USS Argonne (AS-10)
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USS ''Argonne'' (AP-4/AS-10/AG-31) was a Design 1024
cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's List of seas, seas and Ocean, oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. ...
built under
United States Shipping Board The United States Shipping Board (USSB) was a corporation established as an emergency agency by the 1916 Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729), on September 7, 1916. The United States Shipping Board's task was to increase the number of US ships supporting ...
contract by the International Shipbuilding Corp., Hog Island, Pennsylvania, for the
United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, als ...
. Named ''Argonne'' for the U.S. Army's Meuse-Argonne campaign in
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 ...
, she was completed in 1920, delivered to the War Department in December 1920, laid up in February 1921, and loaned to the
Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
on 3 November 1921. Accepted preliminarily by the Navy on that date, she was commissioned as ''Argonne'' on 8 November 1921 at the
Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy shipyard and was historically important for nearly two centuries. Construction of the original Philadelphia Naval Shipyard began during the American Revolution in 1776 at Front ...
. The ship was permanently transferred to the Navy 6 August 1924 by Executive Order.


Operational history

''Argonne'' was delivered to the War Department assigned to the U.S. Army Transport Service in the early part of 1921 and quickly laid up at Philadelphia in February. The ship was loaned to the Navy on 3 November 1921, commissioned on 8 November as USS ''Argonne''. On 16 November 1921, the ship was classified as a transport, AP-4. Departing
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
on 24 November 1921 with military and civilian passengers, as well as a senatorial party, ''Argonne''s maiden voyage and shakedown took the ship to
Port-au-Prince, Haiti Port-au-Prince ( ; ; , ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2022 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is defined by the IHSI ...
; St. Thomas, Virgin Islands;
Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce ( , , ) is a city and a Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The most populated city outside the San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce was founded on August 12, 1692Some publ ...
; and Santo Domingo City, Dominican Republic; before she put into
Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...
on 22 December. Subsequently, returning to Philadelphia for post-shakedown availability, ''Argonne'' proceeded to the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...
via
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, and after a stop at
Mare Island Mare Island (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Isla de la Yegua'') is a peninsula in the United States in the city of Vallejo, California, about northeast of San Francisco. The Napa River forms its eastern side as it enters the Carquinez Strait junc ...
continued across the Pacific to
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, in the
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, on her first voyage to that part of the globe.


1922–1929

On 7 April 1922, Commander (later Fleet Admiral)
Chester W. Nimitz Chester William Nimitz (; 24 February 1885 – 20 February 1966) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in Chief, ...
, along with his wife and three children, embarked on board ''Argonne'' at
Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...
for passage to the east coast of the United States. Nimitz was on his way to
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, to study at the
Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...
. The ship proceeded via Mare Island, where she underwent an overhaul period. Following that was a transit through the Panama Canal, Santo Domingo and Hampton Roads, bringing her voyage to a close on 21 June 1922. Over the next two years, ''Argonne'' operated with the
Naval Transportation Service The Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all U ...
on the through service between New York and
Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
. Along with the transport , ''Argonne'' provided this important service to the fleet. During this time, she ranged from San Francisco to
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and into the
Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea, also known as the North Sea, is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. Names It is one of four ...
, voyaging as far as Chefoo, China. Selected for conversion to a
submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
tender and classified as AS-10 on 1 July 1924, ''Argonne'' was permanently transferred to Navy ownership under terms of the executive order dated 6 August 1924, and arrived at the
Mare Island Navy Yard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY or MINS) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean and was in service 142 years from 1854 to 1996. It is located on Mare Island, northeast of San Francisco, in Vallejo, Califor ...
on 2 September 1924. From September 1924 to March 1926, ''Argonne'' lay at Mare Island in reduced commission, undergoing her transformation from transport to tender. Major alternations to the ship included the installation of a turbo-generator plant, a compressed-air plant, a machine shop and a low-pressure distilling plant. Placed in full commission on 25 March 1926, ''Argonne'' was assigned to the newly formed Submarine Division (SubDiv) 20, which consisted, at that time, of the "V-boats": ''V-1''; ''V-2''; and ''V-3''. She sailed on 19 May to take up her duties. From 19 May to 5 June, ''Argonne'' operated from the west coast ports of
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, San Pedro and
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, before she sailed to transit the Panama Canal for operations in the Atlantic. Owing to disorders in
Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
, and fears that excesses of violence from the feuding factions might endanger American lives and property, expeditionary forces of marines were sent to reinforce the sailors and marines already landed from ships of the
Special Service Squadron The Special Service Squadron was a component of the United States Navy during the earlier part of the 20th century. The squadron patrolled the Caribbean Sea as an instrument of gunboat diplomacy. It was headquartered in Balboa, Panama Canal Zone. ...
. ''Argonne'' participated in one of the early lifts, transporting the second Battalion, 5th Regiment – which had been encamped at
Guantánamo Bay Guantánamo Bay (, ) is a bay in Guantánamo Province at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the largest harbor on the south side of the island and it is surrounded by steep hills which create an enclave that is cut off from its immediate hint ...
undergoing six months of training—from Guantanamo to
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, between 7 and 10 January 1927. Maintaining the necessary neutral zones on the east coast for eight days, the battalion left one company at
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before proceeding on, in ''Argonne'', through the Panama Canal to the port of Corinto, on the west coast of Nicaragua. There, she disembarked the rest of the battalion on 24 January to maintain the neutral zones between that port and the capital city of
Managua Managua () is the capital city, capital and largest city of Nicaragua, and one of the List of largest cities in Central America, largest cities in Central America. Located on the shores of Lake Managua, the city had an estimated population of 1, ...
, before returning thence into the Caribbean to resume tending operations with SubDiv 20. During March ''Argonne'' provided tender services to ships engaged in Fleet Problem VII, in a large-scale exercise that pitted the combined Battle Fleet, Base Force and fleet submarines against the combined Scouting Fleet, Control Force and Train Squadron 1. She rejoined the Special Service Squadron at the end of that month, however, to resume her transportation duties to Nicaraguan ports. On 1 July 1927, ''Argonne'' became part of the Control Force, with which she carried out her previous duties with the Special Service Squadron, until being transferred with SubDiv 20 to the Battle Fleet, on 19 November. She operated with the fleet on the Pacific Coast, principally at San Diego, San Pedro, or Mare Island, until she sailed for Hawaiian waters on 18 April 1928, to take part in Fleet Problem VIII, an exercise that pitted light cruisers and a detachment of ships from Pearl Harbor ("Orange") against the Battle Fleet and the Train ("Blue"). Reaching Pearl Harbor on the 28th, she then based at
Lahaina Lahaina (; ) or Lāhainā is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. On the northwest coast of the island of Maui, it encompasses Lahaina town and the Kaanapali, Hawaii, Kaanapali and Kapalua, Hawaii, Kapalua beac ...
, and carried out tactical exercises with the fleet, ultimately returning to Mare Island for her annual overhaul on 29 June. Resuming her active service with the Battle Fleet in the San Diego-San Pedro area from 18 August 1928, she operated there until 15 January 1929 when she sailed for Balboa, to take part in Fleet Problem IX, with all available units of the Battle Fleet and Train Squadron Two – these in the main opposed by the Scouting Fleet and the Control Force and the defense forces of the 15th Naval District and Army units. Arriving at Balboa on 29 January, the assembled fleet conducted its concentration based on Panama Bay before setting course back to San Diego on 11 March, and ultimately arriving back in their usual operating areas on the 22d. Over the next eleven months, ''Argonne'' provided support services at San Diego with SubDivs 11 and 20, as the ships conducted speed and endurance tests, as well as
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...
and sound exercises. During this period, on 15 June 1929, Capt. Chester W. Nimitz, who had been a passenger on board the ship seven years before, became her commanding officer. His concurrent billet was that of Commander, SubDiv 20, his broad pennant in ''Argonne''.


1930–1939

After overhaul at Mare Island, ''Argonne'' tended SubDivs 11 and 20 at San Diego from 11 December 1929 to 15 February 1930 before sailing for Panama on the latter date in company with Destroyer Squadrons, Battle Fleet, for the annual fleet concentration and the year's culmination of training, Fleet Problem X and XI. Each force was augmented to match them more evenly, pitting the Scouting Fleet against the Battle Fleet. Following the exercises in the Caribbean, ''Argonne'' accompanied the fleet as it moved up to
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, arriving there on 7 May 1930. She operated with the fleet at New York, Newport, and Hampton Roads until 26 May, when she then set course for Panama and back to San Diego, arriving at the latter port on 19 June. She continued her tender operations from there until 1 December. During that time, she was transferred to the Control Force, Battle Fleet, on 6 November, on which date she was also transferred from SubDiv 20. Capt. Nimitz shifted his command pennant to on 5 November, that ship becoming flagship for SubDiv 20. ''Argonne'' accompanied SubDivs 11 and 19 from San Diego on 1 December 1930, and engaged in maneuvers en route to Pearl Harbor, before she returned immediately to San Diego two days before Christmas with SubDivs 9 and 14. On 6 January 1931, ''Argonne'' became flagship for Commander, Fleet Base Force, and steamed from San Pedro that day, to take part in Fleet Problem XII – an evolution opposing the Battle Fleet to the Scouting Fleet, the latter augmented by the rigid airship . Returning to San Pedro on 4 April, she then conducted operations off the west coast, fleet and tactical maneuvers, until she departed San Pedro with the Battle Force on 23 January 1932 for Hawaiian waters. At Pearl Harbor and
Lahaina Roads Lahaina Roads, also called the Lahaina Roadstead, is an anchorage in the ʻAuʻau Channel lying off the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in the Hawaiian archipelago and U.S. state of Hawaii. It lies in the lee of the West Maui Mountains, ...
, ''Argonne'' took part in exercises and provided tender support for the fleet as it carried out Fleet Problem XIII between the west coast of the United States and the Hawaiian Island; with the Battle Force once more set against the Scouting Force. Returning to San Pedro on 21 March 1932, she spent the next eleven months providing tender support services and operated with the fleet at San Pedro, San Francisco, and San Pablo, until 8 March 1933. ''Argonne'' sailed from San Pedro on that date, one day after Comdr. Harry A. Badt relieved Comdr. C. R. Hyatt as ''Argonne's'' commanding officer and as commanding officer of the
Aleutian Islands The Aleutian Islands ( ; ; , "land of the Aleuts"; possibly from the Chukchi language, Chukchi ''aliat'', or "island")—also called the Aleut Islands, Aleutic Islands, or, before Alaska Purchase, 1867, the Catherine Archipelago—are a chain ...
Surveying Expedition. Reaching the
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Navy Yard on 13 March, ''Argonne'' was drydocked, received stores and equipment, fuel oil and gasoline, and ultimately sailed for
Dutch Harbor Dutch Harbor is a harbor on Amaknak Island in Unalaska, Alaska. It was the location of the Battle of Dutch Harbor in June, 1942 when the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked it just seven months after the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. To this day, ...
on 6 April. Proceeding thence to Bay of Islands, Adak, the ship surveyed those waters between 10 and 28 April before she proceeded back to Dutch Harbor with in tow. ''Argonne'' remained at Dutch Harbor from 1 to 18 May, contacting at that port for fuel oil and provisions, but also awaiting better weather in which to conduct her surveys. Finally departing Dutch Harbor on 18 May, the ship returned to the survey area – the waters off Adak, in the western
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– on the 20th, remaining in the area for eight days before returning to Dutch Harbor for fuel oil and gasoline. She completed her survey work off Adak from 3 to 16 August before she sailed for Mare Island, and an overhaul, on 25 August. ''Argonne'', during her time in northern waters, also assisted the Bering Sea Aerological Expedition, with weather surveys and analyses necessary for radio stations of Washington and Alaska. Remaining as flagship for the Base Force, ''Argonne'' provided tender services at San Pedro from 4 October 1933 to 9 April 1934; she then sailed south with the fleet, and supported its operations in Fleet Problem XV, the big war games which again pitted Battle Force against an augmented Scouting Force. In the course of her operations, the ship operated at Balboa, Colon, Culebra, Ponce,
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and
Guantánamo Bay Guantánamo Bay (, ) is a bay in Guantánamo Province at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the largest harbor on the south side of the island and it is surrounded by steep hills which create an enclave that is cut off from its immediate hint ...
. She then steamed north with the fleet as it called at New York City, arriving on 2 June to be reviewed by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
. She subsequently provided tender services out of New London and Newport before she proceeded to
Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( ; ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Haiti, most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2022 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The me ...
to participate in the withdrawal of the 1st Marine Brigade from
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
on 15 August 1934. "Impressive ceremonies on shore amidst most friendly feelings displayed by the populace" accompanied the departure of the marines, whose duties as peacekeepers had been taken over by the fully Haitianized Garde d'Haiti. Other ships involved in the lift included , , and . Following leave and liberty at Hampton Roads and at New Orleans, ''Argonne'' joined the fleet, transited the Panama Canal, and ultimately arrived at San Pedro on 9 November 1934. As Base Force flagship, she provided tender and repair services for minesweepers, tugs, and harbor craft, while maintaining the only major photographic laboratory for photo-triangulation of fleet gunnery exercises. Over the next seven years she operated principally out of San Pedro, but followed the fleet to the waters of
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
or
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to carry out her vital support duty. On 25 July 1940, her classification was changed from submarine tender to "auxiliary, miscellaneous", and she was given the hull number AG-31. Eventually, with the movement of the Fleet to Hawaiian waters over the winter of 1939 and spring of 1940, commencing with the establishment of the Hawaiian Detachment in October 1939 and the permanent retention of the fleet in Hawaiian waters upon the conclusion of Fleet Problem XXI in April 1940, the needs for auxiliaries such as ''Argonne'' resulted in a change of scene for that ship. In August 1941, she was shifted from San Pedro to Pearl Harbor.


World War II


Pearl Harbor

On the morning of 7 December 1941, ''Argonne'' – flagship for Rear Admiral William L. Calhoun, Commander, Base Force, Pacific Fleet – was berthed in the first repair slip at the north end of 1010 dock, with the minesweeper alongside, when aircraft from six Japanese carriers struck the Pacific Fleet as it lay at Pearl Harbor, and neutralized surrounding air and military installations. The ship manned her antiaircraft battery – 3-inch guns and .50-caliber machine guns – and commenced fire about 07:58, shortly after the raid began. ''Argonne''s crew, wrote Comdr. F. W. O'Connor, the ship's commanding officer, "performed their duties in accordance with the best traditions of the service", helping to get wounded men from damaged ships, recovering bodies from the water, and "assisting with repair facilities to full capacity." Early in the raid, Corporal Alfred Schlag, USMC, from the ship's marine detachment, manning a .50-caliber machine gun, claimed shooting down an enemy plane as it flew over 1010 dock and turned toward Ford Island. A member of ''Argonne''s crew was attacked before his ship was; Motor Machinist's Mate 2d Class M. F. Poston was taking flying lessons. Returning from Haleiwa to the KT Flying Service field, flying a light training plane, Poston and Bob Tice, the latter the owner of the flying service (who was flying an accompanying plane) were both attacked by Japanese planes which shot them down. The one attacking Poston's light sport plane shot away the propeller and engine, forcing the ''Argonne'' sailor to take to his parachute. That evening, six fighters from the carrier , sent to land at the Naval Air Station at Pearl Harbor after accompanying a strike group looking for the carriers from which the Japanese raid had been launched, arrived over Pearl. Tragically, before the planes' friendly character could be established, understandably jittery gunners shot down four of the six planes; three pilots were killed. One .50-caliber bullet fired from the direction of
Ford Island Ford Island () is an islet in the center of Pearl Harbor, Oahu, in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It has been known as Rabbit Island, Marín's Island, and Little Goats Island; its native Hawaiian name is ''Mokuumeume''. The island had an area of ...
penetrated ''Argonne''s port side, killing Seaman Second Class Pallas F. Brown and wounding Seaman 1st Class Leonard A. Price. Both men had survived the loss of their ship, , earlier that morning. ''Argonne'' remained at Pearl Harbor into the spring, serving as flagship for the Base Force until Rear Admiral Calhoun moved his flag ashore, to a headquarters at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. That spring, the troopship ''President Taylor'', while on a voyage to
Canton Island Canton Island (also known as Kanton or Abariringa), previously known as Mary Island, Mary Balcout's Island or Swallow Island, is the largest, northernmost, and , the sole inhabited island of the Phoenix Islands, in the Republic of Kiribati. It i ...
, ran aground there. After loading salvage equipment, light trucks, medical supplies and ammunition, ''Argonne'' stood out of Pearl Harbor on 6 April 1942 for Canton, escorted by the fast minelayer , and arrived at her destination on 12 April. She soon sent a salvage party and equipment to attempt salvage of the grounded troopship. Accompanied by Breese and the fleet tug , ''Argonne'' cleared Canton on 5 May for Pearl Harbor, and arrived on the 11th. She remained there until 10 July, when, with general cargo on board, she sailed on her second voyage to Canton Island, accompanied this time by and , and arrived at her destination on the 16th, unloading cargo the same day. Sailing on the 17th, ''Argonne'' put into
Suva Suva (, ) is the Capital city, capital and the most populous city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rew ...
Harbor,
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, on the 21st, to unload cargo, and then, two days later, set course for Nouméa, New Caledonia, in company with Hovey, arriving on 27 July 1942.


Flagship

On the morning of 1 August 1942, Vice Admiral Robert Lee Ghormley broke his flag on board ''Argonne'', having shifted his headquarters from
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, New Zealand, as Commander, South Pacific Force and South Pacific Area.
Operation Watchtower The Guadalcanal campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by the United States, was an Allies of World War II, Allied offensive against forces of the Empire of Japan in the Solomon Islands during th ...
, the invasion of
Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...
, began six days later, on 7 August. The direction of the course of the operation, however, appeared to require an infusion of new blood and a more aggressive commander. This soon came, in the form of Vice Admiral
William F. Halsey William Frederick "Bull" Halsey Jr. (30 October 1882 – 16 August 1959) was an American Navy admiral during World War II. He is one of four officers to have attained the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the United States Navy, the others be ...
, Jr., who arrived at Nouméa on 18 October 1942 and was informed, upon arrival, that he was to relieve Vice Admiral Ghormley. Halsey assumed command on board ''Argonne'' the same day. Two days later, too early in this billet to journey to Guadalcanal to get a personal look at the situation there, Halsey convened a conference on board ''Argonne'' at Nouméa; among those present were Rear Admiral
Richmond K. Turner Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (May 27, 1885 – February 12, 1961), commonly known as Kelly Turner, was an admiral of the United States Navy during the Second World War, where he commanded the Amphibious Force in the Pacific theater. Turner w ...
, commanding the Amphibious Forces, Pacific, and Major General
Alexander A. Vandegrift Alexander Archer Vandegrift (March 13, 1887 – May 8, 1973) was a United States Marine Corps highly decorated four-star general, Medal of Honor recipient, and a Commandant of the Marine Corps. During World War II, he commanded the 1st Marine Div ...
, Commanding the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal. Also present were Lieutenant General
Thomas Holcomb General (United States), General Thomas Holcomb (August 5, 1879 – May 24, 1965) was a United States Marine Corps officer who served as the seventeenth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1936 to 19 ...
, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, who by happenstance was in Nouméa on an inspection tour of the area, and Army Major Generals Alexander M. Patch and Millard F. Harmon. After a lengthy discussion of the situation on Guadalcanal, Halsey asked those present if the Americans should evacuate or hold; when told by Vandegrift that he would hold – if he got more support – Halsey told the 1st Marine Division's commander, "All right. Go on back. I'll promise you everything I've got." Guadalcanal would be held. Halsey exercised command of the theater from ''Argonne'' until he shifted his flag ashore, the ship proving "hopelessly inadequate" for the increase in the number of people required on the staff. ''Argonne'' was not only overcrowded, but possessed no air conditioning system.


New Zealand and Solomons

''Argonne'' remained at Nouméa until 16 June 1943, when she sailed for
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
, arriving at that port on 21 June. She proceeded thence on 27 July for
Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. Geography The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region ...
, in the
New Hebrides New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium () and named after the Hebrides in Scotland, was the colonial name for the island group in the South Pacific Ocean that is now Vanuatu. Native people had inhabited the islands for three th ...
, and arrived there, accompanied by , on 11 August. After embarking men from
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 ...
(CASU) 14, ''Argonne'' sailed for the Solomons the same day (11 August), reaching
Purvis Bay Purvis Bay is located in the Nggela Islands, part of the Solomon Islands. Purvis Bay is the sheltered area to the south of the island Nggela Sule (referred to as Florida Island during World War II), including and trending southeast from the neighbo ...
, off
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, on the 13th. While moored at Purvis Bay, the ship conducted repairs to the destroyer , which had been damaged in an engagement with Japanese destroyers off
Vella LaVella Vella Lavella is an island in the Western Province (Solomon Islands), Western Province of Solomon Islands. It lies to the west of New Georgia, but is considered one of the New Georgia Islands, New Georgia Group. To its west are the Treasury Isla ...
on the night of 6 October. Sailing from Purvis Bay on 1 November 1943 in company with and escorted by the
Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; ) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of eight ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser , whi ...
corvette , ''Argonne'' arrived at Tillotson Cove,
Russell Islands :''See also Russell Island (disambiguation).'' The Russell Islands are two small islands ( Pavuvu and Mbanika), as well as several islets, of volcanic origin, in the Central Province of Solomon Islands. They are located approximately northwe ...
, the same day. The ship remained in the Russells, carrying out repair and salvage work, until 27 April 1944, when she stood put for
Majuro Atoll Majuro (; Marshallese: ' ) is the capital and largest city of the Marshall Islands. It is also a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It forms a legislative district of the Ratak (Sunrise) Chain of the Marshall Islands. The at ...
in the
Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micronesia region of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The territory consists of 29 c ...
.


Admiralty Islands

Assigned to Service Squadron (ServRon) 10, ''Argonne'' provided vital service to the fleet at Majuro until 21 August, when she sailed for Manus, in the
Admiralty Islands The Admiralty Islands are an archipelago group of 40 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-cov ...
, a base for the operation to secure the Western Carolines. On board ''Argonne'' was Capt. S. B. Ogden, designated as Representative "A" of Commander, ServRon 10, who established his mobile base at
Seeadler Harbor Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II. In German, "Seeadler" means sea eagle, pointing to German New Guinea, German colonial activi ...
upon arrival at Manus on 27 August. From on board ''Argonne'', Capt. Ogden administered the activities of the ServRon 10 detachment as it rendered key logistics support. At 0850, local time, on 10 November 1944, ''Argonne'' lay moored to a buoy in berth 14, Seeadler Harbor, when the ammunition ship blew up, away. "At the time of the explosion", wrote ''Argonnes captain, Comdr. T. H. Escott, "I was standing outside my cabin ... in conversation with the executive officer. By the time we had recovered our stance from the force of the explosion, and faced outboard, the area in the vicinity of berth 380 (where ''Mount Hood'' had lain moored) was completely shrouded in a pall of dense black smoke. It was not possible to see anything worth reporting. A second or so thereafter, fragments of steel and shrapnel began falling on and around this ship." Some 221 pieces of debris, ranging in size from , were recovered on board, totaling . Several other pieces caromed off ''Argonne''s port side into the water alongside, and others landed on ''YF-681'' and ''YO-77'', the latter alongside delivering fuel oil at the time. The repair ship , suffered heavily, moored in a berth between the disintegrating ammunition ship and ''Argonne''. ''Argonne'' suffered casualties as well as the destruction of a searchlight, five transmitting antennas broken away, and steam, fresh-water and salt-water lines ruptured, as well as extensive damage from concussion.


Kossol Passage

After repairs and a resumption of work at Manus, ''Argonne'' sailed for Kossol Passage, in the
Palau Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands ...
s, arriving there on 15 December 1944. While anchored in berth 74, Kossol Roads, the ship again suffered damage at the hands of friendly ships. lay alongside to the port side, aft; and to the port side, forward. An LCVP, attempting to tie up alongside the subchaser, accidentally fouled its ramp in the depth charge rack of ''SC-702'', wrenching loose a 300-pound depth charge. The explosion of the sinking charge lifted ''Argonne'' bodily "several inches", and jarred two additional charges loose from ''SC-702''s track—which, fortunately, did not explode. Damage to ''Argonne'' was confined mostly to the forward portion of the ship, in the print shop, radio-repair shop, and galleys and pantries, as loose gear came crashing to the deck. After again repairing her own damage, the ship resumed her important service to the fleet, and remained in the Palaus until she sailed for the
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
on 11 February 1945 to take up support operations for the Okinawa campaign, basing on
Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...
. Arriving at her new base of operations on 15 February, ''Argonne'' operated out of Leyte into June. She weighed anchor on the 14th of that month and sailed for the Marshalls on that date. ''Argonne'' remained in the western Pacific through the end of hostilities with Japan in August 1945, and briefly served with the occupation forces in Japanese waters before returning to the United States.


Postwar

Ultimately returning to the United States after a brief stint with the
Naval Transportation Service The Military Sealift Command (MSC) is an organization that controls the replenishment and military transport ships of the United States Navy. Military Sealift Command has the responsibility for providing sealift and ocean transportation for all U ...
on
Operation Magic Carpet Operation Magic Carpet was the post–World War II operation by the U.S. War Shipping Administration (WSA) to repatriate over eight million American military personnel from the European (ETO), Pacific, and Asian theaters. Hundreds of Libert ...
service after the war, ''Argonne'' was decommissioned at
Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY or MINS) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean and was in service 142 years from 1854 to 1996. It is located on Mare Island, northeast of San Francisco, in Vallejo, Califor ...
on 15 July 1946. Deemed not essential to the United States, she was transferred to 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 ...
on 31 July 1946. ''Argonne'' was struck from the
Naval Vessel Register The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...
on 28 August 1946. Ultimately, the ship was sold to the Boston Metals Corp. on 14 August 1950, and was broken up for scrap.


Honors and awards

* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one
battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or service period. T ...
*
World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal was a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. Histo ...
*
Navy Occupation Service Medal The Navy Occupation Service Medal was a military award of the United States Navy which was "Awarded to commemorate the services of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel in the occupation of certain territories of the enemies of the United St ...
with Asia Clasp ''Argonne'' (AG-31) was awarded one
battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or service period. T ...
for her World War II service, for her service during the
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Empire of Japan on the United States Pacific Fleet at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, its naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu, Territory of ...
.


References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Argonne (AG-10) Hog Islanders Design 1024 ships 1920 ships Ships of the United States Army Design 1024 ships of the United States Navy Submarine tenders of the United States Navy World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Ships present during the attack on Pearl Harbor Maritime incidents in November 1944