Aircraft repair ship is a naval

auxiliary ship An auxiliary ship is a naval ship designed to support combatant ships and other naval operations. Auxiliary ships are not primary combatant vessels, though they may have some limited combat capacity, usually for purposes of self-defense. Auxili ...

designed to provide

maintenance The technical meaning of maintenance involves functional checks, servicing, repairing or replacing of necessary devices, equipment, machinery, building infrastructure and supporting utilities in industrial, business, and residential installa ...

support to

aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...

. Aircraft repair ships provide similar services to

seaplane tender A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. Some of these vessels, known as seaplane carriers, could not only carry seaplanes but also provided all the facilities needed for their operation; these ships are rega ...

s, that also cared for the crew. Aircraft repair ships had their own stores of spare parts, like a

depot ship A depot ship is an auxiliary ship used as a mobile or fixed base for submarines, destroyers, minesweepers, fast attack craft, landing craft, or other small ships with similarly limited space for maintenance equipment and crew dining, berthing an ...

. Aircraft repair ships had repair personnel and equipment to repair failures or battle damage on aircraft. Aircraft repair ships also did regular

aircraft maintenance Aircraft maintenance is the performance of tasks required to ensure the continuing airworthiness of an aircraft or aircraft part, including overhaul, inspection, replacement, defect rectification, and the embodiment of modifications, compliance ...

.Lenton & Colledge, p.333

United States Navy

After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

two

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

ships were used as Lighter-than-Air Aircraft Tenders for naval

kite balloon A kite balloon is a tethered balloon which is shaped to help make it stable in low and moderate winds and to increase its lift. It typically comprises a streamlined envelope with stabilising features and a harness or yoke connecting it to the mai ...

and

rigid airship A rigid airship is a type of airship (or dirigible) in which the Aerostat, envelope is supported by an internal framework rather than by being kept in shape by the pressure of the lifting gas within the envelope, as in blimps (also called pres ...

support. ** USS ''Wright'' (AZ-1) ** USS ''Patoka'' (AO-9) operated as a lighter-than-air aircraft tender from 1924 to 1933 During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

there was a great demand for aircraft repair ships. The US Navy aircraft repair ship were manned by repair units, called

Carrier Aircraft Service Unit US Navy K-class blimp Carrier Aircraft Service Units (CASU) were United States Navy units formed during World War II for the Pacific War to support naval aircraft operations. From 1942 to 1946, 69 Carrier Aircraft Service Units were formed to ...

s. If needed a Carrier Aircraft Service Unit could be redesignated into a Combat Aircraft Service Unit, Scout Observation Service unit or Patrol Service units. These units could also be land-based or on an aircraft repair ship. *''Chourre'' class ** ** * ''Aventinus'' class aircraft engine repair ships ** USS ''Aventinus'' (ARV(E)-3) ** USS ''Chloris'' (ARV(E)-4) * ''Fabius'' class ** USS ''Fabius'' (ARV(A)-5) ** USS ''Megara'' (ARV(A)-6)

Aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...

s are not aircraft repair ships, but do have aircraft repair shops aboard. Most

carrier-based aircraft A carrier-based aircraft (also known as carrier-capable aircraft, carrier-borne aircraft, carrier aircraft or aeronaval aircraft) is a naval aircraft designed for operations from aircraft carriers. Carrier-based aircraft must be able to launch i ...

repairs are done on the aircraft carriers. During the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

one seaplane tender was converted into a Helicopter Aircraft Repair Ship (ARVH) ** USNS ''Corpus Christi Bay'' (T-ARVH-1)

Seaplane tender

The US Navy operated a fleet of

s used to maintain the many U.S. Navy

seaplane A seaplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft capable of takeoff, taking off and water landing, landing (alighting) on water.Gunston, "The Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary", 2009. Seaplanes are usually divided into two categories based on their tech ...

s. Some seaplane tenders were converted cargo ships. The was the first ship built to be a seaplane tender. Seaplane tender serviced and repaired

s used in forward bases used for long-range patrol. Seaplane tenders were able to do repair and maintenance and had all the supplies needed to operate in remote forward bases for months. Once a land-based forward base was built the seaplane tender could move on to a more forward base. Seaplane tenders acted as

barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...

, supply depots, workshops, air

mechanic A mechanic is a skilled tradesperson who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially engines. Formerly, the term meant any member of the handicraft trades, but by the early 20th century, it had come to mean one who works w ...

and control towers for the planes. The was converted to repair

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

s for the

United States Army

The demand for aircraft repair in the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

in the

Pacific Theatre of Operations The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War or the Pacific Theatre, was the Theater (warfare), theatre of World War II fought between the Empire of Japan and the Allies of World War II, Allies in East Asia, East and Southeast As ...

was so high during World War II, a special program was started called

Operation Ivory Soap Operation Ivory Soap was a classified United States military project to provide forward theatre support for aircraft repair and maintenance during World War II in the Pacific War, Pacific Theatre of Operations. Six Liberty ships were converted int ...

. Operation Ivory Soap objective was to convert six

Liberty ship Liberty ships were a ship class, class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Although British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost cons ...

s into aircraft repair ships, called "Aircraft Repair Units (Floating)". With hundreds of

Boeing B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the Bo ...

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...

aircraft operating in the Pacific the ships were stocked B-29 parts and B-29 trained personnel. In addition to the Liberty ship for the B-29, eighteen smaller auxiliary ships were built for

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft (early on also ''pursuit aircraft'') are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air supremacy, air superiority of the battlespace. Domina ...

support. These eighteen ship were long and designated, Aircraft Maintenance Units. The eighteen ships provided repair and maintenance to smaller aircraft like the

North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by a team headed by James H. Kin ...

Lockheed P-38 The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinc ...

fighters, and

Sikorsky R-4 The Sikorsky R-4 is a two-seat light helicopter that was designed by Igor Sikorsky with a single, three-bladed main rotor and powered by a radial engine. The R-4 was the world's first large-scale mass production, mass-produced helicopter and the ...

helicopters.

Parts

The key to the aircraft repair ships was the supply of parts, keeping ship supply depots stocked with the needed parts. Both the U.S. Navy and the

World War II United States Merchant Navy World War II United States Merchant Navy was the largest civilian Navy in the world, which operated during World War II. With the United States fighting a world war in all the world oceans, the demand for cargo and fuel was very high. Cargo and ...

kept parts flowing from the United States to the aircraft repair ships where they were needed. US Navy operated a fleet of Aviation Stores Issue Ships (AVS) to supply needed parts. During the 1950s the Navy converted 4 ships into Advance Aviation Base Ships ** USS ''Alameda County'' (AVB-1) ** USS ''Tallahatchie County'' (AVB-2) *''Wright''-class: ** ** USNS ''Curtiss'' (T-AVB-4)

Royal Navy

The British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

for the support of its World War II aircraft, built three aircraft maintenance carriers. The first ship was in 1930. The next aircraft repair ships were two ships; and . The Royal Navy also operated a fleet of seaplane carriers.

Gallery

B-29 in flight.jpg,

in flight Wright Cyclone GR 3350 1.jpg,

Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone is an American twin-row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial aircraft engine with 18 cylinders displacing nearly . Power ranged from , depending on model. Developed before World War II, the R-3350's design require ...

B-29 Superfortress engine Consolidated B-24 "Liberator" gets a complete overhaul before flight (00910460 086).jpg,

Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...

overhaul Aviation machinists mates at Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois. Students working on a complex aircraft engine. - NARA - 520923.jpg, Aviation machinists mates working on an aircraft engine USS Curtiss (AV-4) in 1940 (NH 55535).jpg, , an aircraft repair ship PB4Y-1 VPB-110 on patrol over Atlantic September 1944.jpg, US Navy

PB4Y-1 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...

on patrol with

VPB-110 VPB-110 was a Patrol Bombing Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established as Bombing Squadron 110 (VB-110) on 18 July 1943, redesignated Patrol Bombing Squadron 110 (VPB-110) on 1 October 1944 and disestablished on 1 September 1945. ...

unit File:PBY 5A Catalina.jpg,

Consolidated PBY Catalina The Consolidated Model 28, more commonly known as the PBY Catalina (U.S. Navy designation), is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft designed by Consolidated Aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s. In U.S. Army service, it was designated as the OA- ...

PBY-5A VP-61 Aleutians Mar 1943.jpg, PBY-5A with VP-61 unit over the Aleutians in 1943 SOC scoutplane is hoisted on board, during recovery by USS Philadelphia (CL-41).jpg, Scoutplane being hoisted on board File:PBM Marimer VP-47 on hoist.jpg,

Martin PBM Mariner The Martin PBM Mariner is a twin-engine American Maritime patrol aircraft, patrol bomber flying boat of World War II and the early Cold War era. It was designed to complement the Consolidated PBY Catalina and Consolidated PB2Y Coronado, PB2Y C ...

with the

VP-47 Patrol Squadron 47 (VP-47), also known as "The Golden Swordsmen", is a maritime patrol squadron of the United States Navy based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington (USA), attached to Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10. The squadron ...

unit on hoist Hellcats F6F-3, May 1943.jpg, US Navy

Grumman F6F Hellcat The Grumman F6F Hellcat is an American Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based fighter aircraft of World War II. Designed to replace the earlier Grumman F4F Wildcat, F4F Wildcat and to counter the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, it was the United St ...

in 1943 USS Timbalier (AVP-54).jpg, with two

flying boat A flying boat is a type of seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in having a fuselage that is purpose-designed for flotation, while floatplanes rely on fuselage-mounted floats for buoyancy. Though ...

s USS Pine Island AV-12.jpg, , a seaplane tender TBM3 Avenger - Chino Airshow 2014 (14344070442).jpg, US Navy

Grumman TBF Avenger The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) is an American World War II-era torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval a ...

F4U Corsair.jpg,

Vought F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Vought, Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production con ...

Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver warbird in flight.jpg,

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver was a dive bomber developed by Curtiss-Wright during World War II. As a carrier-based bomber with the United States Navy (USN), in Pacific theaters, it supplemented and replaced the Douglas SBD Dauntless. A few su ...

warbird in flight

References

External links

youtube, Gerald Edward Houppert, Aviation Machinist's Mate Second Class, US Navy, World War Twoyoutube, America's WW2 Flying Boat That Came With A Kitchen, Martin PBM Mariner

Operation Ivory Soap

Operation Ivory Soap was a secret, but no beauty secret

146 Cong. Rec. 22129 - OPERATION IVORY SOAP

801st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
{{authority control Ships of the United States Navy Military engineering of the United States Ship types United States naval aviation