USS Gordius (ARL-36)

USS Gordius (ARL-36) was one of 39 Achelous-class landing craft repair ships built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named for Gordius (in mythology, first king of Phrygia), she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

History
United States
Name:	LST-1145
Builder:	Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, Seneca, Illinois
Laid down:	5 February 1945
Launched:	7 May 1945
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Helen H. Davis
Commissioned:	18 May 1945
Decommissioned:	11 June 1945
Refit:	converted to landing craft repair ship, Bethlehem Steel, Baltimore, June–September 1945
Renamed:	USS Gordius (ARL-36)
Recommissioned:	14 September 1945
Decommissioned:	21 December 1955
Stricken:	1 February 1961
Fate:	Transferred to Iran, 7 September 1968
History
Iran
Name:	IIS Sohrab
Namesake:	Sohrab
Acquired:	7 September 1968
Fate:	Sunk as target, 1974
General characteristics
Class and type:	Achelous class repair ship
Displacement:	2,220 long tons (2,256 t) light 4,100 long tons (4,166 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 (14 mph; 22 km/h)
Complement:	253 officers and enlisted men
Armament:	2 × quad 40 mm guns (Mark 51 director) 2 × twin 40 mm guns (Mark 51 director) 6 × twin 20 mm guns

Originally planned as LST-1145, was redesignated ARL-36 and named Gordius 27 October 1944 while building at Chicago Bridge & Iron Works, Seneca, Illinois. She was launched 7 May 1945 and sponsored by Mrs. Helen H. Davis. Placed in reduced commission 18 May 1945, the ship steamed to Baltimore, Maryland where she decommissioned 11 June. She was then converted to a landing craft repair vessel at the Key Shipyard, Bethlehem Steel Company. Gordius was placed in full commission 14 September 1945 at Baltimore, with Lieutenant Roy L. Guy, commanding.

Service history

Operating out of Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Virginia Gordius took up a regular schedule of exercises in Chesapeake Bay, and along the Virginia-North Carolina coast, supporting the myriad landing craft during amphibious operations. She also participated in winter maneuvers in the Caribbean. The ship occasionally sailed to the north Atlantic, taking part in training exercises off NS Argentia, Newfoundland, and Labrador in 1948 and 1949. Gordius also was a member of the annual resupply convoy to Thule, Greenland (11 June–27 August 1952), drawing special praise for her repair of LST-938 during adverse weather on the operation.

Gordius continued her work in support of amphibious training until steaming into Green Cove Springs, Florida 10 November 1955. She decommissioned 21 December 1955 and was placed in reserve.

Taken out of reserve in early 1968, she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register 1 February and loaned to Iran under the Military Assistance Program 7 September 1961, where she served as IIS Sohrab (ARL-11). She was sunk as a target in 1974.[1]

References

1. Silverstone, Paul H. (1977), "Naval Intelligence", Warship International, International Naval Research Organization, 14 (3): 197, JSTOR 44888102

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• "LST-1145 / ARL-36 Gordius". Amphibious Photo Archive. Retrieved May 6, 2007.