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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Nestor (ARB-6)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Lima - Juliet
 NJLJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Aristaeus Class Battle Damage Repair Ship:
  • Laid down as LST-518, 12 September 1943, at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca IL.
  • Redesignated Battle Damage Repair Ship ARB-6, 3 November 1943
  • Launched, 20 January 1944
  • Fitted out as an Aristaeus Class Battle Damage Repair Ship at Maryland Dry Dock Co., Baltimore, MD.
  • Commissioned, USS Nestor (ARB-6), 24 June 1944, CDR. Frank W. Parsons, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Nestor was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 16 April to 30 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS Nestor was assigned to Occupation duty in the Far East from 9 October to 29 November 1945
  • USS Nestor was driven aground at Okinawa by wind and heavy seas during Typhoon Louise, 9 October 1945
  • Decommissioned, 29 November 1945
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 January 1946
  • USS Nestor earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, hulk sold for scrap May 1947
    In November 1945 CNO directed that the hulk be sunk or destroyed, but this was not done and she became one of around
    15 Okinawa typhoon wrecks that were finally sold for scrap in two batches in May and November 1947 by the State Department's
    Foreign Liquidations Commission. USS Nestor (ARB-6) along with USS LST-823 and USS LST-826, three floating docks and some
    smaller craft, were included in the May batch and were purchased by the Oklahoma-Philippines Co. in what was referred to as the
    "Berry sale." The date of her scrapping is not known.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,781 t.(lt) 4,100 t.(fl)
    Length 328'
    Beam 50'
    Draft 11' 2"
    Speed 11.6 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 18
    Enlisted 248
    Largest Boom Capacity 50 t.
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts
    eight single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity Diesel 4,480 Bbls
    Ship's Service Generators
    four Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    two Diesel-drive100Kw 450V A.C.
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    two propellers, 1800shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Nestor 419k USS Nestor (ARB-6) at anchor probably in Hampton Roads, VA. in July 1944. US Navy photo # 80-G-236726 taken by NAS Hampton Roads, VA., released July 10, 1944. Stan Svec
    Ocelot 78k USS Ocelot (IX-110) aground in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, with her stern severed by USS Nestor (ARB-6), after Typhoon Louise ravaged that port in October 1945. Nestor's bow is in the center of this photo. Photographed in November 1945. After a desperate struggle to save their ship while not colliding with others, the crew of Nestor took refuge inUSS APL-14, visible beyond her, against which her stern had been crushed. All three of these ships were stricken from the Navy List in January 1946 and sold in 1947-48.
    US Navy photo # NH 105655 from the US Naval History and Heritage Command, collection of Dr. Richard Raymond Gratton (1915-1990), donated by his daughter, Barbara Gratton Stillwater, 2008.    		 Marc Levine
    Ocelot 77k USS Ocelot (IX-110) aground in Buckner Bay, Okinawa, after Typhoon Louise ravaged that port in October 1945. Photographed in November 1945. Her stern was cut off when USS Nestor (ARB-6), visible to the right, crashed into her during the storm.
    US Navy photo # NH 05658 from the US Naval History and Heritage Command, collection of Dr. Richard Raymond Gratton (1915-1990), donated by his daughter, Barbara Gratton Stillwater, 2008.    		 Marc Levine
    Nestor 444k USS Nestor (ARB-6) at center left (background) with USS APL-14 astern of her. In the foreground, USS LCI(R)-337 (center) with the stern of USS LCI(G)-463 visible at right. All were ravaged and run aground by Typhoon Louise at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, in October 1945.
    US Navy photo    		 Donn Cuson
    Nestor 481k USS Nestor (ARB-6) at center left (background) with unidentified sunken tug alongside. In the foreground is a section of YF-776, USS Ocelot (IX-110), and USS LCI(R)-337, all either destroyed or run aground by Typhoon Louise at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, in October 1945.
    US Navy photo    		 Donn Cuson
    Nestor 359k The wrecks of USS Ocelot (IX-110) and USS Nestor (ARB-6) at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, in October 1945.
    US Navy photo    		 Donn Cuson
    Nestor 384k The wrecks of USS Ocelot (IX-110) and USS Nestor (ARB-6) and USS APL-14 at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, in October 1945. Also note open lighter near Ocelot, an unidentified tug and LCI.
    US Navy photo    		 Donn Cuson
    Nestor 338k The wrecks of USS Nestor (ARB-6) and USS APL-14 and unknown tug at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, in October 1945.
    US Navy photo    		 Donn Cuson
    Ocelot 182k The wrecks of USS Ocelot (IX-110), USS Nestor (ARB-6) at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, in October 1945. Included in this series of photos are the unidentified sunken tug alongside Nestor, YF-776 and USS LCI(R)-337, all either destroyed or run aground by Typhoon Louise at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, in October 1945.
    US Navy photo    		 Donald Wilt for his grandfather Leo McCollam MoMM3/c USS Vandalia
    Ocelot 162k
    Ocelot 244k
    Ocelot 281k
    Ocelot 206k
    Ocelot 360k Personnel surveying the debris and the severely damaged USS Ocelot (IX-110) and USS Nestor (ARB-6) caused by Typhoon Louise at Buckner Bay, Okinawa, in October 1945.
    US Navy photo    		 Mike Green
    Ocelot 203k Looking forward from the starboard quarter, USS Ocelot (IX-110) is hard aground at Okinawa in October, 1945 after Typhoon Louise. Clearly evident is the fractured hull of Ocelot, severed by the bow of USS Nestor(ARB-6) Mike Green
    USS Nestor (ARB-6)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Parsons, Frank Waterman, USNR 24 June 1944 - 1 March 1945
    02LCDR. Davis, Shelby Norman, USN1 March 1945 - 30 November 1945
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 7 September 2018