USS Anchor ( ARS - 13 ) USS Anchor ( ARS - 13 ) was an commissioned by the U . S . Navy during World War II . Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels . " Anchor " ( ARS - 13 ) was laid down on 30 April 1942 at Stockton , California , by the Colberg Boat Works ; launched on 13 March 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . Hattie M . Stevenson ; and placed in commission at Stockton , California , on 23 October 1943 , Lt . R . M . Brunner in command . World War II service . During November , the salvage ship was fitted out at Stockton and at San Francisco , California . Early in December , she sailed to San Diego , California , for shakedown training and salvage operations . Anchor left the U . S . West Coast soon after the beginning or 1944 , bound for Hawaii . Upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor on the 11th , she underwent a month of repair work and then was assigned to " ready duty , " which involved standing by the entrance buoys to the Pearl Harbor channel and giving assistance when necessary to passing vessels . The ship also conducted torpedo recovery duty . South Pacific operations . On 16 July , " Anchor " departed Pearl Harbor and sailed for Eniwetok . She operated there during August , carrying out various duties such as recovering barges , delivering mail , transporting freight and passengers , and performing salvage operations . The ship steamed to Saipan in early September and assumed duty as blasting control vessel in addition to her salvage work . On 4 November she left Saipan and sailed via Eniwetok back to Hawaii . Salvage and recovery operations . She reached Pearl Harbor on 21 November and entered a shipyard for repairs and alterations . " Anchor " left the yard on 7 February 1945 and shortly thereafter sailed for Eniwetok . She arrived there on 15 March and resumed salvage and towing operations . During that stint at Eniwetok , the ship conducted salvage operations on the merchant ship " SS Esso Washington " . She moved to Guam in early May and , after a brief availability , began torpedo recovery service . Later that month , the vessel got underway for Okinawa and arrived there on 9 June . Under attack by Japanese aircraft . During the next seven months , the ship conducted salvage operations on sunken Japanese shipping and served as a blasting control and air raid control ship for the Okinawa area . On 11 June , she was among several ships that opened fire on four enemy planes attacking Allied ships in the Anchorage . The combined fire shot down one raider . End - of - war operations . The war in the Pacific Ocean ended when the Japanese capitulated on 15 August , but " Anchor " continued to operate at Okinawa until 23 March for a cruise that would take her to Guam , Peleliu , and back to Guam . The salvage vessel left the latter port and set sail for Pearl Harbor on 18 June . She remained in port for four weeks and then got underway for the west coast of the United States . Return to Stateside . " Anchor " reached Seattle , Washington , in early July . Shortly thereafter , she reversed her course and proceeded back to Pearl Harbor . After a brief stay there , the ship sailed back to the west coast . She touched at San Francisco on 26 July before sailing on to Seattle , Washington . Inactivation and decommissioning . There , reparations were begun to deactivate the ship . " Anchor " was decommissioned at Seattle on 16 September 1946 , and her name was struck from the Navy list on 13 November 1946 . The vessel was then transferred to the Maritime Administration . She was sold on 23 May 1947 to L . E . Castell , Seattle , Washington . Military awards and honors . " Anchor " earned one battle star for her World War II service .