The USS Aries (AK-51) was a cargo ship constructed in 1918 by the McDougall Duluth Shipbuilding Company in Duluth, Minnesota, under a United States Shipping Board (USSB) contract. Originally named Lake Geneva, the vessel was built to enhance American logistical capacity during World War I. She was delivered to the U.S. Navy in Montreal on September 21, 1918, and commissioned the following day into the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. Constructed as a freighter, Lake Geneva was a sizable vessel designed for cargo transport, and after her fitting out, she sailed for France late October 1918, arriving at St. Nazaire on November 11, the day Germany signed the armistice. She operated in European waters, primarily carrying coal from Cardiff and Belfast to French ports. In spring 1919, she transported Army ordnance from Charleston, South Carolina, but was diverted to Newport News, Virginia, where she arrived on July 12. Subsequently, she was decommissioned on July 17, 1919, and returned to the USSB. In the 1920s, she was sold to the Bison Steam Ship Company and renamed John J. O'Hagan, operating out of Buffalo, New York, carrying coal and iron ore on the Great Lakes. As World War II approached, the U.S. government reacquired her, and she was transferred to the Navy in September 1941. Renamed Manomet and designated AG-37, she was soon renamed Aries (AK-51) in January 1942, and prepared for naval service. During World War II, USS Aries served primarily in the North Atlantic and Pacific theaters. She transported cargo, ammunition, and supplies, including operations in Icelandic waters, the South Pacific, and the Philippines. Notably, she was involved in supporting operations around Ulithi and Leyte Gulf, and she was damaged during the USS Mount Hood explosion in November 1944. After the war, she participated in occupation duties in Tokyo Bay before returning to the United States in late 1945. Decommissioned in March 1946, USS Aries was struck from the Navy list in April 1946 and subsequently sold for commercial use. She was scrapped in 1952. Her service history highlights her role as a vital logistical vessel throughout two world wars, contributing significantly to Allied maritime operations.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.