Amphion (AR 13) - Naval Cruise Book

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U. S. S. AMPHION AR-13 During World War II, ships were re- quired to move almost overnight to areas for distant from sites of routine and emer- gency repair facilities. Thus, there arose need for mobile repair units designed to work on virtually all ship types. Tenders, built primarily to operate only with parti- cular ship classes, were not equipped for thisfunction. Therefore, repair ships with general capabilities were constructed. As a repairship, the USS AMPHION (AR-13) has OS its mission emergency and routine repair work on ships of the fleet during periods of technical availability. The AMPHION was authorized for construction 17 June 1943. Her keel was laid 20September 1944atthe Tampa Ship- building Company, Tampa, Florida. ■: Launched 15 May 1945, the AMPHION was commissioned 30 January 1946. She is named for a character in Greek Mythology , the son of Zeus and Antiore and the eldest of Greek musi- cians. A vessel of 14,000 tons, the AMPHION has a complement of nearly 800 Officers and Enlisted men. Her sea-going activities have been necessarily limited, for most of her work is accomplished in port, the ships she is repairing moored to her side. Each quarter, she is required to make an Independent Ship exercise Cruise, in which she competes for Service Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet efficiency awards. In 1952 and again in 1954, the AMPHION won honors for excellence in Battle Efficiency. The AMPHION is equipped with Flag spaces, and not infrequently has served as auxiliary flagship to Commander, Service Squadron TWO and his Staff, Within the general framework of the AMPHION ' s mission, seven types of services are provided: repair, salvage, alongside, supply, medical, dental and special. Repair shops aboard include: shipfitter shop, carpenter shop, foundry, pipe and copper shop, sheet metal, welding, canvas, watch, optical, typewriter, electrical, print, photo, blueprint, paint, spray and baking, ordnance, fire control, range finder, silvering gyro compass, electrical instrument, elec- tronic, gas mask and OBA, rigging diving and salvage, light and heavy machine shop, hydraulic, refri- geration internal combustion engine, guage and boiler shops. On 8 July 1957the AMPHION hauled in her lines and made ready for a seven months cruise in the Mediterranean to serve as flag ship for Commander Service Force, Sixth Fleet. At approximately 1300 she was sailing through the Hampton Roads heading for the operation area in the Virginia Capes. On the morning of the ninth at approximately 0745 she sent her crew to their battle stations for a test of her gunnery power and proved she could dish out protection if needed. At approximately 1020 she pointed her bow in course for Gilbraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. In the evening of 18 July she had completed her journey across the Atlantic and stopped at Gilbraltar for a couple hours rest while loading and off loading passengers for other destinations, and then continued on toward Cannes, France.

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MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE OF THE USS AMPHION AR-13

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■J. jTifi ' A ' c o M M A N D I N G O F F I C E R Captain John Benjamin Moreland ' •«« r 1 Captain John Benjamin Moreland was born July 15, 191 1 in Haven, Kansas. He was an honor student at Haven High School, and was third in the Class of 1929. In the summer of 1930, he entered the U. S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md., where he was a letter-man in soccer. He was graduated from the Academy in 1934 and commissioned Ensign May 31 of the some year. Shortly thereafter, he reported to the USS MISSISSIPPI {BB-40) for duty. While on the MISSISSIPPI he was promoted to LTJG May 1937. During the early part of 1938, he was a student Naval Aviator at the Naval Air Station in Pensocola, Florida, and was transferred in May, 1938 to the USS BADGER (DD-126) for duty in the Gunnery Department. From December, 1938 until July, 1940 he was Air Officer, First Lieutenant and Gunnery Officer on the USS CHILDS (AVP-13), pnd became Chief Engineer of the USS UPSUR (DD-14 4) in July, 1940. Transferred to the USS BADGER {DD-126) in June 1941 for duty as Executive Officer, he was promoted to Lieutenant July, 1941 - the year of Pearl Harbor. The BADGER was deployed in the North Atlantic. Stationed aboard the USS DYSON (DD-572) in November, 1942 as Executive Officer, he was promoted to LCDR in May 1943, Aboard the DYSON, a ship of the famed Little Beaver Squadron, he saw action in South Pacific waters and in the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay and Cape Saint George, He became Commanding Officer of the USS STANLEY (DD-478) in January, 1944, attaining the rank of Commander month later. While aboard the STANLEY, he was with a fast carrier task force in the conflict for New Guinea with the Seventh Fleet in the Philippines, Mindoro, and Lingayen Operations and participated in the Iwo Jima invasion. Transferred to the USS CHARLES S. SPERRY (DD-679) as Commanding Officer in March, 1945, he served with a carrier task force in the Central Pacificuntil the end of the war. The CHARLES S. SPERRY then was active with the Japanese occupa- tion forces. He was Executive Officer of the Fleet Sonar School, Key West, Florida 1946-1948; Commanding Officer of the Naval Ordnance Facility, Okinawa 1949-1950; Director of Military Personnel Distribution with Staff, Twelfth Naval District, June 1950 - December 1951 , and Executive Officer of the USS QUINCY (CA-71) December 1951-July 1953, He was promoted to Captain July 1, 1953, In June, 1954, Captain Morland became a faculty member of the Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Va, He became Commanding Officer of the USS AMPHION (AR-13) January 30, 1957, Captain Morland has been awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for commanding the CHARLES S. SPERRY in assisting the stricken carrier, BUNKER HILL, duringa Kamikaze attack in 1945; the Presidential Unit Citation for participation in the Solomons Campaign; and the Bronze Star Medal with three gold stars. CaptainMorland is entitledtowearthe following Medals: American Defense with A, Atlantic Theater, American Theater, Pacific Theater with eight campaign stars and Occupation, He is married to the former Miss Marietta Diaz Silveira, They have one daughter, Michele Maria, born October 12, 1951. The Morlands live at 7600 Gleneagles Road, Norfolk, Va.