USS Atlas (ARL-7)

Atlas departing the San Francisco Bay Area, after a yard availability, February 1953.
History
United States
Name:	USS Atlas
Builder:	Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, Seneca, Illinois
Laid down:	3 June 1943, as LST-231
Launched:	19 October 1943
Commissioned:	15 November 1943
Decommissioned:	13 September 1946
Reclassified:	ARL-7, 3 November 1943
Recommissioned:	1 June 1951
Decommissioned:	13 April 1956
Struck:	1 June 1972
Fate:	Sold for scrapping, 18 September 1973
General characteristics
Class and 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:	12 × Bofors 40 mm guns (2x4, 2x2), 12 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons (6x2)
Service record
Operations:	World War II, Invasion of Normandy, Korean War
Awards:	1 Battle star (WWII)

USS Atlas (ARL-7) was one of 39 Achelous-class landing craft repair ships built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Atlas (in Greek mythology, the son of the Titan Iapetus and Clymene and the brother of Prometheus), she was the second U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

Originally laid down as LST-231 on 3 June 1943 at Seneca, Illinois by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company; launched on 19 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Nettie Singer; named 'Atlas and redesignated a landing craft repair ship ARL-7 on 3 November 1943; and commissioned on 15 November 1943 for the voyage to the conversion yard. She arrived in Baltimore, Maryland on 14 December 1943; entered the Bethlehem Steel Key Highway Shipyard; and was placed out of commission for her conversion to a landing craft repair ship. Her modifications completed early in February, 1944 Atlas was recommissioned at Baltimore on 8 February 1944, Lieutenant Buell A. Nesbitt in command.

After shakedown training along the Atlantic coast, Atlas departed Boston, Massachusetts at the end of the second week in March and steamed via Halifax, Nova Scotia to the British Isles. She arrived in Milford Haven, Wales on 29 March and remained there for two days before moving to Falmouth, England where she arrived on 1 April. She remained at Falmouth until the end of May when she proceeded to Plymouth to prepare for the invasion of Europe. Though not present for the actual assault, Atlas arrived on the scene on 8 June, two days after "D-Day," and immediately began repairing damaged landing craft. Her crew worked about 14 hours a day returning their charges to active service while frequently fighting to fend off enemy air attacks. She served at various locations on both sides of the English Channel almost until the end of hostilities in Europe. On 16 April 1945 the ship left Plymouth to return to the United States. She entered Norfolk on 5 May to begin seven weeks of repairs in preparation for duty in the Pacific.