Ajax (AR 6) - Naval Cruise Book

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l t I A . ' A we A an 13 ff' ,V 14 7 K 5 I 1 2 y Upon her arrival, AJAX was assigned the task of installation of radar, sound gear, detection equipment and anti-aircraft guns on a number of small craft being fitted out for use as control vessels for the Marshall Islands and subsequent campaigns. She also made voyage repairs on a number of carriers, cruisers and oilers while moored at Pearl Harbor. Jla l'U'Il.ADD R001 f'i'3m' After comlllf AJAX departed S, She croSS Island and the Internal the traditional C01 men were initiate and into tht Real' number ol their Sh the two lines. At Funaluti. l duty at Nlaldirr l' A j AX actompllSl and small vessels tion ol Majuro in tion of her missio February 1944. On other units of SER rtllalr base, She W ips lhror 13 June 19. allltlllary Sh Period, AJAX 1 W cruisers and nine S: e 1 1 kbs . tl A '. , e ,. , . , vu . .... Ar. u s.r-mu. s, ' -'sz ml-.gn-L ,. :ual-bwsvlln .. au..- r , . vf.. ffwv-v---...,., , A 'V 'HW' . 'i' K mm ' V f I ' r IA: Ji I 1. 1 ---lllmmm-,

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so: :mrs arid was f -u:.:r'atn1 worlr com- L: jeg-y:,I7tT 1899. ln ...M 3 glibc. routed H my Philippine mr: fffifr- Pm Said' Ni Wu, fffracing her ,Q n-iw!! gn ex' 51:1 Bi YJ, :g0l,s?.t3ml lcom- . euro .iLri'frm. .3-' Tue formCf fm:ctfSg'LnC me Orient mils , Ffom gh if Jmfmwnbe,1905. at O: .Norf0ll4NaVy 'fm' K it 20 lanualy irffg made the .174 'Nagy 1909. She niizuild arrived ll' M -k. Portsmoutlf1fiiNew Hampshirel Navy Yard in J une and was out of service until 30 April 1910. After two years of service on the Atlantic Station and Caribbean, AJAX was permanently assigned to the Asiatic Fleet as an auxiliary, arriving at Manila 30 April 1913. Her routing duties of shuttling from coaling places to bases of delivery, included Guam, Hawaiian Islands, Philippine Islands, Japan and China coasts, with occasional diver- sions to Vladivqstok, Siberia, and to Rangoon, Burma. Even during World War I, -1,917-1918, her visits were uninterrupted, with the exception of occasions, when cooperating with the Army she transported drafts of men and stores. Early in the war she was commended for successfully having towed the interned German vessel, ELSASS, the long distance from Samoa to Honolulu, Hawaii. From 20 April to 17 October 1921, she was out of commission at Cavite, Philippines, and was then designated as Receiving Ship for the 16th Naval District. While serving in that duty in 1923, AJAX was temporarily reassigned as Tender to the 18th Division, Submarines, Asiatic Fleet, and used at the Fleet Anchorage, Chefoo, China, returning in September 1923 to Cavite as Receiving Ship. In February 1924, AJAX was reassigned as Tender, Aircraft Squadrons, Asiatic Fleet, and on 1 July 1924, her classification was changed to Miscellaneous Auxiliary AG-15. In June 1925, she was ordered relieved of all duty and was decommissioned 8 July 1925, stricken from the Navy list, and sold at Cavite on 14 August 1925, to S. R. Paterno. .fi f i 1 ,. ,I -Y , f The third AJAX has been overlooked for mdgy years and is not included in The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. This AJAX Was 3 124-foot auxiliary ketch purchased 12 October 1917 in an unfinished condition. She was completed early in 1918 and placed in commission 16 February 1918. After four days as AJAX, her name was changed to ROCKPORT by General Order 3371 dated 20 February 1918. This vessel was assigned to the First Naval District, where she performed patrol duty in the Boston Section. She was decommissioned 28 February 1919 and sold at public auction 16 September 1919 to Thomas S. Longridge for S17,000. liar. Thegiiirih anliiiflesent AJAX, KAR-61, the second of the VULCAN class of fleet repair 'ships, was com- missioneg on 30 October 1943 and sent as quickly as possible-10 the support of Allied Naval Forces in their marc M oward Japan. USS AJAX fAR-62 was built by the L s Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation at San Pedro, California. Her keel was laid on 7 May 1941 and she was launched on 22 August 1942. Mrs. Isaac C. johnson, wife of Rear Admiral Isaac C. J ohn- son, USN, served as the ship's sponsor. Commander john L. Brown, USN, assumed command when AJAX was placed in commission on 30 October 1943. A brief fitting-out period at San Pedro was follow- ed by a short shakedown cruise, during which stan- dardization runs were made and operational training conducted. Because of the great need for the ship in connection with scheduled operations in the Central Pacific area, the shakedown cruise was curtailed and AJAX was ordered to report to Commander Service Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor. Arriving Pearl Harbor on 16 December 1943, she attracted con- siderable attention since she was the first of the new fleet repair ships to join the Pacific Fleet.

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If 'l . the task ol .on equipmlnt au craft being he also made 51 Cfuiseis and km u - 1 After completing her Pearl Harbor assignments, AJAX departed on 26 january for Funafuti, Ellice Islands. She crossed the equator enroute on 29 January and the International Date Line on 31 January. with the traditional ceremonies on both occasions. Over 1000 men were initiated into the Domain of Neptunus Rex and into the Realm of the Golden Dragon by the small In October 1944, at Ulithi, an island in the West Carolines. she undertook her first major job-repairing battle damage. During a torpedo attack by enemy planes off Formosa, USS CANBERRA ICA-702 had 5 number of their shipmates who had previously crossed the two lines. At Funafuti, Ellice Islands, AJAX was assigned to duty at Makin Island. During her three-week stay, AJAX accomplished repairs on a number of destroyers and small vessels which were preparing for the occupa- tion of Majuro in the Marshall Islands. Upon comple- tion of her mission, AJAX returned to Funafuti on 26 February 1944. L W. On 13 june 1944, AJAX sailed for Eniwetok with other units of SERVRON TEN to set up an advance repair base. She worked on battleships, cruisers and auxiliary ships through August. At one time during this period, AJAX was assigned extensive jobs on 19 a been hit by one or more torpedoes, resulting in the flooding of both her engine rooms and two fire rooms. After having been towed to Ulithi, she was placed alongside AJAX where she was repaired so that she could safely proceed to Manus Island for drydocking. AJAX departed Ulithi on 25 May 1945 and proceeded to San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf, where she took part in preparing the fleet for a final assault on the enemy. Here she accomplished one of her most challenging jobs-repairing typhoon damage to USS BENNINGTON KCV-202. cruisers and nine battleships. ' f df.-A- -fai- HNLJL-Lllhlml-Jl lx