Construction & Commissioning
Ariel was originally a civilian vessel named Jamaica. She was built in 1933 by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company at Newport News, Virginia. She was owned by the United Fruit Company and operated in that company's "Great White Fleet" as a passenger ship until leased by the Navy on 24 March 1942.
Jamaica was converted for naval services as a store ship by Todd Pacific Shipyards at their Galveston, Texas, shipyard. She was renamed Ariel, designated AF-22, and placed in commission at Galveston on 14 May 1942 with Captain E.P. Hylant in command.
Read more about this topic: USS Ariel (AF-22)
Famous quotes containing the word construction:
“Striving toward a goal puts a more pleasing construction on our advance toward death.”
—Mason Cooley (b. 1927)