World War II During the next month, she underwent training exercises in
Chesapeake Bay; and, on 3 June, she departed the east coast for the
Panama Canal, California, and duty in the Pacific Fleet. By the end of July, the ARL had crossed the
International Date Line; and, on 10 August, she joined the Pacific Fleet's Amphibious Force at
Guam. Ten days later, she continued west in a convoy of
LSTs and
APDs, but a collision the next day sent her to
Saipan for repairs to her bow doors. Repairs were completed on 28 August. Temporary duty with Service Division 103 (ServDiv 103) occupied the first week of September. On 10 September, she sailed for
Okinawa, whence she continued on to Japan for occupation duty.
Satyr anchored in
Tokyo Bay off
Yokosuka on 25 September. On 1 October, she cleared the bay, moved north to
Hokkaidō, and operated out of
Otaru, for two months. She then returned to Yokosuka where she joined ServDiv 102. In April 1946, she shifted to the China Coast. In July, she returned to Japan; and, at mid-month, sailed for the United States. Steaming via
Pearl Harbor,
Satyr arrived in California, in September, and for the next ten months, operated out of
San Pedro, in support of various amphibious commands. On 1 August 1947, she was decommissioned and berthed with the
San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet.
Korean War Three years later, in June 1950, the
North Korean People's Army crossed the
38th parallel and invaded the
Republic of Korea. In early August,
Satyr was ordered activated. On 8 September, she was recommissioned; and, on 23 October, she assumed duties as landing craft tender at
San Diego. For the next four months, she supported units training off
southern California; then, on 2 March 1951, she headed west toward Japan and the
Korean Peninsula. She arrived in Yokosuka on 7 April and departed on 24 April. On 28 April, she took up duties as a landing craft tender at
Pusan and continued that service until mid-July. She then returned to Japan where she provided similar services at
Sasebo and Yokosuka and participated in amphibious training exercises in northern
Honshū and Hokkaidō. On 14 December, she headed back to California, and tender duties at San Diego. After the cessation of open hostilities in Korea,
Satyr returned to the
Far East. Arriving in Yokosuka, on 21 September 1953, she participated in amphibious assault exercises in northern Japan, during October; provided tender services in ServDiv 31 into January 1954; participated in further exercises in the
Ryukyu, Benin, and
Volcano Islands and supported
SeaBee operations at
Buckner Bay into March. She then sailed for Yokosuka to prepare for recrossing the Pacific to California. Returning to San Diego, in early May,
Satyr performed tender services there until 1 October, when she was transferred to
Long Beach, and assigned to Amphibious Squadron 7 for operational control. On 11 October, she sailed for her new homeport, whence she operated until again ordered inactivated in January 1956. She returned to San Diego; and, on 17 April 1956, she was again decommissioned and berthed with the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
Vietnam War In December 1966, the ARL was ordered reactivated a second time. She spent 1967 in
New Orleans, for modernization. On 15 February 1968, she was recommissioned at the Naval Support Activity,
Algiers, Louisiana; and, a month later, she headed for San Diego, her homeport. Refresher training was completed at the end of May. On 5 June, she sailed for the western Pacific. On 5 July, she arrived at
Subic Bay; and, on 10 July, she anchored at
Vũng Tàu,
Republic of Vietnam. The next day,
Satyr moved into the
Mekong Delta; and, on 12 July, joined TF 117, the
Mobile Riverine Force. Based primarily at
Dong Tam Base Camp, she operated throughout the delta area. On 25 July, she proceeded to the junction of the
Soirap and
Vanco Rivers, near
Nha Be, where she operated for nearly two months. On 16 September, she returned to Dong Tam. In early October, she supported operations in the
Vinh Long area; and, toward the end of the month, she entered the
Bassac River and proceeded to the
Can Tho area. During November, she supported units at
Long Xuyen,
Dai Ngai, and Can Tho. In mid-December, she moved into the
Gulf of Thailand to support units participating in
Operation Sea Lords. On 23 December, she escorted boats to
Rach Gia, whence she returned to Can Tho, arriving on 26 December, to resume support operations for TG 117.2.
Satyr remained in the delta area for another three months, then proceeded to Sasebo, Japan. On 15 June 1969, she returned to Dong Tam, and rejoined TP 117. A month later, that task force was dissolved and operational control of
Satyr shifted to Commander, Naval Support Activity, Saigon. In October,
Satyr again moved into the Gulf of Thailand; and, from then into January 1970, she operated in the vicinity of the
Song Ong Doc. Ten days into the new year, she entered the Bassac River en route to
An Long, where she arrived two days later and commenced support of
Operation Barrier Reef. In May, she moved up the
Mekong River to the vicinity of the
Cambodian border and, into August, supported American and Vietnamese naval and marine units involved in "
Tran Hung Dao" I, VII, XI, XVII, and XVIII. In September, she returned to Vung Tau, whence she again proceeded to Japan, for overhaul and repairs. By mid-December, she was back in the Mekong Delta area; and, on 19 December, she arrived at
Tan Chau, to resume support operations along the Cambodian border. With one run to Long Xuyen, she remained in the Tan Chau area until 15 February 1971, then returned to Long Xuyen, whence she operated until decommissioned and transferred to the
Republic of Vietnam Navy on 30 September. She was recommissioned the same day as '
RVNS Vinh Long
(HQ-802).Placed in the custody of the Philippines government in 1975, with the fall of the South Vietnamese Government, and she was brought to Subic Bay, Zambales, Philippines. Because there was need of a repair ship in the Philippine Navy the ship was transferred to the Philippine Government through the foreign military sales (FMS). Named BRP YAKAL
(ARL-517)' the vessel was commissioned on 21 June 1983, and placed under the Naval Forces on 1 August 1983. Later the bow number was changed from ARL-517 to ARL-617 and finally to AD-617. Her first commanding officer was CDR Victor Salazar, PN. She started her tour in the southern Philippines under the Commander Naval Forces Philippines on 2 November 1983. Aside from mobile repairs rendered to the units of NAVFORSOUTH she had performed other missions. Notably, the Barrier/Negation patrol along the Philippine-Malaysian border during the Maldanas incident in October 1985, the sealift of Filipino repatriates from Indonesia to the Philippines in February 1986, the support mission for President
Corazon C. Aquino's visit to Jolo, and lately, the transport of 600 Boy Scouts from
General Santos, during the BSP National Jamboree, 11–17 November 1988, in
Zamboanga City. Other missions include transport of personnel, anti-smuggling negation patrols, and as a logistic ship for small craft. Decommissioned on 7 June 2001.
Yakal is reefed in 2004.
Satyr earned 2
campaign stars for her service during the
Korean War and 3 for her service in the
Vietnam War. ==References==