USS Bellerophon (ARL-31)
Bellerophon alongside the USS Broadwater in San Francisco Bay. A strike by civilian workers paralyzed civilian yards in the San Francisco area during the latter part of October, 1945. Bellerophon provided voyage repairs to "Magic Carpet" ships in the harbor during the strike. |
|
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS Bellerophon |
| Builder: | Chicago Bridge and Iron Company |
| Laid down: | 12 December 1944 |
| Launched: | 7 March 1945 |
| Commissioned: | 19 March 1945 |
| Decommissioned: | September 1947 |
| Struck: | October 1977 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrapping, 20 June 1980 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Achelous class repair ship |
| Displacement: | 1,781 long tons (1,810 t) light 3,960 long tons (4,024 t) full |
| Length: | 328 ft (100 m) |
| Beam: | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Draft: | 11 ft 2 in (3.40 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2 × General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders |
| Speed: | 12 knots (14 mph; 22 km/h) |
| Complement: | 255 officers and enlisted men |
| Armament: | • 2 × 40 mm gun mounts • 8 × 20 mm gun mounts |
USS Bellerophon (ARL-31) was one of 39 Achelous-class landing craft repair ships built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Bellerophon (a hero of Greek mythology, the son of Eurymede by either the Corinthian King, Glaucus, or the sea god, Poseidon), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Originally planned as an LST, she was redesignated as landing craft repair ship ARL-31 prior to construction. The ship was laid down on 12 December 1944 at Seneca, Illinois by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company; launched on 7 March 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Hazel Nitherspoon; and commissioned on 19 March 1945 with Lieutenant Perry P. Wynn in command.
Read more about USS Bellerophon (ARL-31): Service History