USS Antaeus

Antaeus (AS-21) on 25 June 1943
History
United States
Name	1932: Saint John 1941: USS Antaeus
Namesake	1941: Antaeus
Owner	Eastern Steamship Lines
Port of registry	Boston
Builder	Newport News Sb & DD Co
Yard number	350[1]
Launched	9 January 1932[1]
Acquired	by the Navy, 24 April 1941
Commissioned	17 May 1941 as USS Antaeus (AS-21)
Decommissioned	29 April 1946 as USS Rescue (AH-18)
Reclassified	AG-67, 15 September 1943; USS Rescue (AH-18), 18 January 1945
Refit	Converted to a hospital ship at Brooklyn Navy Yard
Stricken	15 August 1946
Identification	US official number 231530 code letters MJRF (until 1934) Call sign WHEI (1934 onward)
Honors and awards	two battle stars for her World War II service
Fate	Scrapped in 1959
General characteristics
Type	passenger ship
Tonnage	6,815 GRT, 3,020 NRT
Displacement	8,350 tons
Length	402.7 ft (122.7 m)
Beam	61.0 ft (18.6 m)
Draft	20 ft (240.0 in)
Depth	29.7 ft (9.1 m)
Installed power	13,000 hp
Propulsion	geared turbines, twin screws
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement	440 as a hospital ship
Armament	one 4 in (100 mm) gun mount aft; two 3 in (76 mm) gun mounts forward; upgraded to one 4 in (100 mm) gun mount aft; four 3 in (76 mm) gun mounts, two forward, two aft

USS Antaeus (AS-21/AG-67) was a commercial passenger liner that the United States Navy acquired in World War II. She was SS Saint John from 1932 until 1941 before the US Navy acquired her and commissioned her as Antaeus. From 1941 to 1943, she was a submarine tender; she was later redesignated AG-67 and used as a troop transport from 1943 to 1944. In 1945, she was converted to a hospital ship, renamed USS Rescue (AH-18), and served in the Pacific War. Decommissioned in 1946, she was sold for scrap in 1958.