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U.S.S. HECTOR
(AR-7)THROUGH WORK THE VICTORY
Click to view crew list
The USS HECTOR (AR-7), a Vulcan class repair ship, was commissioned on 7 FEB 1944. USS HECTOR was dispatched to the support the Pacific effort in World War II. She moved westward as the "front" moved closer to Japan. As the war ended she was stationed in Saipan and repaired vessels for their voyage home after the war. HECTOR continued in service alternating Western Pacific deployments with "state side" duty, serving the Fleet. During the Korean and Vietnam wars, she deployments were longer and of higher tempo. Post Vietnam, HECTOR returned to routine deployments to the "West Pac". Her 27th, and last, deployment called her to the Indian Ocean. USS HECTOR served her country for 43 years, 1 month and 24 days, until decommissioned on 31 MAR 1987. In 1989 HEECTOR was leased to Pakistan, then returned to the US custody in 1994, and then sold and scrapped the same year in an Indian ship breakers yard.
The USS HECTOR (AR-7) deployment history and significant events of her service career follow:
AR-7 Deployments - Major Events
Add a AR-7 Shellback Initiation | Add a AR-7 Deployment - Major Event | ||||
Month | Year | to | Month | Year | Deployment / Event |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
NOV | 1942 | - | Launch Date: 11 NOV 1942 | ||
MAY | 1943 | - | Shellback Initiation - 8 MAY 1943 - Pacific Ocean | ||
MAY | 1943 | - | Shellback Initiation - 8 MAY 1943 - Pacific Ocean | ||
FEB | 1944 | - | Commissioned: 7 FEB 1944 | ||
MAR | 1944 | - | Shellback Initiation - 4 MAR 1944 - Pacific Ocean | ||
JUN | 1950 | - | OCT | 1953 | Korean War |
JUL | 1959 | - | JAN | 1960 | West Pac |
JAN | 1961 | - | AUG | 1961 | West Pac |
JAN | 1963 | - | JAN | 1964 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
MAY | 1963 | - | FEB | 1964 | West Pac |
MAY | 1963 | - | FEB | 1964 | West Pac |
JUN | 1963 | - | JAN | 1964 | West Pac |
AUG | 1966 | - | DEC | 1966 | West Pac |
JAN | 1967 | - | JUN | 1967 | West Pac |
JAN | 1967 | - | OCT | 1967 | West PAC |
JAN | 1968 | - | JAN | 1968 | West Pac |
FEB | 1968 | - | SEP | 1968 | West PAC |
JUN | 1968 | - | AUG | 1968 | West Pac |
FEB | 1969 | - | OCT | 1969 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
FEB | 1969 | - | OCT | 1969 | West Pac |
JAN | 1970 | - | DEC | 1970 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JUN | 1970 | - | JUN | 1973 | West Pac |
FEB | 1971 | - | JAN | 1974 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JAN | 1972 | - | JUL | 1972 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JUN | 1972 | - | OCT | 1972 | West Pac-Viet Nam |
JUL | 1973 | - | FEB | 1974 | West Pac |
JAN | 1975 | - | JUL | 1975 | West Pac |
JAN | 1976 | - | DEC | 1977 | West Pac |
SEP | 1978 | - | MAR | 1979 | West Pac |
OCT | 1978 | - | Shellback Initiation - 3 OCT 1978 - Pacific Ocean | ||
OCT | 1978 | - | Shellback Initiation - 3 OCT 1978 - Pacific Ocean | ||
SEP | 1981 | - | JAN | 1982 | West Pac |
OCT | 1981 | - | Homeport changed to Oakland CA | ||
NOV | 1981 | - | JUL | 1982 | West Pac |
FEB | 1982 | - | Shellback Initiation - 2 FEB 1982 - Indian Ocean | ||
FEB | 1982 | - | Shellback Initiation - 2 FEB 1982 - Indian Ocean | ||
FEB | 1982 | - | Shellback Initiation - 26 FEB 1982 - Indian Ocean | ||
FEB | 1982 | - | Shellback Initiation - 9 FEB 1982 - Indian Ocean | ||
FEB | 1984 | - | AUG | 1984 | West Pac-Indian Ocean |
FEB | 1984 | - | AUG | 1984 | West Pac-Indian Ocean |
MAR | 1984 | - | Shellback Initiation - 4 MAR 1984 - Indian Ocean | ||
MAR | 1984 | - | Shellback Initiation - 4 MAR 1984 - Indian Ocean | ||
JUN | 1984 | - | Shellback Initiation - 6 JUN 1984 - Indian Ocean | ||
NOV | 1985 | - | JUN | 1986 | West Pac |
MAY | 1986 | - | Shellback Initiation - 10 MAY 1986 - Indian Ocean | ||
MAR | 1987 | - | Decommissioned: 31 MAR 1987 |
AR-7 General Specifications
Class: Vulcan-class repair ship
Named for: Hector
Complement: 1108 Officers and Enlisted
Displacement: 9140 tons
Length: 529 feet 6 inches
Beam: 73 feet 6 inches
Flank Speed: 19 knots
Final Disposition: 20 April 1989 Leased to Pakistan and renamed MOWAIN.
USS HECTOR (AR-7)
Hector (AR-7)
a modified Liberty ship
was launched 11 November 1942 by the Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; sponsored by Mrs. Schuyler F. Heim; and commissioned 7 February 1944
Comdr. J. W. Long in command.
After shakedown along the West Coast
the new repair ship sailed for the Pacific
reaching Pearl Harbor 9 April 1944. She remained at Pearl Harbor effecting repairs on various ships
primarily landing craft
until she departed for Eniwetok 5 June. Arriving there 13 June
Hector spent the summer at Eniwetok and then sailed for Ulithi 30 September. Her biggest repair job of the war came to her 27 October at Ulithi as the cruiser Houston
torpedoed twice by Japanese submarines [Vol. IV
errata: aircraft]
was towed alongside. Although hampered by a severe typhoon season which twice sent her out to sea for safety
Hector managed to repair Houston by the end of the year besides aiding many other smaller craft.
Hector departed Ulithi 16 February 1945 and 5 days later steamed into Tarragona
Leyte Gulf
to repair ships as the battle for the Philippines raged. This task completed
she returned to Ulithi 30 March and continued on to Saipan 22 May. After the long war ended 1 September
Hector remained in the Pacific to prepare various ships for return to the States.
Departing Saipan 21 January 1946
Hector reached Long Beach 3 February. After serving as a repair ship there
she sailed for her first WestPac cruise 7 May 1947
thereby settling into a peacetime schedule interrupted 3 years later by the outbreak of war in Korea. Hector sailed into Yokosuka 18 September 1950. From there she continued to Inchon
Korea
arriving at the scene of a brilliant amphibious operation
25 September. For the remainder of the Korean War Hector alternated repair service along the Korean coast and in Japan with normal duty out of Long Beach.
Thereafter
as before the Korean conflict
Hector alternated 4 to 6 months of service and exercises along the California coast with 6- and 8-month WestPac cruises. During these cruises the repair ship
operating in support and service of the nation's far-flung Pacific and Asian defenses
visited such ports as Yokosuka
Hong Kong
Shanghai
Guam
and Eniwetok. Serving intermittently as flagship for both Service Squadrons 1 and 3
Hector also was a major participant in the Navy's "People-to-People" program in Asia. Her deployments to the Western Pacific continued into the 1960's.
Hector operated in the Far East from Japan to the Philippines between June 1963 and January 1964. After providing repair services for ships at Long Beach during the remainder of 1964 and the first 6 months of 1965
she underwent a modernization overhaul at Long Beach between July 1965 and February 1966 to increase her repair capabilities. Thence
she resumed fleet services out of Long Beach until departing for the Far East 5 August. She arrived Subic Bay later that month
and during the next 6 months repaired and serviced ships in the Philippines
Taiwan
and Japan. She returned to the West Coast in March 1967; and into mid-1967 Hector continued to maintain a high state of readiness and provide repair services at Long Beach.
[Note: The above USS HECTOR (AR-7) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS HECTOR (AR-7) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]