USS Chimaera (ARL-33)

Chimaera underway in Baltimore harbor, c. 1945
History
Name:	USS Chimaera
Builder:	Chicago Bridge & Iron Company
Launched:	30 March 1945
Commissioned:	7 August 1945
Decommissioned:	8 March 1948
Fate:	Unknown
General characteristics
Class and type:	Achelous class repair ship
Displacement:	2,220 long tons (2,256 t) light 4,100 long tons (4,166 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:	253 officers and enlisted men
Armament:	2 × quad 40 mm guns (Mark 51 director) 2 × twin 40 mm guns (Mark 51 director) 6 × twin 20 mm guns

USS Chimaera (ARL-33) was one of 39 Achelous-class landing craft repair ships built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for the Chimaera (a mythological character, symbolic of the destructive forces of nature), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

Originally planned as LST-1137, the ship was redesignated ARL-33 14 August 1944 ; launched 30 March 1945 by Chicago Bridge and Iron Company of Seneca, Illinois; sponsored by Mrs. D. L. Mahoney; placed in partial commission 11 April 1945; decommissioned 7 May 1945 for conversion at Baltimore, Maryland; and commissioned in full 7 August 1945 with Lieutenant F. E. Clerk, Jr., USNR, in command.

Service history

Sailing from Norfolk 18 September 1945, Chimaera arrived at Green Cove Springs, Florida 21 September to serve as flagship for Commander, St. John's River Reserve Group, Atlantic Fleet until 1 March 1946. On 29 April she cleared for San Pedro, California, arriving 21 May. Local operations were conducted until 17 September when she got underway for the western Pacific. She called at Pearl Harbor and arrived at Tsingtao, China 23 October to provide services to the 7th Fleet. On 14 October 1947 she departed Tsingtao for San Pedro. Chimaera was placed out of commission in reserve 8 March 1948. Laid up at the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group, she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register (date unknown); her final fate is unknown. A mythological character, symbolic of the destructive forces of nature.

Chimaera was launched 30 March 1945 by Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, Ill.; sponsored by Mrs. D. L. Mahoney; placed in partial commission 11 April 1945; decommissioned 7 May 1945 for conversion at Baltimore, Md.; and commissioned in full 7 August 1945, Lieutenant F. E. Clerk, Jr., USNR, in command.

Sailing from Norfolk 18 September 1945 Chimaera arrived at Green Cove Springs, Fla., 21 September to serve as flagship for Commander, St. John's River Reserve Group, Atlantic Fleet until 1 March 1946. On 29 April, she cleared for San Pedro, Calif., arriving 21 May. Local operations were conducted until 17 September when she got underway for the western Pacific. She called at Pearl Harbor and arrived at Tsingtao, China, 23 October to provide services to the 7th Fleet. On 14 October 1947 she departed Tsingtao for San Pedro. Chimaera was placed out of commission in reserve 8 March 1948. ^[1]

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• "LST-1137 / ARL-33 Chimaera". Amphibious Photo Archive. Retrieved May 6, 2007.