page_title: Rescue and salvage ship
section_title: Diver class
hierarchical_section_title: Rescue and salvage ship / List of rescue and salvage ships of the United States Navy by class / Diver class
caption_attribution_description: English: The U.S. Navy rescue and salvage ship USS Safeguard (ARS-25) underway, circa in the 1970s.
context_page_description: Rescue and salvage ships are a type of military salvage tug. They are tasked with coming to the aid of stricken vessels. Their general mission capabilities include combat salvage, lifting, towing, retraction of grounded vessels, off-ship firefighting, and manned diving operations. They were common during World War II.
context_section_description: The United States Navy operated Diver-class rescue and salvage ships (ARS) from October 1943 until the last example was decommissioned in July 1979. Several ships of this class were converted to other uses, and USS Shackle remained in service as the 213' United States Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Acushnet until March 2011.
  USS Diver (ARS-5)
  USS Escape (ARS-6) (Converted to USCGC Escape (WMEC-6))
  USS Grapple (ARS-7)
  USS Preserver (ARS-8)
  USS Shackle (ARS-9) (Converted to USCGC Acushnet (WMEC-167))
  USS Protector (ARS-14)
  USS Cable (ARS-19)
  USS Chain (ARS-20) (Converted to USNS Chain (T-AGOR-17))
  USS Curb (ARS-21)
  USS Current (ARS-22)
  USS Deliver (ARS-23)
  USS Grasp (ARS-24)
  USS Safeguard (ARS-25)
  USS Seize (ARS-26) (Converted to USCGC Yocona (WAT-168))
  USS Snatch (ARS-27) (Converted to USNS Argo (T-AGOR-18))
  USS Valve (ARS-28)
  USS Vent (ARS-29)
  USS Clamp (ARS-33)
  USS Gear (ARS-34)
caption: The Diver-class salvage ship USS Safeguard (ARS-25)
exif: {}