The Benewah-class barracks ship was a class of barracks ships of the United States Navy after the Second World War, in the late 1940s.
Development Thirteen ships were converted into repair ships throughout the later stages of World War II. The ships were converted from the LST-1 and LST-542 classes. After the war, a few ships were then sold to the Philippines and Indonesia.
The ship's hulls remained nearly the same but with new equipment to carry out their purpose were placed on deck alongside several cranes. The ships' armament was slightly changed and relocated to make way for the ships' equipment. All ships served in the Pacific Theater until the end of the war with no ships lost in combat.
APL-40 (ex-USS Nueces) is still active, serving as a transport and berthing vessel for the United States Navy in Yokosuka. APL-39 (ex-USS Mercer) also now berthed in Sasebo.
Ships of class Benewah-class repair shipPennant numberNameCallsignBuildersLaunchedCommissionedDecommissionedFateAPB-35BenewahNUIXBoston Navy Yard6 May 19459 March 194626 February 1971Sold to Philippines and renamed RPS Tulungan (AH-3), sunk as artificial reef in 1975APB-36ColletonNUIN30 July 194528 January 196715 December 1969Scrapped on 6 January 1973 APB-37EcholsNUIZ30 July 1945n/aSold to Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS), in active service since mid-2000sAPB-38Marlboro -17 November 194418 August 19455 May 1947ScrappedAPB-39MercerNUIQ17 November 194419 September 19457 January 1970Part of the CincPacFlt Berthing and Messing Program and is berthed at Sasebo, JapanAPB-40NuecesNUIR6 May 194530 November 194513 March 1970Part of the CincPacFlt Berthing and Messing Program and is berthed at Yokosuka, JapanAPB-41WytheNEWWMissouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.9 June 194430 June 194429 May 1947Scrapped on 10 September 1959APB-42YavapaiNFKTAmerican Bridge & Machine Co.6 June 194430 June 19443 December 1946Scrapped on 11 September 1959APB-43YoloNFLE16 June 19443 July 19449 August 1946Scrapped on 6 February 1960APB-44Presque IsleNFLK16 June 194419 July 194418 April 1947Sold to Indonesia and renamed KRI Teluk Ratai (LST-509), decommissioned and laid upAPB-45BlackfordNBCKMissouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co.9 April 19459 June 194526 April 1947Sold to merchant service, sunk as artificial reef between 1968 and 1970APB-46DorchesterNBCY12 April 194515 June 194516 October 1946Sold to merchant service, in active service since 1 August 1974APB-47KingmanNBDB17 April 194517 April 194515 January 1947Scrapped on 19 November 1980APB-48VanderburghNBFT20 April 19453 July 194517 January 1947Scrapped on 12 November 1972APB-49AccomacNFRRJeffersonville Boat & Machine Co.28 June 194424 July 19449 August 1946Scrapped on 7 December 1959APB-50CameronNKBBBethlehem Hingham Shipyard5 July 194430 July 194413 December 1946Sold to merchant service, fate unknown
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