Vestal

U.S.S. Vestal

AR-4

1939

(Saratoga Model Shipyard SMY-12)

Class: Prometheus - 2 ships of 1904
Displacement: 6,625 tons
Dimensions: 465.75 x 60.1 x 18 ft.
Machinery: 2-shaft reciprocating (VTE), S.H.P. 7,500 = 14 knots
Armament: 4-5"/51, 1-3"/50 A.A. guns
Complement: 450

Builder: New York Navy Yard
Launched: 19 May 1908
Placed in Service: 4 Oct 1909
For Conversion: 25 Oct 1912
Commissioned: 3 Sep 1913
Decommissioned: 14 Aug 1946

Notes: Construction began as Erie, Fleet Collier No. 1. Operated with civilian crew in Atlantic and Caribbean. Converted to Repair Ship at Boston Navy Yard 1912-13. European service in World War I; involved in salvage operations for submarine S-51 in 1925-26. Moored alongside battleship Arizona at Pearl Harbor, 7 Dec 1941. Hit by two bombs and then badly damaged when the battleship's forward magazine exploded. Maneuvered away and grounded. After repairs and operations at Pearl Harbor, despatched to Tongatabu in the South Pacific in Aug 1942 to support operations at Guadalcanal. Performed repairs on many ships, including torpedoed CV-3 Saratoga and BB-55 North Carolina, and BB-60 South Dakota, damaged by grounding. Shifted to Noumea in Oct where she made emergency repairs to CV-6 Enterprise and South Dakota following the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands. Shifted to Espiritu Santo in Nov 1942 for the next 12 months, where among others, she made repairs to CA-38 San Francisco damaged in the 13 Nov 1942 action off Savo Island, CA-32 New Orleans, and CA-36 Minneapolis, which both lost their bows to torpedoes and CA-24 Pensacola which nearly lost her stern, all at Tassafaronga 30 Nov 1942. Shifted to Funafuti in Nov 1943, providing repairs to CVL-22 Independence damaged by torpedo, then Majuro in Feb 1944, with repairs for BB-56 Washington, damaged in collision. Returned to Mare Island Navy Yard for overhaul, then sent to Ulithi, arriving Oct 1944. Shifted to Marianas in Feb 1945, and then Kerama Retto off Okinawa in May. Performed repairs mostly to destroyers, including the kamikazed DD-586 Newcomb and DD-552 Evans. Supported occupation of China and Japan before returning to U.S. for decommissioning in 1946 and eventual scrapping in 1951. Credited with two battle stars.