(ARS(T)-1: dp. 1,949; l. 328'; b. 50'; dr. 14'; s. 11.6 k.; cpl. 269; a. 8 40mm., 12 20mm.; cl. Laysan Island)
An islet of the leeward Hawaiian Islands, about 980 miles northwest of Pearl Harbor.
Laysan Island (ARS(T)-l) was laid down as LST-1098 on 6 December 1944 by Jeffersonville Boat & Machine Co., Jeffersonville, Ind.; reclassified to ARS(T)-1 on 8 December 1944; named Laysan Island 23 December 1944; launched 27 January 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Madonna H. Davis; placed in ferry commission 28 May 1945 for transfer to New Orleans; and commissioned in full 5 June 1945, Lt. Philip J. Bergeaux in command.
After shakedown off the Texas coast, Laysan Island departed Galveston, Tex., 17 July for the Pacific. She transited the Panama Canal 25 July; touched Eniwetok 25 August; and arrived Manila Bay, Luzon, 6 September. During almost the next 7 months she operated out of Manila Bay, towing landing craft from Cebu and Mindanao to Luzon and assisting in salvage operations in Manila Bay.
Laysan Island departed Manila 30 March 1946 for Samar where she arrived Calicoan 3 April. After off loading salvage equipment, she steamed from Samar to Pearl Harbor 16 April to 8 May before sailing 18 May for the west coast. Reaching Seattle 29 May, she remained there until 8 October when she departed for San Pedro. She served at San Pedro until 18 April 1947. Towed to San Diego, she decommissioned 21 April 1947 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet at San Diego where she remains berthed.
