USS Telamon

USS Telamon (ARB-8) was planned as a United States Navy LST-542-class tank landing ship but was converted as one of twelve Aristaeus-class battle damage repair ships built for the Navy during World War II. Named for Telamon (in Greek mythology, son of the King Aeacus, who accompanied Jason as one of his Argonauts), she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.

USS Telamon (ARB-8), circa 1946
History
United States
Name	LST-976 Telamon
Namesake	Telamon
Builder	Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Hingham, Massachusetts
Yard number	3446
Laid down	5 December 1944
Launched	10 January 1945
Commissioned	5 February 1945, partial commission 1 June 1945, full commission
Decommissioned	11 September 1945
Recommissioned	1946
Decommissioned	20 May 1947
Stricken	1 June 1973
Identification	Hull symbol: LST-976 Hull symbol: ARB-8 Code letters: NJLV
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 1 March 1974
General characteristics
Class and type	LST-542-class tank landing ship Aristaeus-class battle damage repair ship
Displacement	1,781 long tons (1,810 t) light 3,960 long tons (4,020 t) full load
Length	328 ft (100 m) oa
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	11 ft 2 in (3.40 m)
Installed power	2 × 900 hp (670 kW) Electro-Motive Diesel 12-567A diesel engines 1,800 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Falk main reduction gears 2 × Propellers
Speed	11.6 kn (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph)
Complement	15 officers, 271 enlisted men
Armament	2 × quad 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors guns 8 × single 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons

Construction

Originally designated LST-956, the ship was redesignated ARB-8 and named Telamon on 28 April 1944, before the construction began. She was laid down on 5 December 1944, at Hingham, Massachusetts, by the Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard; launched on 10 January 1945; and commissioned on 5 February 1945. After steaming to Baltimore, she was decommissioned, underwent conversion at Maryland Drydock Company, and was recommissioned on 1 June 1945.

Service history

On 14 July, the new battle damage repair ship reported for duty with the US Pacific Fleet and on 23 July, was assigned to Pearl Harbor as her home port and yard. She joined Service Squadron 10 at Guam, in September, shortly before being placed in the Pacific Fleet Reserve on 11 September 1945.

In the spring of 1946, as part of Service Group 1.8, she took part in preparations for "Operation Crossroads" at Bikini Atoll. On 21 June 1946, before the nuclear tests took place, she departed the atoll and steamed to Kwajalein. She was decommissioned on 20 May 1947, and joined the San Diego Group Reserve Fleet that same day. She remained inactive until 1 June 1973, when her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register.

Telamon was sold for scrapping 1 March 1974, by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service.

Notes

Bibliography

Online resources

• "Telamon". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• "Bethlehem-Hingham, Hingham MA". ShipbuildingHistory.com. 11 August 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
• "USS Telamon (ARB-8)". Navsource.org. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2017.

External links

• Photo gallery of USS Telamon (ARB-8) at NavSource Naval History