Aircraft repair ship. Aircraft repair ship is a naval auxiliary ship designed to provide maintenance support to aircraft. Aircraft repair ships provide similar services to seaplane tenders, that also cared for the crew. Aircraft repair ships had their own stores of spare parts, like a depot ship.  Aircraft repair ships had repair personnel and equipment to repair failures or battle damage on aircraft. Aircraft repair ships also did regular aircraft maintenance.

United States Navy
After World War I two United States Navy ships were used as Lighter-than-Air Aircraft Tenders for naval kite balloon and rigid airship support.
 USS Wright (AZ-1)
 USS Patoka (AO-9) operated as a lighter-than-air aircraft tender from 1924 to 1933

During World War II there was a great demand for aircraft repair ships. The US Navy aircraft repair ship were manned by repair units, called Carrier Aircraft Service Units. If needed a Carrier Aircraft Service Unit could be redesignated into a Combat Aircraft Service Unit, Scout Observation Service unit or Patrol Service units. These units could also be land-based or on an aircraft repair ship.

Chourre class
 
 
Aventinus class aircraft engine repair ships
 USS Aventinus (ARV(E)-3)
 USS Chloris (ARV(E)-4)
Fabius class
 USS Fabius (ARV(A)-5)
 USS Megara (ARV(A)-6)

Aircraft carriers are not aircraft repair ships, but do have aircraft repair shops aboard. Most carrier-based aircraft repairs are done on the aircraft carriers.

During the Vietnam War one seaplane tender was converted into a Helicopter Aircraft Repair Ship (ARVH)
 USNS Corpus Christi Bay (T-ARVH-1)

Seaplane tender

The US Navy operated a fleet of seaplane tenders used to maintain the many U.S. Navy seaplanes. Some seaplane tenders were converted cargo ships. The  was the first ship built to be a seaplane tender. Seaplane tender serviced and repaired seaplanes used in forward bases used for long-range patrol. Seaplane tenders were able to do repair and maintenance and had all the supplies needed to operate in remote forward bases for months. Once a land-based forward base was built the seaplane tender could move on to a more forward base. Seaplane tenders acted as barracks, supply depots, workshops, air mechanic and control towers for the planes. The  was converted to repair helicopters for the Vietnam War.

United States Army

The demand for aircraft repair in the United States Army Air Forces in the Pacific Theatre of Operations was so high during World War II, a special program was started called Operation Ivory Soap. Operation Ivory Soap objective was to convert six Liberty ships into aircraft repair ships, called "Aircraft Repair Units (Floating)". With hundreds of Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber aircraft operating in the Pacific the ships were stocked B-29 parts and B-29 trained personnel. In addition to the Liberty ship for the B-29, eighteen smaller auxiliary ships were built for fighter aircraft support. These eighteen ship were  long and designated, Aircraft Maintenance Units. The eighteen ships provided repair and maintenance to smaller aircraft like the North American P-51 Mustang, Lockheed P-38 fighters, and Sikorsky R-4 helicopters.

Parts
The key to the aircraft repair ships was the supply of parts, keeping ship supply depots stocked with the needed parts. Both the U.S. Navy and the World War II United States Merchant Navy kept parts flowing from the United States to the aircraft repair ships where they were needed. US Navy operated a fleet of Aviation Stores Issue Ships (AVS) to supply needed parts.

During the 1950s the Navy converted 4 ships into Advance Aviation Base Ships
 USS Alameda County (AVB-1)
 USS Tallahatchie County (AVB-2)
Wright-class:
 
 USNS Curtiss (T-AVB-4)

Royal Navy

The British Royal Navy for the support of its World War II aircraft, built three aircraft maintenance carriers. The first ship was  in 1930. The next aircraft repair ships were two  ships;  and . The Royal Navy also operated a fleet of seaplane carriers.

Gallery

See also

Aviation machinist's mate
US Naval Advance Bases
Espiritu Santo Naval Base
Naval Advance Base Saipan
Naval Base Noumea
Repair ship

References

External links

youtube, Gerald Edward Houppert, Aviation Machinist's Mate Second Class, US Navy, World War Two
youtube, America's WW2 Flying Boat That Came With A Kitchen, Martin PBM Mariner
 Top Secret Project Ivory Soap -- Aircraft Repair Ships
 Operation Ivory Soap
 Operation Ivory Soap was a secret, but no beauty secret
 146 Cong. Rec. 22129 - OPERATION IVORY SOAP
 801st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

United States Navy
Military engineering of the United States
Ship types