USS Demeter (ARB-10)

USS Demeter (ARB-10) laid up in reserve at East Boston Naval Annex, September 1960
History
Name:	USS Demeter
Namesake:	Demeter
Builder:	Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, Seneca, Illinois
Laid down:	25 October 1944
Launched:	19 January 1945
Commissioned:	3 July 1945
Decommissioned:	2 May 1947
Fate:	Sold for commercial service, 1958 Sunk, 12 January 1964
General characteristics
Class and type:	Aristaeus-class battle damage repair ship
Displacement:	1,781 long tons (1,810 t) light 3,700 long tons (3,759 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 (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement:	260 officers and enlisted men
Armament:	2 × 40 mm guns 8 × 20 mm guns

USS Demeter (ARB-10) was one of twelve Aristaeus-class battle damage repair ships built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Demeter (the Greek goddess of agriculture), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

LST-1121 was launched on 19 January 1945 by the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company of Seneca, Illinois; sponsored by Mrs. W. B. Wynn; placed in partial commission on 31 January 1945 under the command of Lieutenant P. P. Wynn, USNR; sailed down the Mississippi River on her way to Baltimore where she was decommissioned on 2 March 1945 for conversion to a battle damage repair ship; and commissioned as USS Demeter (ARB-10) on 3 July 1945 with Lieutenant E. V. Converse, USNR, in command.

Service history

Demeter called at San Diego from 1 to 6 September 1945 and arrived at Pearl Harbor ten days later. She embarked passengers for the United States and sailed 11 October for the east coast, arriving at Charleston, South Carolina on 11 November. She arrived at Green Cove Springs, Florida on 27 November and was placed in service in reserve on 27 May 1947 to provide services there to the reserve fleet group. Demeter was sold on 3 September 1959.

Resold in 1961 for commercial service and renamed SS Motonave, the ship was later renamed Demeter (date unknown). She sank on 12 January 1964.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• "LST-1121 / ARB-10 Demeter". Service Ship Photo Archive. Retrieved April 12, 2007.