USSCulebra Island (ARG-7) on 11 June 1944
History
United States
Name	USSCulebra Island (ARG-7)
Namesake	Culebra, Puerto Rico
Ordered	Asliberty ship SSJohn F. Goucher
Builder	Bethlehem Fairfield Shipyard
Laid down	29 October 1943
Launched	23 November 1943
Acquired	29 November 1943
Commissioned	19 May 1944
Decommissioned	15 January 1947
Fate	Scrapped 1974
General characteristics
Class & type	Luzon-classrepair ship
Displacement	4,023 tons
Length	441 ft 6 in (134.57 m)
Beam	56 ft 11 in (17.35 m)
Draft	23 ft (7.0 m)
Speed	12 knots
Complement	647
Armament	1 x5 in (130 mm), 3 x3 in (76 mm)

USSCulebra Island (ARG-7) was aLuzon-classinternal combustion engine repair ship in the service of theUnited States Navy from 1944 to 1947. She was scrapped in 1974.

Culebra Island was laid down 29 October 1943 asliberty ship SSJohn F. Goucher (MCE hull 1830) byBethlehem Fairfield Shipyard,Baltimore, Maryland, under aMaritime Commission contract. She was launched 23 November 1943 and sponsored by Miss J. F. Miller.Culebra Island was transferred to the Navy on 29 November 1943 and commissioned 19 May 1944. She was named afterCulebra, an island betweenPuerto Rico and theVirgin Islands, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.

DepartingNorfolk 30 June 1944Culebra Island reachedMilne Bay,New Guinea, 16 August. She joinedFloating Repair Unit 1 of the7th Fleet atAlexishafen and remained there on repair duty until arriving atHollandia 7 October. Here she prepared ships for theLeyte operation until 25 December when she departed forSan Pedro Bay, towing adrydock and escorting a tug convoy. From 6 January to 21 February 1945 she repaired and tended ships in San Pedro Bay, then sailed toMindoro to readyLSMs for the forthcoming invasions in the southernPhilippines. On 14 April she sailed forMorotai to serve ships bound for theBorneo operation and repaired those damaged there until 24 July when she returned to Leyte.

Culebra Island remained in the Philippines on repair duty until 1 December 1945 when she sailed forSan Diego, California. Arriving 9 January 1946 she served at theUS Naval Repair Base until placed in commission in reserve 30 November 1946.Culebra Island was placed out of commission in reserve 15 January 1947. She was scrapped in 1974.

•  This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.

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• Luzon-class repair ships
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