Ajax (AR 6) - Naval Cruise Book

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rDYou Built the Ajcfct, We ' ll Sail Her .l |«T on(wl r idl. Rttlilftri -anvAraic tiufHiTT Juhn IIImIidia, the Run «hn will hr in ha ' |r nl ihr thift ' i n iprr»i.f j ' manvnr (tunnn Hlx ' liDi • MM nnrf !• ' ihr imr»ftAnt fiilt ol Kuiiiltfi lii ol jt.ui.( hr ir..«.r t ' ws» ti. i» kf:s- Mltttr Mr K» •») plrtiM .4 a.ikin itrmine (tv SJ ' iokin ind m ibr Siivlh I •m out wltrrr otHin mm lh« dUtknl, XlvtwiMM I. li ti««ipi wn trantfrrtf lA •.U U. r TV im.f (■. llkil ut tllr luAd .. 1 .,, ,K, AJA. H« tw . ' . i ' .| lU .11 titnl Mnrsti I t lM.ltiN. anJ Jm ikr .1 M r| r .Wf HnrhiNJff KrMf rfA Hrtwrn ■««■ »1 » «r and itxwn thr Nwlh Pwifk u IM Jhp tit ihv AJA. . M ' ln b«i umi pfior ID Qjf IrtiMW. |tM u hr tt tlciuit mi C | | I ' K Trrt . tU t»»« Twi tt. rn .ft h ' t Jyl) with Ihf J- - Jrtiil, u« hn tj i datv fWt KMrd ihr I .S S. tN K- KIN. a Jntri rT tmJri. whtiti f-artinl tut kitoo liun ihr AircialT iinn LKXlNli Tl S m S« « mJ othri S P«th«M Pawifv f Mr MrrfrMM ! W«lr N. N. HM II M ll ir O l. K«. K,.l h.. Ki, u «ir, Ka ini; ;ijili. iiMtrit m fhr ti- t mil Mi«t ul ihr Juokctv Hr altai ii 4 r iT i thr Baltic -f S« .. Mul «4. -n K ..l •» I SS rilk l.»l mI .V «.. .urxl a Jap«n« c ti ' iprJ.i |v ' jn« •«! Jxtut ' i ' Mr irfmttM hfir ttii Jith iwM • mi« t tlirt hn lw t (Xir »M Mank. r . wrrftV ' r K VNmh f . T ' MMf ' n W.II.ain I lb.inp.4i «. sk • .■ • .. v. ii ni «U. Kni httn- ' ll •• ' ' M« ilnasi an ivalf ol ihr w MtJ Hi- 4 tt. .fi-n «» hr stl V -.T ' Whrnva tp hn rj;- I -. -• ■ ( «rlir f. Hmrkitu, II. Clio Ancirlrs Shipbuilbing anb Brybdcl riubiallg inbitn you to be prrtrnt at tlfc launciiing of tljc 11 . . JVjax for tilt lliittcb tatca a6 alutbag, ugutt 22, 1942 6:30 p. m. San PrAro, (Califomui ;lt Corpomion I Invitation to the launching of the U.S.S. AJAX, Saturday, August 22, 1942 M. ' . »■ ' l4 4. 1 Mil klk Ot ' «»ll. -1.. ..J 1 1.. . .k.» il. AUX • • ■ • f Jbirf » Mrf Fmilrr | l ' ««r ( . . . V . . 1 1 t 1 . A ■ H ll M Mn HHf ir..Mf... iiH f f fhiM-nr f ) i th l«t l»l«r rA Knfca . ,:. : w The above is a page trom the May, 1943 issue of the SHIPBUILDER Magazine. The men in the photo are some of AJAX ' s planl owners . USS AJAX (AR-6) ready for launching at the Los Angeles Ship- building Drydock Corp., San Pedro, California, 22 August 1942.

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Repair Ships Urgently Needed While it is true that each ship has in its own force a t roup who are capable of con- ductintr certain maintenance operations and make emergency repairs, the extent of tlieM- repairs must of necessity be limited. 1 o augment the ship ' s force and to take care of major items of repair, the Navy employs a group of vessels known as repair ships. Typical of the modern repair ships are the U ' .S.S. AJAX, HECTOR and JASON, now under construction in our Yard. 1 he presence of these sh ' ps in close proximit ' to the scene of actual battle is absoluteh essential if we are to continue to exert the same daring and forceful displa of naval strength which has marked our carh activi- ties. Repair ships are a vital nccessit — NOW! ARTICLE TAKEN FROM THE SHIPBUILDER May 1943 issue. Mrs. Issac C. Johnson, wife of Rear Admiral Issac C. Johnson, USN, served as the ship ' s sponsor. AJAX ' s keel was laid on 7 May 1941

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The fourth and present AJAX (AR-6) is the second of the VULCAN class fleet of Repair Ships. In her beginning, AJAX had 18 officers and 700 men in her Repair Department along with an estimated crew of 2500 for those were the days of hot bunking, hammocks and sleeping where you worked. Since 1943, well over 20,000 men have served aboard AJAX . AJAX ' s keel was laid on 7 May 1941 by the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation at San Pedro, California. She was launched on 22 August 1942 and com- missioned 30 October 1943. Her sea trial was cut short and she was sent to Pearl Harbor. Arriving in Pearl Harbor on 16 December 1943, she attracted considerable attention since she was the first of the new fleet repair ships to join the Pacific Fleet, After completing her Pearl Harbor assignments AJAX departed on 26 January for FUNAFUTI, Ellice Islands. She crossed the equator for the first time enroute on 29 January and 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 number of their shipmates who had previously crossed the two lines. In February 1944 AJAX was attached to service squadron 6 in Funafuti, which had ordered AJAX to convert the forward section at the forward end of the superstructure deck into a service squadron office, and to build staterooms down the starboard side. No sooner was the job completed than the AJAX was transferred to Service Squadron 10. Since Service Squad- ron 10 knew nothing of the changes, when AJAX arrived at Majuro to report to her new duty not a trace remained of the squadron office. It had mysteriously disappeared during the transit. During AJAX ' s early adventures in the South Pacific, rumors were circulating in San Pedro that she had been sunk by a Japanese submarine. The rumors even had the strike pinned down to frame 41 , starboard side. The rumors had it that there were few survivors and those who did survive were given Navy Crosses and spot promotions. The following is a quote from a letter written 19 July 1944 by Capt. John L. Brown, the fir st Commanding Officer of AJAX, Nothing of evil or horror has be- fallen us, all have been doing a magnificent job, all are well and all pray for the time when we will return to those whom we miss dearly. I am very proud to be the Commanding Officer of each and everyone on board this ship -so ended the rumors. On 13 June 1944 AJAX sailed for Eniwetok with other units of SERV- RON 10 to set up an advance repair base.