From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

To rescue or set free.

(ARS - 23: dp. 1,441; l 213'6"; b. 39'; dr. 14'8"; s. 15 k.; cpl. 120; a. 2 40 mm.; cl. Diver)

Deliver (ARS-23) was launched 25-September 1943 by Basalt Rock Co., Inc., Napa, Calif.; sponsored by Mrs. W. W. Anderson, Jr.; and commissioned 18 July 1944, Lieutenant Commander S. M. Holst, USNR, in command.

Deliver arrived at Pearl Harbor 26 September 1944 for duty in the Hawaiian Islands. Assigned to Service Squadron 10 in early 1945, Deliver sailed 23 February for Ulithi, arriving 18 March, for salvage operations in support of the 5th Fleet. On 1 May she arrived off Okinawa for duty and in addition to her salvage and repair operations, participated in the occupation of Kume Shima on 26 June. Between 6 July and 10 September, Deliver served at Saipan, then returned to Okinawa until 7 December 1945.

After overhaul at San Francisco, Deliver sailed for Pearl Harbor, arriving 15 April 1946. She was sent to Bikini Atoll 30 May for duty in connection with Operation "Crossroads," first assisting in setting up the target vessels used in the atomic weapons tests, then decontaminating the targets and putting inspection teams on board. She assisted in the transfer of the target ships for study from Bikini to Kwajalein until 8 September.

Deliver returned to her home port at Pearl Harbor 9 January 1947 after a west coast overhaul. She made two cruises to the Far East for towing and salvage duty, based at Tsingtao, China. During her first tour, on 19 June 1947, while attempting to recover a beached pontoon barge, she encountered rifle fire from the beach and the ship was hit. She withdrew briefly to report the situation and in the early afternoon with Admiral C. M. Cooke, Jr., Commander Naval Forces, Western Pacific, aboard to direct operations, the ship's salvage party covered by a landing force and fire from the ship recovered the barge. The ship was hit again but no personnel or material injury was sustained. Deliver also operated in the Central Pacific as her salvage and rescue services were required. On one occasion in March 1950 while en route to Pearl Harbor from Eniwetok, she rendezvoused with the disabled net tender Elder (AN-20) and towed her to port.

During the Korean War, Deliver sailed on 22 June 1951 for Sasebo, arriving 6 July to join the United Nations operations. She gave essential salvage and repair services both at this base and in Korean waters until returning to Pearl Harbor 2 March 1952. She returned to the west coast briefly in the fall of that year, then served again in the Far East from 23 April to 19 December 1953 and from 21 June to 2 November 1954.

Deliver sailed 20 June 1955 for Seattle to join the forces engaged in an Arctic resupply mission, aiding several ships which went aground in the uncharted waters of the Arctic Ocean or were damaged from heavy ice conditions. She returned to Pearl Harbor 30 September 1955, and through 1960, had four tours of duty in the Far East, and joined another Arctic resupply mission in summer 1957.

Deliver received one battle star for World War II service and three for Korean War service.

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT