USS LST-455 was a United States Navy used in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. She was converted at Sydney, Australia, into an , shortly after commissioning, and used in the repairing of landing craft. Named after the Greek hero Achilles, she was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name. Construction and career LST-455 was laid down on 3 August 1942, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 975, by Kaiser Shipyards, Vancouver, Washington; launched on 17 October 1942; and commissioned on 30 January 1943. Service in the United States Navy World War II Adjudged ready for service, LST-455 sailed from San Diego on 20 February, for San Francisco and shifted thence to Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, and, later, to the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, where she completed fitting out and manning. She cleared the Golden Gate on 8 March, bound for the South Pacific and, a month and a day later, arrived in Samoan waters, en route to Australia. She ultimately reached Sydney, New South Wales, via Wellington, New Zealand, on 2 May 1943. However, while she had been en route, plans were made that would significantly change her operations in the years that lay ahead. Conversion to repair ship Amphibious assaults on Japanese-held islands in the South and Southwest Pacific Theater had involved virtually hundreds of landing craft of all types and sizes, ranging from small craft to infantry landing craft (LCIs) and tank landing craft (LCTs). Since these specialized assault craft, of comparatively light construction, could not be repaired with the few facilities and men available to them alone, orders went out that several tank landing ships (LSTs) would be converted to special landing craft repair ships (later classified as ARL). However, modifying existing LSTs in stateside yards required time, a critical commodity in the fairly steady pace of the amphibious island-hopping campaigns, that the forces fighting at the front did not have. At this point, LST-455, then in Australian waters, came under the gaze of these amphibious planners. In one month, lathes, welding machines, as well as cutting outfits and repair tools for the necessary types of craft, were installed on board. Departmental shops of many kinds: ranging from machine shops to motor repair work, to shipfitting, to metalsmith, to electric, and radio repair, took shape in what had once been the cavernous tank deck. Experienced personnel, trained in ship repair work,