USS Antaeus (AG-67)
Antaeus (AS-21), wearing her full designator on her bow, underway in the Delaware River, off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, 25 June 1943 |
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| Career (USA) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS Antaeus |
| Namesake: | The son of Neptune, the god of the sea in Roman mythology |
| Ordered: | as SS Saint John (date unknown) |
| Yard number: | 350 |
| Launched: | 9 January 1932 |
| Acquired: | by the Navy, 24 April 1941 |
| Commissioned: | 17 May 1941 as USS Antaeus (AS-21) |
| Decommissioned: | 29 April 1946 as USS Rescue (AH-18) |
| Reclassified: | AG-67, 15 September 1943; USS Rescue (AH-18), 18 January 1945 |
| Refit: | Converted to a Hospital Ship at New York Navy Yard |
| Struck: | 15 August 1946 |
| Honours and awards: |
two battle stars for her World War II service |
| Fate: | transferred to the U.S. Maritime Commission for disposal, 29 June 1946 |
| Notes: | scrapped in 1959 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | commercial passenger liner |
| Displacement: | 8,350 tons |
| Length: | 403' |
| Beam: | 61' |
| Draft: | 20' |
| Propulsion: | geared turbine, twin screws, 13,000hp |
| Speed: | 20 knots |
| Complement: | 440 as a hospital ship |
| Armament: | one 4"/50 gun mount aft; two 3"/23 gun mounts forward; upgraded to one 4"/50 gun mount aft; four 3"/50 gun mounts, two forward, two aft |
USS Antaeus (AS-21/AG-67) – later renamed USS Rescue (AH-18) – was a commercial passenger liner acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II and named USS Antaeus. She was initially intended to be employed as a submarine tender; however she was modified and used as a transport for troops from 1942 to 1944. In 1945 she was commissioned as a hospital ship, renamed USS Rescue, and played an important part in 1945 supporting Pacific Ocean attack and then liberation operations.
Read more about USS Antaeus (AG-67): Civilian Service, Post-war Activity, Honors and Awards