious cargo ship built by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Kearny, New Jersey , and Moore Dry Dock Co. , in Oakland, California , during World War II . Like all attack cargo ships, they were designed to carry combat loaded military cargo and landing craft , and to use
135-399: A bent rudder post and a broken propeller blade, Arneb was able to continue the operation. No further mishaps occurred until 30 January when Arneb , the icebreaker USS Glacier (AGB-4) , and cargo ship USNS Greenville Victory (T-AK-237) attempted to push through the icepack off Knox Coast . A large chunk of ice broke off and brushed Arneb's port side, ripping
180-418: A gash 12 feet long and one-half-inch wide and once again flooding the holds as well as buckling plates, popping rivets, and opening seams. The experienced damage control parties used the same techniques to patch the new wounds in her hull. The ships then got underway again, with Glacier towing Arneb . Early the next morning, they arrived at Knox Coast and once again, the damage was repaired. Arneb left
225-460: A navigable crack in the huge ice flow pack was actually squeezed clear of the water and was resting high and almost dry on the ice. They ran emergency water supplies to the Eastwind engines. Their Exec "captured" an Adelie penguin when he was out on the ice and got his uniform drenched in penguin guano for his trouble. The USS Edisto (a "Wind-class" ice breaker) appeared late on the 26th and together with
270-558: A population of 995,638, up from 953,207 in 2010 (approximately 70% of the total 1,455,271 population of the U.S. state of Hawaii , with approximately 81% of those living in or near the Honolulu urban area). The Island of Oahu in Hawaii is often nicknamed (or translated as) "The Gathering Place" . The translation of "gathering place" was suggested as recently as 1922 by Hawaiian Almanac author Thomas Thrum. Thrum possibly ignored or misplaced
315-617: A shift in the winds, the "channel" opened up and all three ships proceeded to McMurdo, each a bit worse for wear. The Captain of the Arneb, Capt. Riffenburgh, had begun to consider abandoning ship in the grimmer hours, but fortunately Arneb and crew did not have to do what the Endurance had done fifty some years earlier. She underwent intensive training in amphibious operations through participation in major Caribbean exercises. In 1965, she transported much-needed supplies to American forces operating in
360-575: A ship's complement. Oahu Oahu ( / oʊ ˈ ɑː h uː / oh- AH -hoo ; Hawaiian : Oʻahu pronounced [oˈʔɐhu] ) is the most populated and third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands . The island of Oahu and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands constitute the City and County of Honolulu . The state capital, Honolulu , is on Oahu's southeast coast. In 2021, Oahu had
405-449: A tourism and shopping haven after World War II. Over five million visitors (mainly from the contiguous United States and Japan) flock there every year. Oahu is known for having the longest rain shower in recorded history. Kāneʻohe Ranch reported 247 straight days of rain from August 27, 1993, to April 30, 1994. The average temperature in Oahu is around 70–85 °F (21–29 °C). The island
450-500: Is the warmest from June through October. The winter is cooler, but still warm, with an average temperature of 68–78 °F (20–26 °C). Oahu is 44 miles (71 km) long and 30 miles (48 km) across. Its shoreline is 227 miles (365 km) long. Including small associated islands such as Ford Island plus those in Kāneʻohe Bay and off the eastern ( windward ) coast, its area is 596.7 square miles (1,545.4 km ), making it
495-518: The 20th-largest island in the United States . The city of Honolulu —the state's capital and largest city is located on the island. As a jurisdictional unit, all of Oahu is in Honolulu County , although Honolulu occupies only part of its southeastern end. Well-known features of Oahu include Waikiki , Pearl Harbor , Diamond Head , Hanauma , Kāneʻohe Bay , Kailua Bay , North Shore , and
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#1732852751209540-539: The 40 mm was seen as the best antiaircraft gun. The older 20 mm and .50 caliber guns had been recognized to be of limited value, and were being phased out, though they appeared on some of these ships. The 20 mm guns were later removed from all of them, but it is not clear just when this happened. The complement varied as well, but the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships figures sometimes seem to confuse ship's company with embarked troops in determining
585-823: The Arctic Circle along the east coast of Baffin Island in August and September and then returned to Norfolk for final outfitting. On 14 November 1955 Arneb got underway as flagship of " Operation Deep Freeze I" that would allow her to claim the distinction of crossing both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles in the course of one year. She transited the Panama Canal on 20 November, stopped at New Zealand and Franklin Island before arriving at Kainan Bay and McMurdo Sound , where she stayed from 27 December 1955 to 30 January 1956. She returned to
630-751: The Atlantic Fleet when the Korean War compelled postponement of the Antarctic expedition. Nevertheless, the ship utilized her cold weather gear from March to December 1951 when she rendered logistic support to naval activities in England and North Africa , including an amphibious training operation in Greenland . Until March 1955, Arneb cruised primarily in the warm waters of the West Indies . From January to April 1952,
675-742: The Mediterranean in January 1968 and spent five months there as part of the 6th Fleet 's Amphibious Ready Force. In August 1968, the cargo ship became the first amphibious ship and the first AKA qualified for spacecraft recovery duty, and she was on station as the secondary recovery vehicle for the Apollo 7 flight in October. On 1 January 1969, Arneb was reclassified as an amphibious cargo ship , LKA-56 . Arneb made three more Mediterranean cruises in 1969 and 1970 and participated in numerous Caribbean exercises before
720-516: The Wai‘anae and the young Ko‘olau Range as dormant volcanic ranges from remnants of volcanism. The island has been inhabited since at least the 3rd century A.D. The 304-year-old Kingdom of Oahu was once ruled by the most ancient aliʻi in the Islands. The first great king of Oahu was Maʻilikūkahi , the lawmaker, who was followed by generations of monarchs. Kualiʻi was the first of the warlike kings and
765-528: The ʻokina because the Hawaiian phrase " ʻo ahu " could be translated as "gathering of objects" ( ʻo is a subject marker and ahu means "to gather" ). The term Oʻahu has no other confirmed meaning in Hawaiian . The island rose above the sea during the Pliocene period from 4 million years ago when volcanoes erupted and formed the peaks from two shields. Then a period of extensive erosion followed, leaving
810-580: The Caribbean during the crisis in the Dominican Republic . Arneb began a routine of operations in Atlantic and Caribbean waters and practiced with Navy and Marine Corps personnel in actual landings at Onslow Beach , N.C., and Vieques Island , Puerto Rico. During one such exercise, "LANTFLEX 66," 94 Atlantic Fleet ships took part in a three-week opposed approach, landing, and departure from Vieques under
855-718: The Hawaiian Islands on the first of two voyages made before the end of August. During the ship's second run to Oahu , Japan capitulated , ending the fighting in the Pacific. While in Pearl Harbor on 28 August, Arneb received orders to load cargo and sail for the China coast to support the occupation forces. She ferried cargo and troops between Okinawa and China until 26 October, when she headed for San Francisco. Diverted to Seattle en route, she arrived there on 13 November 1945. The ship
900-693: The Navy decided to end her naval service. Rather than inactivate and preserve the worn old ship, the Board of Inspection and Survey for the Atlantic Fleet recommended that Arneb be disposed of by sale. Arneb was decommissioned at Norfolk on 12 August 1971, and her name was struck from the Navy List the following day. She was sold on 1 March 1973 to Andy International Inc. of Houston, Texas, and scrapped. Arneb received four battle stars for her World War II service, and
945-562: The North Atlantic from June to October to test the effectiveness of the cold weather equipment installed. After her return to Norfolk on 1 November, the ship trained in Chesapeake Bay . Arneb , needed to supplement the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean in early 1950, returned to the east coast in May, and underwent a three-month availability. She resumed normal training and support services for
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#1732852751209990-736: The Palaus. until 23 September, when she began carrying cargo and troops to Ulithi , Hollandia , and the Admiralty Islands . At Manus , she fueled and loaded supplies for training and rehearsal exercises for her next operation, the liberation of the Philippines . She got underway on 12 October, arrived off Leyte on the 20th, and, despite enemy shelling, immediately began discharging, her cargo and troops. Arneb next steamed to Guam to take on more cargo and troops for delivery at Leyte on 23 November and 24 November. Following her second voyage to Leyte,
1035-623: The United States via the Indian Ocean , the Mediterranean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean, completing her circumnavigation of the globe upon her arrival at Norfolk on 5 May 1956. After undergoing an overhaul from May to August and refresher training at Guantánamo Bay, Arneb was prepared for "Operation Deep Freeze II." She departed Norfolk in November; stopped at Wellington, New Zealand ; entered
1080-481: The daughter of a plant engineer, acquired by the Navy on 16 November and towed to Portland, Oregon , where she was converted to an attack cargo ship by the Willamette Iron and Steel Works , and commissioned on 28 April 1944. Outfitted and loaded with stores for her first cruise by 10 May 1944, the attack cargo ship steamed to San Diego for shakedown training which was made unexpectedly interesting by her rescue of
1125-463: The discovery of the Hawaiian Islands came the introduction of disease, mosquitoes, and aggressive animals. Although indirect, simple exposure to these foreign species caused permanent damage to the Native Hawaiian people and environment. The Imperial Japanese Navy 's attack on Pearl Harbor , Oahu on the morning of December 7, 1941, brought the United States into World War II . The surprise attack
1170-530: The expedition was surprised to find tall islands this far north in the central Pacific. Oahu was not actually visited by Europeans until February 28, 1779, when Captain Charles Clerke aboard HMS Resolution stepped ashore at Waimea Bay . Clerke took command of the ship after James Cook was killed at Kealakekua Bay ( island of Hawaiʻi ) on February 14, and was leaving the islands for the North Pacific. With
1215-655: The following day. Although enemy air and small craft activity was intense, Arneb only lost one LCVP . She returned to Leyte on 15 January and ferried troops and supplies to Luzon for the assault on the area around La Paz on the 29th. During the next few weeks, the vessel took on fuel, cargo, and other supplies in Leyte Gulf in preparation for her next major task, the invasion of the Ryukyus . On 27 March, Arneb left Leyte Gulf, arrived off Okinawa on 1 April, and unloaded supplies despite enemy air attacks. She retired to Guam and
1260-572: The foundation of a nuclear power plant to McMurdo Sound. Following "Deep Freeze 63," Arneb was modified to enable her to return to normal duty with the Amphibious Force of the Atlantic Fleet. Operation Deepfreeze 1962-63 found the Arneb stranded on Christmas Day in 8' thick pressure ice well short of McMurdo Base. The DCA reported rivet heads popping off the inside hull of the large holds containing resupply materiel. The Coast Guard icebreaker Eastwind just ahead on what days earlier had appeared to be
1305-468: The ice field on 16 December; and rendezvoused with the Coast Guard icebreaker USCGC Northwind (WAGB-282) . Arneb experienced no difficulty in following the icebreaker during the first day of movement through the frozen sea; but, on the 18th, a quarter-inch crack – apparently caused by contact with ice during the previous two days – appeared in her hull running some 31 inches above and below
1350-462: The ice fields on 17 February and steamed to Sydney, Australia , without incident. There, she went into drydock and, after minimum repairs, got underway on 28 February 1957 for the continental United States. In spite of her troubles with ice damage, Arneb made five more cruises to Antarctica to resupply the research stations and to transport hundreds of scientists involved in research on the frozen continent. During "Deep Freeze 61" she even delivered
1395-477: The invasion of the Palau Islands . On 8 September, she sortied with Transport Division (TransDiv) 32, and headed for Angaur Island . The cargo ship arrived on 17 September and lowered all of her boats off the west side of the island to feign landings in that quarter in an effort to divert Japanese defensive forces. The next day, she actually landed troops and equipment of the 306th Engineers. Arneb remained in
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1440-407: The latter to land weapons, supplies, and troops on enemy shores during amphibious operations . All these ships were built on the same standard hull design, but there were some differences from ship to ship. The armament varied, as did that of the other ships of the day. During 1944–1945, the 5"/38 was recognized as the best gun for the dual role of antiaircraft and naval gunfire support , and
1485-555: The resort destination Ko Olina . The island is composed of two separate shield volcanoes : the Waiʻanae and Koʻolau Ranges , with a broad valley or saddle (the central Oahu Plain) between them. The highest point is Kaʻala in the Waiʻanae Range, rising to 4,003 feet (1,220 m) above sea level. Oahu, along with the rest of the State of Hawaii, relies on tourism as a driving force of
1530-455: The ship steamed to Hollandia to onload provisions, cargo, and personnel as well as to receive minor repairs. Arneb departed Hollandia on 27 December to participate in the invasion of Luzon , anchoring in Lingayen Gulf on 9 January 1945. Since she was not carrying high priority cargo, her boats helped transports in landing troops and cargo on D-Day before they began unloading her own cargo on
1575-711: The surveillance of a Soviet intelligence-gathering trawler. Between 8 February and 22 February 1967, Arneb was in drydock at the Bethlehem Steel Corp., in Baltimore . She then moved to the Berkeley yards of the Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. for the remainder of her overhaul. With the overhaul completed and following refresher training during the summer of 1967, Arneb resumed her standard operating schedule of local Atlantic coast operations. Arneb deployed to
1620-472: The three-man crew of a Navy Grumman TBF Avenger that had had to "ditch". During June and July, the ship practiced amphibious maneuvers using Army troops to make landings on San Clemente Island . On 22 July, Arneb sailed for the Hawaiian Islands , and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 30 July. After debarking passengers, the ship continued on to Guadalcanal for training. On 29 August, the ship got underway with three transport divisions to rehearse landings for
1665-587: The transport ferried cargo between islands in the West Indies. After a yard overhaul, she participated in the lengthy, large-scale NATO " Operation Mainbrace " in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean . After her return to the east coast in February 1953, Arneb made six cruises to the West Indies, before beginning preparations for an extended operation at Antarctica. As a preliminary trial before her cruise southward, Arneb participated in an operation in waters north of
1710-461: The water for a few minutes at a time. Nevertheless, by using mattresses, steel plates, and shoring timbers, they managed to reduce the flow of water until the pumps could lower the water level. On 3 January 1957, the ice pack had loosened; and enabled Northwind to lead the battered Arneb into port. After unloading the cargo, the crew repaired the cracks and split seams by listing the ship alternately to port and to starboard. Although having suffered
1755-410: The waterline. Arneb's men repaired the damage, enabling the ship to make slow but steady progress toward McMurdo Sound, where the ships arrived on Christmas Eve. Upon completion of their work there, the two ships returned to Cape Hallett , where Arneb moored to the ice while Northwind proceeded into Moubray Bay to clear an unloading site. On the last day of 1956, the ice pack into which Arneb
1800-707: Was aimed at destroying the American will to fight and forcing the US to sue for peace. They attacked the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy and its defending Army Air Forces and Marine Air Forces . The attack damaged or destroyed 12 American warships, destroyed 188 aircraft, and killed 2,335 American servicemen and 68 civilians (of those, 1,177 were the result of the destruction of the USS ; Arizona alone). Oahu became
1845-412: Was nosed began to move and soon surrounded the ship with solid ice pressing against her hull. The framing on both sides of the ship began to buckle, rivets popped, seams split, and beams ripped. Frigid water and ice began flooding into several cargo holds at a combined rate of 1200 gallons per minute. Damage control parties worked doggedly to contain the inrush of water, but the men were only able to stay in
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1890-580: Was not unified until King Kaumualiʻi surrendered the islands of Kauai and Niihau in 1810. Kamehameha III moved his capital from Lahaina , Maui to Honolulu , Oahu in 1845. ʻIolani Palace , built later by other members of the royal family, still stands, and is the only royal palace on American soil. Oahu was apparently the first of the Hawaiian Islands sighted by the crew of HMS Resolution on January 19, 1778, during Captain James Cook 's third Pacific expedition. Escorted by HMS Discovery ,
1935-513: Was ordered to proceed on 10 April via Pearl Harbor to the United States. The ship arrived in San Pedro on 3 May and was given a 15-day availability. Then, after loading ammunition and other supplies, she sailed for Pearl Harbor on 8 June. She returned to the west coast before the end of the month and moved into drydock at the Moore Dry Dock Co. On 20 July, the cargo ship was once again headed for
1980-571: Was succeeded by his sons. In 1773, the throne fell upon Kahahana, the son of Elani of Ewa. In 1783, Kahekili II , King of Maui, conquered Oahu, deposed the reigning family, and made his son, Kalanikūpule , king of Oahu, turning Oahu into a puppet state . Kamehameha the Great conquered Kalanikūpule's forces in the Battle of Nuʻuanu . Kamehameha founded the Kingdom of Hawaii with the conquest of Oahu in 1795. Hawaii
2025-726: Was then assigned to the Naval Transport Service and made cargo runs between the west coast and the Far East until December 1947. Placed in reserve at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 16 March 1948, Arneb was modified to prepare her for polar operations. Equipped to become Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd 's flagship for a planned Antarctic cruise, she was recommissioned on 19 March 1949. Following shakedown training out of Guantánamo Bay in April and May, Arneb cruised in
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