USS Arkansas War Diary October 1 1943
Zone description Position + 4
0800/1200/2000
OPERATIONAL REMARKS
(WAR DIARY)
Moored port side to Pier #5 berth 33, Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth,
Virginia with 8 manila and 2 wire lines. The ship is receiving fresh
and flushing water, electricity, telephone and hot loop services from
the dock. #1 boiler is in use for auxiliary purposes, Ships present
are: ALMAACK [1 - scroll down to see list below - Editor], GEN. J. POPE [2], BELKNAP [3], BOLIVAR [4], BLOCK ISLAND [5], COCAPON [6], BOOTH [7], DIRECT [8], CROATAN [9], ELMORE [10], HMS FINDHORN [11], HMS INDOMITABLE [12], ARP-47, ARS 5, DuPAGE [13], USS LEJEUNE [14], USS MAYFLOWER [15], OSPREY [16], RICHELIEU MF [17], SWAY [18], URANUS [19], WAYNE [20], WINDSOR [21], WISTERIA [22], WYOMING [23] and various yard and District Craft. SOPA is in ARKANSAS. 0100 Shore Patrol returned aboard having completed temporary additional duty in Portsmouth, Virginia. 0245 Night shft of yard workmen left the ship.
(signed) J. A. Locke, Jr., Lt. U.S.N.R.
Moored as before. 0545 Commenced jacking main engines. 0615 Lit off
Boilers #2 and #3. 0700 The following navy yard workmen came aboard
to work on Turret II weather strip: Shop ll - 7 shipfitters. 0715
Litted safety valves on No. 2 boiler by hand. 0727 Removed "hot loop"
warning net. 0732 Litted safety valves #3 boiler by hand. Cut #2 and #3 boilers in on main line. 0735 USS COCAFON and USS SWAY stood out. 0745 Disengaged jacking gear. 0747 Disengaged all electricity, fresh water, salt water, and telephone lines dock.
(signed) M.G. Smith, Lt. (jg) USN
Moored as before. 0800 Made all preparations for getting underway.
0827 The pilot, I.L. WALTHAM came aboard. 0830 The following tugs
ot the Wood Tow1ng Company came alongsidez HELEN, ROANOKE, EDNA V. CREW, POCAHONTAS, DAUNTLESS. YT #17 and YT #271 also came alongside. 0843 Underway from Pier #5, Berth # 33, Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Va. for NOB, Nortolk, Virginia, under boilers #1, #2, and #3, with the pilot at the conn, and the Captain, Executive Officer, Navigator, and Officer-of-the-Deck on the bridge. Standard speed is 12 knots (191 RPM). Draft
before getting underway: forward 29'4", aft 31'0". Steaming an various
courses at various speeds to clear the pier and reach the ELIZABETH RIVER
CHANNEL. 0855 All tugs except DAUNTLESS were cast off. 0927 DAUNTLESS was cast off. 0926 With buoy #32 abeam to port, bearing 250º (T), distant 75 yards, entered ELIZABETH RIVER CHANNEL on course 311º (T&G) 319º (psc) at two-thirds speed (132 RPM). 0959 With LAMBERT PT. LT. abeam to port bearing 221º (T), distant 500 yards, changed course to 353º (T&G) 001°(psc). 1016 Tug DAUNTLESS came alongside on starboard bow. 1055 Passed COWANESQUE (24) close aboard to port standing up ELIZABETH RIVER. 1100 Commenced using various courses and speeds to reach Pier #7, NOB. 1105 Two Navy tugs came alongside to starboard. 1119 Moored port side to south side Pier #7, berth #76, NOB, NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, with 8 manila and 2 wire lines . Ships present: WILLIAMSBURG (SOPA) (25), ALCOR, BUCKLEY, BLACK, CABANA, CANFIELD, DIONNE, LEEDSTOWN , CORE, BETELGUESE, WORTHINOTON, COSSATOT, GENERAL PUTNAM , MATAGORDA, ANTAEUS, H.M.S. EASTWAY,
LUCE, HALL, STEMBEL, PASQUOTANK, D.L. HOWARD, LOY, RAVEN, STANSBURY, HAMILTON, H.M.S. LEAMINGTON, PHEASANT . 1128 The pilot left the ship and tugs were cast off. 1130 Secured main, stearing, and anchor engines, end let fires die out under boilers #2 and #3. #1 boiler is in use.
(signed) F. G. Richards, Captain, U.S. Navy - Commanding Officer
(signed) D. P,. Stickley, comdr., U.S. Navy - Navigator
Ships listed in the report:
1. USS Almaack (AKA-10) attack cargo ship. The name Almaack refers to a star system in the constellation of Andromeda.
2. USS General John Pope (AP-110) World War II troop transport, also served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
3. USS Belknap (DD-251/AVD-8/DD-251/APD-34) was a Clemson-class destroyer named for Rear Admiral George Eugene Belknap (January 22, 1832 – 7 April 1903).
4. USS Bolivar (APA-34), a Bayfield-class attack transport.
5. USS Block Island (CVE-21/AVG-21/ACV-21), a Bogue-class escort carrier.
6. USS Cacapon (AO-52) was a T3 Cimarron-class fleet oiler.
7. USS Booth (DE-170), a Cannon-class destroyer escort named for Ensign Robert Sinclair Booth, who died aboard the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.
8. USS Direct (AM-90) an Adroit-class minesweeper.
9. USS Croatan (CVE-25), was a WWII escort carrier.
10. USS Elmore (APA-42), a Bayfield-class attack transport.
11. HMS Findhorn (K 301) was a Royal Navy River class Frigate.
12. HMS Indomitable (92) was a modified Illustrious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy operating 48 aircraft.
13. USS DuPage (AP-86/APA-41), a Bayfield-class attack transport.
14. USS Lejeune (AP-74) was originally a German cargo liner. It was converted to a US Navy troop transport. Her original name was TS Windhuk ("Turbine Ship" Windhuk).
15. USS Mayflower started as a luxury yacht in 1897, was converted to USS Mayflower (PY-1) and served as a presidential yacht for five United States presidents. Later recommissioned as the USCGC Mayflower (WPG-183) serving during World War II and then later sold to work as a merchant ship, then became the INS Maoz (K 24) for the Israeli navy. The ship served in the Spanish–American War, World War I and World War II.
16. USS Osprey (AM–56), was a Raven-class minesweeper.
17. The Richelieu was a French fast battleship, completed just as WWII began, was damaged by British ships before joining the Free French Fleet, repaired in the United States and then joined the British Home Fleet.
18. USS Sway (AM-120) was an Auk-class minesweeper.
19. USS Uranus (AF-14) was a Uranus-class stores ship .
20. USS Wayne (APA-54) was a Sumter-class attack transport.
21. USS Windsor (APA-55) was an attack transport.
22. USAHS Wisteria was a Hospital Ship.
23. USS Wyoming (BB-32) was the lead ship of the Wyoming dreadnought battleship class and was the sister ship of the USS Arkansas.
24. USS Cowanesque (AO-79) was a Type T2-SE-A1 Suamico-class fleet oiler.
25. USS Williamsburg was a US Navy gunboat. Built as a private yacht, it also served as a presidential yacht from 1945 to 1953.
