USS White Sands (ARD-20)

USS White Sands (ARD-20) was a floating drydock constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. Commissioned in 1944, it served primarily in the Pacific theater, providing vital repair and maintenance services to damaged warships and submarines, ensuring fleet readiness during intense combat operations. After the war, White Sands continued to support naval operations, and in 1960, it notably assisted in the recovery of the bathyscaphe Trieste following its record-setting dive into the Challenger Deep. The unit was eventually decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1989, having played a crucial support role across several decades.