USS Apollo

{{for|fictional ships with this name|Apollo (disambiguation)#Fictional entities}}

{{Infobox ship begin

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{{Infobox ship image

| Ship image = USS Apollo (AS-25) loading supplies off New York, circa in late 1944 (19-N-73530).jpg

| Ship caption = USS Apollo (AS-25), loading supplies off New York circa late 1944. Covered lighter {{USS|YF-236

2}} and a tug are alongside.

}}

{{Infobox ship career

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| Ship country = United States

| Ship flag = {{USN flag|1946}}

| Ship name = Apollo

| Ship namesake = Apollo

| Ship ordered = as type (C3-S-A2) hull, MC hull 860

| Ship builder = Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi

| Ship laid down = 24 June 1943

| Ship launched = 6 November 1943

| Ship acquired = 31 December 1943

| Ship commissioned = 31 December 1943 (reduced commission)

| Ship decommissioned = 14 January 1944

}}

{{Infobox ship career

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| Ship commissioned = 29 September 1944 (full commission)

| Ship decommissioned = 12 February 1946

| Ship in service =

| Ship out of service =

| Ship struck = 1 July 1963

| Ship renamed =

| Ship reclassified =

| Ship homeport =

| Ship identification = *Hull symbol: AS-25

Code letters: NUVA
{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Uniform}}{{ICS|Victor}}{{ICS|Alpha}}

| Ship motto =

| Ship nickname =

| Ship honours =

| Ship fate = Sold for scrapping, 1974

| Ship notes =

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{{Infobox ship characteristics

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| Header caption =

| Ship class = {{sclass|Aegir|submarine tender}}

| Ship displacement = {{cvt|16500|LT|lk=in}} (full)

| Ship length = {{cvt|492|ft|6|in}}

| Ship beam = {{cvt|69|ft|6|in}}

| Ship draft = {{cvt|27|ft}}

| Ship power = *2 × Foster–Wheeler D-type {{cvt|465|psi}} {{cvt|765|F}} steam boilers

{{cvt|8500|shp}}

| Ship propulsion = *1 × General Electric steam turbine

General Electric double reduction main gears
1 × Propeller

| Ship speed = {{cvt|18.4|kn|lk=in}}

| Ship range =

| Ship complement = 82 Officers 1,378 Enlisted

| Ship sensors =

| Ship EW =

| Ship armament = *1 × 5-inch/38-caliber gun dual-purpose gun

4 × single 3-inch/50-caliber gun
2 × twin Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60 anti-aircraft (AA) mounts
20 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon AA

| Ship armor =

| Ship notes =

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USS Apollo (AS-25) was an {{sclass|Aegir|submarine tender}} in the United States Navy.

Construction

Apollo was laid down under a United States Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 860, on 24 June 1943 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation; launched on 6 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. James B. Hill; and acquired by the Navy and placed in reduced commission on 31 December 1943 for passage to her conversion yard. The vessel proceeded to the Atlantic Basin Iron Works, Brooklyn, New York, and was decommissioned there on 14 January 1944 to undergo conversion for naval service as a submarine tender. Apollo was recommissioned on 29 September 1944.{{sfn|DANFS|2016}}

Service history

=Pacific Fleet, 1944–1945=

After loading stores, the new submarine tender got underway for shakedown in the waters off New London, Connecticut, and in Block Island Sound. She then took on spare parts and equipment at New London before departing Connecticut on 6 November, bound for the Panama Canal.{{sfn|DANFS|2016}}

Apollo transited the Panama Canal on 13 November; paused briefly at San Diego, California, for replenishment; and continued on to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On 10 December, the ship set a course for Guam, Mariana Islands, and arrived in Apra Harbor 11 days later. She then commenced providing services to various submarines of the Pacific Fleet. Her tour of duty at Guam ended on 10 July 1945, when the vessel got underway to return to Pearl Harbor. Shortly after her arrival, her crew resumed submarine tending activities.{{sfn|DANFS|2016}}

Following the Japanese capitulation, Apollo set sail on 27 August for the east coast of the United States. She transited the Panama Canal on 12 September and continued on to New Orleans, where she dropped anchor on the 16th. The ship resumed her voyage on 30 October; arrived at Yorktown, Virginia, on 3 November; and began unloading her ammunition. Four days later, Apollo sailed on to New London. Upon reaching that port on the 8th, the tender took up the task of placing submarines of the New London Group, 16th Fleet, in an inactive status.{{sfn|DANFS|2016}}

=Decommissioning, 1946–1974=

On 16 October 1946, Apollo was placed in commission, in reserve. She was decommissioned on 12 February 1947 and was berthed at New London. On 1 July 1963, her name was struck from the Navy list, and the vessel was transferred to the Maritime Administration for layup in the James River. She was sold to the Union Minerals & Alloys Corporation for scrapping in 1974.{{sfn|DANFS|2016}}