Service history USS Rigel (AD-13)

1 service history

1.1 1922–1941
1.2 1941–1942
1.3 1943–1944
1.4 1945–1946

service history
1922–1941

following extensive fitting out period , shakedown, rigel homeported @ san diego. during interwar period remained in southern california. during 1941, briefly re-designayed arb-1, (a base repair ship).

1941–1942

redesignated repair ship, ar-11, on 10 april 1941, underwent overhaul @ bremerton, washington sailed hawaii more extensive repairs , alterations. mid-july, @ pearl harbor , still in yard on 7 december 1941. without authorized armament , superstructure , damaged during japanese attack. crew, unable fire, turned skills rescue , salvage operations. conversion work on rigel completed on 7 april 1942.

on 20 april, 4 3-inch guns mounted, got underway south pacific. steaming first fanning island, disembarked u.s. army units , material , embarked personnel of new zealand s pacific island force , civilian evacuees. on 28th, continued westward , on 16 may arrived @ auckland add equipment , personnel repair , construction facilities offered port. between , november converted merchant ships , tugboats navy use, repaired other merchantmen, installed , repaired guns on merchant ships; trained armed guard crews, served flagship vice admiral robert l. ghormley, , store ship , receiving ship; provided printing facilities; assisted in construction of shore facilities; , added ten 20 mm guns own armament, in addition assigned duties of repairing allied warships , auxiliaries.

in november, again called on substitute transport. on 8th, embarked army units , on 9th, sailed new caledonia. arriving @ nouméa on 14 november, shifted espiritu santo 2 days later , contributed skills guadalcanal campaign.

1943–1944

in mid-january 1943, shifted efate, and, on 24 april, got underway return south pacific 7th amphibious force being formed. rigel arrived @ sydney on 1 may, moved on brisbane on 15th , until 14 june helped take pressure off repair facilities there. 7th amphibious force s first assault landing imminent , rigel s assistance needed in forward area. on 21 june repair ship arrived in milne bay, new guinea, , on 22nd rear admiral daniel e. barbey, commander, 7th amphibious force, raised flag. on 30th, force landed troops on woodlark , kiriwina , encirclement of rabaul south initiated.

for next 6½ months rigel remained @ milne bay, repairing ships lsts, lcis, , mtbs tankers, cruisers, , battleships. december, allied forces had moved coast dispute control of vitiaz , dampier straits. in december, landings made on new britain @ arawe , cape gloucester, , in january 1944, @ finschhafen , saidor in new guinea. rigel, no longer admiral barbey s flagship, followed.

again bringing vital equipment , trained men closer front, moved cape sudest, thence proceeded buna crew continued round-the-clock schedule 13 january until 9 june. buna moved coast alexishafen, whence, in late august, returned australia needed overhaul. @ sydney during initial thrust philippines, in november returned new guinea , continued work @ hollandia, 22 november 10 january 1945. on latter date got underway philippines.

1945–1946

rigel arrived in leyte gulf on 15 january. on 16th anchored in san pedro bay, remained through end of war. after brief postwar service, rigel returned united states inactivation. decommissioned on 11 july 1946 , transferred maritime commission disposal 12 july 1946, final fate unknown.

rigel earned 4 battle stars during world war ii.