USS Chiron

Chiron, circa 1945.
History
United States
Name	LST-1133
Renamed	USS Chiron, 14 August 1944
Namesake	A centaur of Greek mythology, known for his skill in medicine
Reclassified	Motor torpedo boat tender, AGP-18, 14 August 1944
Builder	Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, Seneca, Illinois
Laid down	16 December 1944
Launched	10 March 1945
Sponsored by	Mrs. T. S. Tillman
Commissioned	23 March 1945 (reduced commission as tank landing ship)
Decommissioned	17 April 1945
Notes	Converted to motor torpedo boat tender at Maryland Drydock Company, Baltimore, Maryland
Recommissioned	18 September 1945
Decommissioned	20 February 1946
Stricken	28 March 1946
Identification	Ship International Radio Callsign: NJZF
Fate	Sold 19 May 1947
Argentina
Name	MV Altamar
Acquired	19 May 1947
In service	By 1948
Fate	Sank 30 March 1960
General characteristics (as motor torpedo boat tender)
Displacement	4,100 tons
Length	328 ft (100 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	11 ft 2 in (3.4 m)
Propulsion	2 × General Motors 12-568A diesel engines
Speed	11.6 knots (21.5 km/h; 13.3 mph)
Complement	41 officers, 265 enlisted men
Armament	2 × quad 40 mm AA gun mounts 8 × single 20 mm AA gun mounts

USS Chiron (AGP-18) was a Portunus-class motor torpedo boat tender which saw brief service with the United States Navy during and just after World War II. She then served as the Argentinian merchant ship MV Altamar until she sank in 1960.

Construction and commissioning

Authorized as the LST-542-class tank landing ship USS LST-1133, the ship was reclassified as a motor torpedo boat tender, assigned the hull number AGP-18, and renamed USS Chiron on 14 August 1944. Chiron was laid down by the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company at Seneca, Illinois, on 16 December 1944, launched on 10 March 1945, sponsored by Mrs. T. S. Tillman, and placed in reduced commission on 23 March 1945 for transit to her conversion yard. On 17 April 1945, she was decommissioned for her conversion into a motor torpedo boat tender. Her conversion took place at the Maryland Drydock Company at Baltimore, Maryland, and after its completion, she was recommissioned USS Chiron (AGP-18).

Service history

United States Navy

Chiron departed Norfolk, Virginia, on 1 November 1945 bound for Miami, Florida, where she arrived on 4 November 1945 to service the PT boats of Motor Torpedo Squadron 42 until 8 December 1945. On 14 December 1945 she got underway for New York City, where she was decommissioned on 20 February 1946 after only five months and 27 days in naval service. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 28 March 1946.

Commercial service

On 19 May 1947, Chiron was sold to commercial interests in Argentina. By 1948 she was serving as a merchant ship under the Argentinian flag with the name MV Altamar. She sank on 30 March 1960 during a voyage from Cabedelo to Belém, Brazil, with a cargo of grain. Her wreck was found in the Atlantic Ocean off the northeastern coast of Brazil on Manoel Luis Reef at 00°46′S 044°20′W.

Honors and awards

During her U.S. Navy service, Chiron received the following awards:

• American Campaign Medal
• World War II Victory Medal

References

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entries can be found here and here.

External links

• Ship details at Navsource.org
• Details at Shipscribe.com
• Wrecksite.eu information
• Naval Museum article
• Ibiblio.org site