| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Thomas LeValley |
| Namesake | Thomas LeValley |
| Owner | War Shipping Administration (WSA) |
| Ordered | as type (EC2-S-C1) hull,MC hull 2295 |
| Builder | J.A. Jones Construction,Panama City, Florida |
| Cost | $1,039,830[1] |
| Yard number | 36 |
| Way number | 5 |
| Laid down | 11 February 1944 |
| Launched | 28 March 1944 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. L.R. Hubbard |
| Completed | 5 May 1944 |
| Fate | Transferred to theArmy Transport Service (ATS), 5 May 1944 |
| United States | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Walter R. Weaver |
| Owner | WSA |
| Operator | ATS |
| Acquired | 5 May 1944 |
| Renamed | April 1945 |
| Refit | Converted to an Aircraft Repair Unit (Floating) (ARU(F)) |
| Identification | ARU(F)-3 |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics[2] | |
| Class & type |
|
| Tonnage | |
| Displacement | |
| Length | |
| Beam | 57 feet (17 m) |
| Draft | 27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 11.5knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) |
| Capacity |
|
| Complement | |
| Armament |
|
| General characteristics ARU(F)[3] | |
| Type | Aircraft Repair Unit (Floating) |
| Boats & landing craft carried | |
| Complement |
|
| Aircraft carried | 2 ×Sikorsky R-4s |
| Aviation facilities | 1 × Landing platform |
SSThomas LeValley was aLiberty ship built in theUnited States duringWorld War II. She was named afterThomas LeValley. She was transferred to theArmy Transport Service (ATS) and later renamedMajor General Walter R. Weaver afterMajor GeneralWalter R. Weaver, a graduate ofVirginia Military Institute that went on to serve in several prominent commands duringWorld War I and World War II, in theUnited States Army Air Forces.
Thomas LeValley was laid down on 11 February 1944, under aMaritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2995, byJ.A. Jones Construction,Panama City, Florida; sponsored by Mrs. L.R. Hubbard, mother-in-law ofRaymond A. Jones, she was launched on 28 March 1944.[4][1]
She was allocated to theArmy Transport Service, on 5 May 1944. She was converted atPoint Clear, Alabama, into an Aircraft Repair Unit (Floating) (ARU(F)) and designated USAAFSThomas LeValley (ARU(F)-3). The conversion added the following shops on the Liberty ship; machine, sheet metal, radiator, tank, wood, pattern, blue print, electrical, fabric and dope, paint, air-conditioned instrument and camera, radio, battery, propeller, tires and fuel cells, armament and turrets, plating, oxygen plant, radar, carburetor, and turbo-super-charger. TwoLCVPs and twoDUKWs were added for ship to shore transportation along with three or fourSikorsky R-4s helicopters.[3]
The crew was given two weeks training in seamanship at the Grand Hotel inPoint Clear, Alabama, onMobile Bay. Classes included; swimming, elementary seamanship, life saving equipment, and advanced seamanship.[3]
On 15 November 1944,Thomas LeValley sailed fromBrookley Field for the Pacific. She first visitedGuantanamo Bay, Cuba, before setting sail for thePanama Canal and arriving inFinschhafen, 1 January 1945.[3]
On 21 February 1945,Thomas LeValley anchored inLingayen Bay, and began her mission of transferring and repairing equipment from onshore. All six ARU(F)s had their names changed at the end of April 1945, from their original Liberty ship names to their new "General" names.Thomas LeValley was renamedMajor General Walter R. Weaver. TheUnited States Navy Armed Guard was withdrawn on 4 May 1945, and returned to the US for reassignment.[3]
On 1 August 1945,Major General Walter R. Weaver transferred toSubic Bay, where she stayed until returning to the US.[3]
On 5 March 1946, she was laid up in theNational Defense Reserve Fleet, in theJames River Group, inLee Hall, Virginia. On 27 February 1970, she was sold, along with three other ships, for $470,500 toS.P.A. Cantieri Navali,Genova, Italy, for scrapping. She was removed from the fleet on 1 May 1970.[5][6]