USS Adonis ( ARL - 4 ) USS " Adonis " ( ARL - 4 ) was one of 39 " Achelous " - class landing craft repair ships built for the United States Navy during World War II . Named for Adonis ( a handsome youth in Greek mythology who was loved by Aphrodite ) , she was the only U . S . Naval vessel to bear the name . Originally laid down as LST - 83 at Jeffersonville , Indiana on 31 March 1943 by the Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Company ; launched on 14 June 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . Frank R . Akhurst ; commissioned on 6 August 1943 at Algiers , Louisiana for transportation to Baltimore , Maryland ; decommissioned on 21 August 1943 for conversion by the Bethlehem Steel Company for service as a landing craft repair ship ; redesignated ARL - 4 on 26 August 1943 and simultaneously named Adonis ; and placed in commission on 12 November 1943 , Lieutenant Matthew E . Thompson in command . Service history . The new landing craft repair ship soon sailed to Norfolk , Virginia for shakedown training and carried out exercises in Chesapeake Bay . She then made a cruise to New York City and finally ended her training period at Boston , Massachusetts on the last day of the year . " Adonis " departed Boston on 3 January 1944 with a convoy bound for Halifax , Nova Scotia . The ships arrived in Halifax on the 6th and put out to sea again on 14 January beginning a transatlantic voyage to Great Britain . The convoy reached Milford Haven , Wales on 31 January . Two days later , " Adonis " got under way for Devonport , England . She dropped anchor there on 5 February and commenced providing repair services to fleet units . She remained at Devonport until 26 May , and then moved to Portland Harbour . However , only a few days later , she was ordered to proceed to the assault area off the Normandy beachhead in France . " Adonis " got under way for her trip across the English Channel on 7 June , the day after " D - Day . " She arrived off " Omaha Beach " on the 8th and began providing repair services to damaged amphibious vessels . Rough seas made the work difficult , and the repair ship frequently changed her anchorage to avoid shellfire from enemy shore batteries . On 1 August , she cleared the area and headed back to Falmouth for repairs . The ship returned to the French coast on 25 August , anchored off " Utah Beach , " and resumed her repair work . On 1 November , she sailed to Cherbourg , France to pick up stores and equipment and returned to the waters off " Omaha Beach " on the 4th . She remained there for 10 days and was then ordered back to England . " Adonis " reached Devonport on 15 November , resumed her maintenance work , and remained at that port through 5 May 1945 . After a pause at Belfast , Northern Ireland , the ship began her voyage back to the United States and reached her home port , Norfolk , on 31 May . Upon her arrival , the vessel was overhauled and then conducted sea trials and exercises in the Chesapeake Bay . The repair ship made a run to Davisville , Rhode Island on 22 July to take on a load of pontoons and sailed for the Pacific two days later . She transited the Panama Canal on 4 August and , while en route to San Diego received word of the Japanese surrender . After reaching San Diego on the 17th , she unloaded the pontoons at Port Hueneme , California on the 27th , and got under way for Hawaii . Upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor on 6 September , " Adonis " set to work converting LSMs and LCIs into troop carriers which could be used to help return military personnel to the United States . She remained in Hawaiian waters through 25 October , when the ship shaped a course for Guam where she operated until early December . She got under way for China on the 3rd , and reached Shanghai on the 12th , remaining there into early 1946 . Upon leaving Shanghai on 14 March 1946 " Adonis " visited the Chinese ports of Taku , Chinwangtao , Hulutao , and Tsingtao . She departed the latter city on 25 April and set a course for the west coast of the United States . The ship reached Astoria , Oregon on 18 May and , shortly thereafter , began preparations for her deactivation . " Adonis " was decommissioned on 11 October 1946 and was assigned to the Columbia River Group , Pacific Reserve Fleet , Portland . The ship remained inactive there until her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 January 1960 . She was sold to Mr . Virgil Gene Thomas of California on 14 October 1960 . Awards . " Adonis " won one battle star for her World War II service .