Argonne

U.S.S. Argonne

AG-31

1941

(Hai 205)

Class: Argonne - 1 ship of 1922
Displacement: 8,400 tons
Dimensions: 448 x 58 x 19 ft.
Machinery: 2-shaft reciprocating (VTE), S.H.P. 5,540 = 15.5 knots
Armament: 4-5"/51, 4-3"/50 A.A. guns
Complement: 398

Builder: American International Shipbuilding Corp, Hog Island, PA
Laid down: Nov 1918
Launched: Feb 1920
Commissioned: 8 Nov 1921
Recommissioned: 25 Mar 1926
Decommissioned: 15 Jul 1946

Notes: Hog Island Type B Transport. Laid down as U.S. Shipping Board's Sinsinawa, but launched as Army transport Argonne. Transferred to Navy in 1921. Served as transport AP-4 until 1924, when she was slated for conversion to submarine tender, recommissioning as AS-10 in 1926. Served as tender for three newest big submarines, V-1, V-2, and V-3. Also transported troops to Nicaragua in 1927, and accompanied fleet during annual Fleet Problems. Became flagship for Commander Base Force, U.S. Fleet in Jan 1931, performing a large variety of duties. Reclassified AG-31 in Jul 1940. Her authorized armament was not installed until a refit in Aug 1941. Present at Pearl Harbor, 7 Dec 1941. Moved to Noumea, New Caledonia, in Aug 1942 and became the command ship for the Guadalcanal campaign, first for VAdm Robert H. Ghormley, and later for VAdm William F. Halsey. (Halsey eventually moved ashore due to lack of space and air conditioning.) Remained at Noumea to Jun 1943, then moved on to other bases, including Majuro in Apr 1944, and Seeadler Harbor in the Admiralties, where she was damaged on 10 Nov 1944 when the ammunition ship Mount Hood blew up. Damaged again by accidental depth charge explosion at Palau in Dec 1944. Served at Leyte and in the Marshall Islands during 1945, and then briefly with the occupation forces in Japanese waters, before ferrying veterans home as part of Operation "Magic Carpet." Transferred to Maritime Commission in Jul 1946 and sold for scrapping in Aug 1950.