Repair ship

A repair ship is a naval auxiliary ship designed to provide maintenance support to warships. Repair ships provide similar services to destroyer, submarine and seaplane tenders or depot ships, but may offer a broader range of repair capability including equipment and personnel for repair of more significant machinery failures or battle damage.^[1]

USS Medusa was the first United States Navy ship built as a repair ship.

United States Navy

The United States Navy became aware of the need for repair ships to maintain Asiatic Fleet ships stationed in the Philippines. Two colliers were converted to USS Prometheus and Vestal in 1913 before the purpose-built USS Medusa was completed at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in 1923. The following ships were converted to repair ships to meet the needs of World War II:^[2]

With a capable crew of qualified repairmen, USS Vulcan was kept in good repair for a long service life.

United Kingdom

HMS Resource was built in 1928 and remained the sole Royal Navy repair ship at the outbreak of World War II.^[1] The following ships were converted to meet wartime needs:

HMS Artifex

HMS Diligence

HMS Adventure^[3]
HMS Alaunia (F15)^[4]
HMAS Albatross^[3]
HMS Artifex^[4]
RMS Ausonia^[4]
HMS Deer Sound^[5]
HMS Kelantan (F166)^[5]
SS Ranpura^[6]
HMS San Giorgio (formerly Italian cruiser San Giorgio)
HMS Vindictive^[3]
HMS Wayland (F137)^[4]
HMS Westernland (F87)^[6]

Lend/Lease

These Xanthus-class repair ships were built to Royal Navy specifications by Bethlehem Fairfield Shipyard in 1944, but only the first two were temporarily loaned to the United Kingdom while the others were retained for use by the United States Navy:^[7]

AR-17 became HMS Assistance (F173)
AR-18 became HMS Diligence (F174)
USS Xanthus was intended to be HMS Hecla (F175)
USS Laertes was intended to be HMS Dutiful (F176)
USS Dionysus was intended to be HMS Faithful (F177)

Japan

Japan found repair ships valuable for Pacific island bases. The pre-dreadnought battleship Asahi was modified and recommissioned as a repair ship in 1938. The 9,000-ton purpose-designed repair ship Akashi was launched in 1938 as the intended prototype for a class of five ships, but the remaining four ships were cancelled as other wartime shipbuilding projects assumed higher priority.^[8]

Sources

Lenton, H.T.; Colledge, J.J. (1964). British and Dominion Warships of World War II. Doubleday & Company.
Silverstone, Paul H. (1968). U.S. Warships of World War II. Doubleday & Company.
Watts, Anthony J. (1966). Japanese Warships of World War II. Doubleday & Company.

Notes

1 2 Lenton & Colledge, p.333
↑ Silverstone, pp.280-281&292-293
1 2 3 Lenton & Colledge, p.341
1 2 3 4 Lenton & Colledge, p.342
1 2 Lenton & Colledge, p.348
1 2 Lenton & Colledge, p.346
↑ Lenton & Colledge, p.352
↑ Watts, pp.324&325

Naval ships and warships in the Late Modern period

Naval ship classes in service submarine auxiliary Operational zones Blue-water navy Brown-water navy Green-water navy Gun placement Broadside Central battery/casemate Turretes

Aircraft carriers	Aircraft cruiser Amphibious assault ship Anti-submarine warfare carrier Balloon carrier CAM ship Escort carrier Fighter catapult ship Fleet carrier Helicopter carrier Light aircraft carrier Merchant aircraft carrier Seaplane tender Submarine aircraft carrier Supercarrier

Battleships	Coastal defence ship Dreadnought Fast battleship Pre-dreadnought battleship Super-dreadnought (Standard-type battleship) Treaty battleship

Cruisers	Armored cruiser Battlecruiser Flight deck cruiser Heavy cruiser Pocket battleship Light cruiser Merchant raider Protected cruiser Strike cruiser Torpedo cruiser Unprotected cruiser

Escort	Aviso Convoy rescue ship Destroyer Destroyer escort Destroyer leader Escort destroyer Frigate Guided missile destroyer Kaibōkan Sloop

Transport	Amphibious transport dock Amphibious warfare ship Attack transport Dock landing ship Landing craft Landing craft carrier Landing Craft Support Landing Ship Heavy Landing ship, infantry Landing Ship Medium Landing Ship, Tank Landing Ship Vehicle Troopship

Patrol craft	Armed boarding steamer Armed yacht Coastal Motor Boat Corvette Gunboat Harbour Defence Motor Launch Motor Launch Naval drifter Naval trawler Ocean boarding vessel Patrol boat Q-ship Steam Gun Boat Submarine chaser Torpedo boat

Fast attack craft	E-boat MAS MGB Missile boat MTB MTM MTSM PT boat Shin'yō

Mine warfare	Danlayer Destroyer minesweeper Mine countermeasures vessel Mine planter Minehunter Minelayer Minesweeper

Command and support	Amenities ship Ammunition ship Auxiliary repair dock Auxiliary ship Collier Combat stores ship Command ship Crane vessel Depot ship Destroyer tender Dispatch boat Fast combat support ship General stores issue ship Hospital ship Naval tugboat Net laying ship Repair ship Replenishment oiler Submarine tender

Submarines	Attack submarine Ballistic missile submarine Coastal submarine Cruise missile submarine Cruiser submarine Deep-submergence vehicle DSRV Fleet submarine Midget submarine U-boat

Miscellaneous	Arsenal ship Barracks ship Breastwork monitor Capital ship Flagship Guard ship Littoral combat ship Monitor River monitor Training ship

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