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USS Aeolus (ARC 3)
- formerly TURANDOT (AKA 47) -
- later USNS AEOLUS (T-ARC 3) -
- decommissioned -
- sunk as an artificial reef -
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USS AEOLUS was built and commissioned as an attack cargo ship. Originally named TURANDOT (AKA 47), she served for less than a year between 1945 and 1946 mostly doing "magic carpet" voyages in the Pacific. Decommissioned and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, the ship was reaquired by the Navy on November 4, 1954, and was converted to a Cable Repair Ship by Key Highway Plant of the Bethlehem Steel Company at Baltimore. Renamed AEOLUS, she was recommissioned on March 14, 1955. In the early 1960s, the AEOLUS underwent another conversion during with her masts and superstructures were modified. On October 1, 1973, the AEOLUS was transfered to the Military Sealift Command (MSC). She served in the Navy for a few more years until she was decommissioned for the last time. Stricken from the Navy list on March 28, 1985, the AEOLUS was transfered to the state of North Carolina on December 24, 1987, and was sunk as an artificial reef in August 1988. The AEOLUS is located approx. 22 miles from the Beaufort inlet in 110 feet of water and can be explored by divers.
| General Characteristics: | Keel laid: March 29, 1945 |
| Launched: May 20, 1945 |
| Commissioned as AKA 47: June 18, 1945 |
| Decommissioned: March 21, 1946 |
| Commissioned as ARC 3: March 14, 1955 |
| Decommissioned: October 1, 1973 |
| MSC "in service": October 1, 1973 |
| Decommissioned: 198? |
| Builder: Welsh-Kaiser Co. Providence, R.I. |
| Propulsion system: turbo-electric engines, two boilers |
| Propellers: two |
| Length: 438 feet (133.5 meters) |
| Beam: 58 feet (17.7 meters) |
| Draft: 19.3 feet (5.9 meters) |
| Displacement: approx. 7,040 tons |
| Speed: 16+ knots |
| Armament: none |
| Crew: 86 |
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Crew List:
This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS AEOLUS. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.
- Click here to view the list.
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USS AEOLUS Image Gallery:
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