The USS Leyte (ARG-8), later renamed USS Maui (ARG-8), was a Luzon-class internal combustion engine repair ship commissioned by the United States Navy during World War II. She was constructed at the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Inc. in Baltimore, Maryland, with her keel laid on January 20, 1944. The vessel was launched on February 18, 1944, and sponsored by Miss Rhoda J. Braun. She was officially commissioned on August 17, 1944. Designed as an internal combustion engine repair ship, Leyte was intended to support fleet operations by maintaining and repairing engines, particularly for smaller landing craft and other auxiliary vessels. After initial training in Chesapeake Bay, she departed Norfolk, Virginia, on October 3, 1944, for Pacific duty. Upon arrival at Hollandia in New Guinea on November 26, she reported to Commander Service Force of the 7th Fleet. Her primary role was to service LSMs (Landing Ship, Medium), which were critical for amphibious operations in the Pacific Theater. In February 1945, USS Leyte moved to the Philippine Islands, serving at Subic Bay for the remainder of the war. To free the name Leyte for a new aircraft carrier (USS Leyte CV-32), the repair ship was renamed USS Maui on May 31, 1945, after the Hawaiian Island. She continued her service in the Pacific, and in December 1945, she returned to the U.S. West Coast with 1,108 returning war veterans, just before Christmas. Decommissioned on August 30, 1946, in San Diego, California, Maui was placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was transferred to the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay in 1961 and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1962. Briefly reactivated in early 1967, she was again struck from the register and ultimately scrapped in 1972. Her service highlights her role in supporting U.S. naval operations during World War II and the post-war period.

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