USS Viking (ARS-1) Class

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USS Crusader (ARS-2) on 23 March 1942
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        VIKING (ARS-1)
Design        Navy AM-1
Displacement (tons):        980 light, 1,380 lim.
Dimensions (feet):        187.8' oa, 180.0' wl x 35.4' e x 9.8 mn, 13.3' lim
Original Armament:        1-3"/23 (ARS-1)
Later armaments:        1-3"/50 (1941: ARS-4);
4-20mm (1942: ARS-4, 32);
Small or none (others)
Complement:        --
Speed (kts.):        14
Propulsion (HP):        1,200
Machinery:        1 screw, vert. triple expansion

Construction:

ARS	Name	Reclas.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
1	VIKING	5 Aug 41	New Jersey DD & Transportation	18 Oct 17	24 Aug 18	--
2	CRUSADER	5 Aug 41	Gas Engine & Power	14 Nov 17	19 Nov 18	--
3	DISCOVERER	5 Aug 41	Todd SYs, N.Y. (Tebo)	20 Jun 18	28 Sep 18	--
4	REDWING	5 Aug 41	Baltimore DD & SB	5 Aug 18	7 Jun 19	6 Nov 41
11	WARBLER	22 Sep 41	NYd Philadelphia	28 Apr 19	30 Jul 19	--
12	WILLET	22 Sep 41	NYd Philadelphia	26 May 19	11 Sep 19	--
32	BRANT	4 Sep 42	Sun SB & DD	8 Dec 17	30 May 18	5 Sep 18

Disposition:

ARS	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
1	VIKING	ca Mar 53	9 Apr 53	22 Jul 53	Sold	--
2	CRUSADER	14 Aug 46	25 Sep 46	13 Feb 47	MC/S	3 Feb 47
3	DISCOVERER	26 Dec 46	28 Jan 47	9 Jun 47	MC/S	9 Jun 47
4	REDWING	--	19 Aug 43	29 Jun 43	Lost	--
11	WARBLER	--	10 Jun 47	12 Aug 47	MC/S	1 Aug 47
12	WILLET	--	5 Dec 47	2 Nov 48	MC/S	6 Jul 48
32	BRANT	19 Dec 45	8 Jan 46	19 Aug 46	MC/S	19 Aug 46

Class Notes:
FY 1918 (as minesweepers). The future ARS-1, 2, and 32 were authorized as minesweepers by the Naval Emergency Fund act of 4 Mar 17 while ARS 3-4 and 11-12 were authorized by the additional act of the same name dated 6 Oct 17. All but ARS-32 were decommissioned in 1920-22 and reassigned to other Government agencies or to a private salvage firm under contract to the Navy. By February 1941 a requirement had been developed for eight salvage vessels for shore-based salvage in the Naval Districts and BuShips indicated that these should be supplied by assigning "Bird" (AM-1) class minesweepers in the absence of any suitable commercial vessels. These "Birds" could be converted along the lines of WARBLER and WILLETT, which had been in use as salvage vessels since 1921. On 21 Mar 41 CNO approved the contract method for handling in part the salvage services required in war plans (primarily those in U.S coastal waters and in the Caribbean), and on 28 Mar 41 BuShips informed CNO that the Bureau would negotiate with Merritt-Chapman & Scott Corp. for a contract to supply salvage services with their existing equipment (which included WARBLER and WILLETT) on the east coast and two "Bird" class ships to be supplied by the Navy for use on the west coast. In addition, in view of the probability of Naval District commanders having a lot of salvage work to accomplish in wartime, the Bureau recommended that four "Birds" be converted to salvage vessels for assignment to the 1st, 5th, 12th, and 13th Naval Districts. Ships then in the hands Merritt-Chapman & Scott Corp. were not to be considered for Navy acquisition. Responding to the BuShips requirement for these six additional "Bird" class salvage ships, CNO wrote on 14 May 41 that it was impracticable to withdraw "Bird" class vessels from the Fleets to fulfill this assignment but that three "Birds" then owned and operated by the Coast and Geodetic Survey and one Coast Guard "Bird" could be made available upon mobilization or upon Presidential order. The remaining two ships could not be supplied until the 10 seagoing tugs then building (AT 67-76) were completed.

On 22 Jul 41 BuShips informed the Under Secretary of the Navy that when pending legislation was passed permitting the Navy to provide salvage facilities, three ships owned by Merritt-Chapman & Scott, KILLERIG, RELIEF, and RESOLUTE, would be chartered to the Navy and that the naval vessels WARBLER and WILLETT, which had been loaned to the Shipping Board (now the Maritime Commission) and chartered to Merritt-Chapman & Scott would be returned to the Navy by cancellation of their charter. Under the new contract with Merritt-Chapman & Scott the firm's salvage division was to be operated as the "Navy Salvage Service" and would be responsible for all salvage in U.S., Gulf, and Caribbean Areas. The company would retain the use of all of its existing ships and in addition would get the use of the four ex-Government "Birds." In the event, the former Coast Guard "Bird," ARS-4, received a Navy crew while ARS 1-3 and 11-12 were operated by Merritt-Chapman & Scott. The Navy Salvage Service formally came into existence on 11 Dec 41. ARS-32 was later converted to a Navy-manned salvage ship from an active Navy minesweeper for use in the North African campaign. The "Birds," while satisfactory for civilian operation in coastal waters, were not especially suitable for towing and lacked sufficient accommodations for navy manning -- the two with Navy crews had to embark additional salvage men at the salvage site and accommodate them on deck or wherever else possible.

Construction of FLAMINGO (AM-32, the future ARS-1) was ordered on 20 Aug 17. An Executive Order of 25 Mar 22 directed that ownership of this vessel be transferred to the Dept. of Commerce, and she was used by the Coast and Geodetic Survey as the survey ship GUIDE. She was transferred back to the Navy on 27 Jun 41 under an Executive Order of 19 Jun 41 in exchange for USS ANDRADITE and was accepted on 25 Jul 41. She was converted to a salvage ship by the San Diego Marine Construction Co. between 1 Aug 41 and 12 Feb 42. She was placed in service on 3 Jan 42 and delivered to Merritt-Chapman & Scott for operation by a civilian crew under contract with BuShips. Carried on the Navy List as "Not in Commission," she served on the West Coast, primarily as salvage vessel for the 11th Naval District. She was relieved as such by GEAR (ARS-34, q.v., also then operated by Merritt-Chapman & Scott) ca. 13 Mar 53.

OSPREY (AM-29, the future ARS-2), was ordered on 31 Jul 17. She may have been built by J. W. Sullivan Co., which like New Jersey Dry Dock had leased part of the former Crescent Shipyard from its owner, Bethlehem Steel. An Executive Order of 12 Oct 21 directed the transfer of her ownership to the Coast & Geodetic Survey. She was transferred back to the Navy on 17 Sep 41 under an Executive Order of 19 Jun 41 in exchange for USS ARGUS (PY-14) and placed in service on the same date. She was converted to a salvage ship by the General Engineering & Dry Dock Co. of Alameda, Calif., between 7 Oct 41 and 12 Feb 42. Assigned in January 1942 to the 12th Naval District for operation by Merritt-Chapman & Scott with a civilian crew under contract with BuShips, she was delivered to the firm on 12 Feb 42 and carried on the Navy List as "Not in Commission." She was reassigned to the Canal Zone in March 1942. The old ship was returned by the salvage company on 16 May 46 and held for possible return to the Coast & Geodetic Survey, but she was declined by them and "placed out of service & decommissioned" on 14 Aug 46.

AUK (AM-38, the future ARS-3) was ordered on 28 Mar 18. An Executive Order of 12 Oct 21 directed the transfer of her ownership to the Coast & Geodetic Survey. She was transferred back to the Navy under an Executive Order of 19 Jun 41 in exchange for USS YP-96. She was converted to a salvage ship by the Lake Union Dry Dock Co. of Seattle, Wash., between 12 Sep 41 and 16 Feb 42, when she was delivered to Merritt-Chapman & Scott. She was assigned to the 13th Naval District in January 1942 but may have served in the Canal Zone, being carried on the Navy List as "Not in Commission.". She was withdrawn from service on 26 Dec 46.

REDWING (AM-48, the future ARS-4) was ordered on 4 May 18. A Navy Department letter of 2 Jun 22 stated that she was to be transferred outright to the Coast Guard with ownership vesting in the Treasury Dept. The Navy Department again ordered her transferred to Treasury on 13 May 24 and the transfer was carried out on 24 May 24. Her armament in the Coast Guard was 2-3"/23 AA guns, which replaced her previous 2-3"/50 AA guns in 1924, and Bureau of Ordnance records continued into 1942 to show these as on board in addition to the single 3"/50 added in November 1941 even though there was not room for all three guns. An Executive Order of 16 Aug 41 directed her return to the Navy from the Coast Guard, and the Navy accepted her on 29 Aug 41. She was reclassified ARS-4 from AM-48 on 16 Aug 41 (corrected from 29 Aug) though her designation as an ARS was also recorded as 5 Aug 41. Her conversion to a salvage ship by the Atlantic Basin Iron Works, Brooklyn, N.Y., was completed on 19 Nov 41. She was assigned to duty in Icelandic waters in September 1941 and was sent to the Mediterranean in November 1942. Mined near Bizerte, she was swamped by the wake of a passing British destroyer while being towed into port with practically no freeboard.

WARBLER and WILLETT (AM 53-54, the future ARS 11-12) were ordered on 26 Dec 17. On 5 Jan 20 the Shipping Board asked the Navy for the transfer of three minesweepers for use as salvage vessels and on 13 Jan 20 the Navy agreed and designated WARBLER, WILLETT, and PEACOCK (the latter, AM-46, was lost in 1940 while in civilian hands). The Navy retained ownership of the vessels, which were carried on the Navy List as "Not in Commission." They were operated by Merritt-Chapman & Scott under arrangements with the Shipping Board and its successor, the Maritime Commission, under condition that they would be returned to the Navy whenever it judged they were required for naval purposes. When the Navy exercised this right in 1941, OpNav changed their designation to ARS on 13 Sep 41, and they were reclassified ARS 11-12 from AM 53-54 on 22 Sep 41. They continued to be operated by Merritt-Chapman & Scott, now under the direction of BuShips and probably received no Navy conversion. They were replaced in 1947 by CABLE and CURB (ARS-19 and 21).

BRANT (AM-24, the future ARS-32) was ordered on 13 Jun 17. Unlike the other "Bird" class salvage ships she remained in commission between the wars and her original World War I armament of 2-3"/50 guns was re-installed in 1932. She was made available for shipyard work between 20 Jun 42 and 3 Aug 42, probably for conversion to a salvage ship at her home yard of Norfolk, Va. She was ready for sea on 30 Sep 42, received two depth charge throwers at Norfolk in October, and sailed for North Africa in early November.

Ship Notes:

ARS	Name	Notes
1	VIKING	Comm. as USS FLAMINGO (AM-32) 12 Feb 19, decomm. 5 May 22. To Coast & Geodetic Survey 23 Jan 23 as surveying ship and renamed GUIDE 1 Mar 23. Returned 27 Jun 41 in exchange for USS ANDRADITE (PYc-11) and renamed VIKING 5 Aug 41. Completed conversion 3 Jan 42, operated by Merritt-Chapman & Scott.
2	CRUSADER	Comm. as USS OSPREY (AM-29) 7 Jan 19, decomm. 12 Dec 21. To Coast & Geodetic Survey 7 Apr 22 as surveying ship and renamed PIONEER. Renamed CRUSADER 5 Aug 41, returned 17 Sep 41 in exchange for USS ARGUS (PY-14). After conversion operated by Merritt-Chapman & Scott. Sold by MC to American Ship Cleaning Co., New York. Merc. VICTORIA 1948, scrapped 1952.
3	DISCOVERER	Commissioned as USS AUK (AM-38) 31 Jan 19, decomm. 13 Dec 21 . To Coast & Geodetic Survey 7 Apr 22 as surveying ship and renamed DISCOVERER. Returned 26 Aug 41 in exchange for USS YP-96. Completed conversion 16 Feb 42 and delivered to Merritt-Chapman & Scott for operation. Sold by MC to J. W. Rumsey, Seattle, Wash. To Venezuelan Navy as FELIPE LARRAZABEL, stk. 1962.
4	REDWING	Commissioned as USS REDWING (AM-48) on 17 Oct 19, decomm. 14 Apr 22. Transferred to Coast Guard 24 May 24. Returned 29 Aug 41 under Executive Order of 16 Aug 41. Mined off Cape Blanca, Tunisia, 29 Jun 43 and sank same date while being towed into Bizerte.
11	WARBLER	Commissioned as USS WARBLER (AM-53) on 22 Dec 19, decomm. 16 Jun 20 and loaned same date to the Shipping Board for use as a salvage vessel. Operated by Merritt-Chapman & Scott. May have been named RETRIEVER between 1921 and 1923. Returned 1941 by the Maritime Commission, reclassified ARS-11 on 22 Sep 41, and operated by Merritt Chapman & Scott under contract with BuShips. Scrapped 1948.
12	WILLET	Commissioned as USS WILLETT (AM-54) on 29 Jan 20, decomm. 29 May 20 and loaned same date to the Shipping Board for use as a salvage vessel. Operated by Merritt-Chapman & Scott. May have been named SALVOR between 1921 and 1923. Returned 1941 by the Maritime Commission, reclassified ARS-12 on 22 Sep 41, and operated by Merritt Chapman & Scott under contract with BuShips. Returned by the firm 15 Sep 47, to buyer 2 Nov 48, scrapped 1948.
32	BRANT	Commissioned as USS BRANT (AM-24) on 5 Sep 18. Reclassified AT-132 1 Jun 42 (see AT-131 class). Probably converted by the Norfolk Navy Yard to a salvage ship between late June and early August 1942, reclassified ARS-32 4 Sep 42. Sold by MC to American Ship Cleaning Co., New York. To buyer 22 Aug 46.