USS ''Accelerate'' (ARS-30) was a

salvage ship A salvage tug, also known historically as a wrecking tug, is a specialized type of tugboat that is used to rescue ships that are in distress or in danger of sinking, or to salvage ships that have already sunk or run aground. Overview Few tugbo ...

in the service of the

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 ...

. It was originally built as the steam-propelled mooring tender ''Toteco'' by Kyle & Purdy, for International Petroleum. Either late in 1929 or early 1930, the vessel was renamed ''Walling''.

Service history

World War II, 1942–1946

After the United States entered

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 ...

, the Navy acquired her at New York City on 2 April 1942, classified her as a salvage vessel, ARS-30, on 11 April 1943, and simultaneously renamed her ''Accelerate''. No conversion was deemed necessary to prepare it for Navy use. Between these last two events, it may have been used privately by the Merritt, Chapman, Scott Co. because the Navy accepted her back from the company on 5 September 1946. Records on the ship's naval career are scarce and in some matters confusing, if not contradictory. It appears that ''Accelerate'' was assigned to the

3rd Naval District United States Naval Districts is a system created by the United States Navy to organize military facilities, numbered sequentially by geographic region, for the operational and administrative control of naval bases and shore commands in the Unit ...

throughout her service in the Navy. It was apparently operated under contract with the Navy by the Merritt, Chapman, and Scott Co. in waters near New York City. Some evidence exists indicating that the salvage vessel was placed in commission on 15 March 1945, but, if so, no logs of its service have been found, and no record of her decommissioning has survived.

Disposal and sale

The Navy declared the vessel surplus in February 1946 and its name was stricken from the

Navy List A Navy Directory, Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a co ...

on 7 February 1947. On 28 August 1947, the ship was transferred to the

War Shipping Administration The War Shipping Administration (WSA) was a World War II emergency war agency of the US government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the United States needed for fighting the war. Both shipbuilding under the Maritime C ...

of the

United States Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 1950. The co ...

for disposal. The ship was sold in 1948 to C. Pateras and G. Glyptis of

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

. Soon renamed ''Marigo'', it served several owners under the Venezuelan flag, bearing the names ''Marigo'' and ''George''. In the late 1970s, it was registered as ''George'' and owned by Maritima Venezolana de Navegacion, S.A.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Accelerate (Ars-30) World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Unique rescue and salvage ships of the United States Navy 1921 ships Ships built in New York (state)