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UNITED STATES NAVY (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

AMPHIBIOUS SHIPS AND CRAFT

ANDROMEDA amphibious cargo ships (1943-1945)

Muliphen 1963

Algol 1968

No

Name

Yard No

Builder

Laid down

Launched

Comm

Fate

AKA15

Andromeda

241

Federal, Kearny

9.1942

22.12.1942

3.1943

stricken 7.1960

AKA16

Aquarius

247

Federal, Kearny

4/1943

23.7.1943

8.1943

stricken 11.1946

AKA17

Centaurus

248

Federal, Kearny

1943

3.9.1943

10.1943

stricken 9.1946

AKA18

Cepheus

249

Federal, Kearny

1943

23.10.1943

12.1943

stricken 9.1946

AKA19, 1.1969- LKA19

Thuban

245

Federal, Kearny

2.1943

26.4.1943

6.1943

stricken 1.1977

AKA20

Virgo

246

Federal, Kearny

3.1943

4.6.1943

7.1943

stricken 7.1961

AKA53, 10.1949- T-AKA53

Achernar

250

Federal, Kearny

9.1943

3.12.1943

1.1944

Military Sealift Command 10.1949, to Spain 2.1965 (Castilla)

AKA54, 1.1969- LKA54

Algol (ex-James Baines)

240

Moore, Oakland

12.1942

17.2.1943

11.1943

stricken 1.1977

AKA55, 10.1949- T-AKA55

Alshain

251

Federal, Kearny

10.1943

26.1.1944

3.1944

Military Sealift Command 10.1949, stricken 7.1960

AKA56, 1.1969- LKA56

Arneb (ex-Mischief)

246

Moore, Oakland

1943

6.7.1943

11.1943

stricken 8.1971

AKA57, 1.1969- LKA57

Capricornus (ex-Spitfire)

247

Moore, Oakland

1943

14.8.1943

11.1943

stricken 1.1977

AKA58, 10.1949- T-AKA58

Chara

252

Federal, Kearny

1943

15.3.1944

6.1944

ammunition transport AE31 6.1966

AKA59

Diphda

253

Federal, Kearny

1944

11.5.1944

7.1944

stricken 1960?

AKA60, 10.1949- T-AKA60

Leo

254

Federal, Kearny

3.1944

29.7.1944

8.1944

Military Sealift Command 10.1949, stricken 7.1960

AKA61, 1.1969- LKA61

Muliphen

255

Federal, Kearny

5.1944

26.8.1944

10.1944

stricken 1.1977

AKA62

Sheliak

256

Federal, Kearny

6/1944

17.10.1944

12.1944

stricken 5.1946

AKA63

Theenim

257

Federal, Kearny

7.1944

31.10.1944

12.1944

stricken 5.1946

AKA88

Uvalde (ex-Wild Pigeon)

275

Moore, Oakland

3.1944

20.5.1944

8.1944

stricken 7.1960, reinstated 9.1961, stricken 12.1968

AKA89

Warrick (ex-Black Prince)

276

Moore, Oakland

4.1944

29.5.1944

8.1944

stricken 7.1961

AKA90

Whiteside (ex-Wings of the Morning)

277

Moore, Oakland

4.1944

12.6.1944

9.1944

stricken ~1968

AKA91

Whitley

278

Moore, Oakland

5.1944

22.6.1944

9.1944

stricken 7.1960

AKA92, 1960s- T-AKA92

Wyandot

279

Moore, Oakland

5.1944

28.6.1944

9.1944

Military Sealift Command 1960s, cargo ship T-AK283 1.1969

AKA93, 1.1969- LKA93

Yancey

280

Moore, Oakland

5.1944

8.7.1944

10.1944

stricken 1.1977

AKA94, 1.1969- LKA94

Winston

258

Federal, Kearny

7.1944

30.11.1944

1.1945

stricken 9.1976

AKA95

Marquette

259

Federal, Kearny

1945

29.4.1945

6.1945

stricken 1.1960

AKA96

Mathews

260

Federal, Kearny

9.1944

22.12.1944

3.1945

stricken 11.1968

AKA97, 1.1969- LKA97

Merrick

261

Federal, Kearny

10.1944

28.1.1945

3.1945

stricken 9.1976

AKA98

Montague

262

Federal, Kearny

1944

12.2.1945

4.1945

stricken 2.1960

AKA99

Rolette

263

Federal, Kearny

12.1944

11.3.1945

4.1945

stricken 4.1947, reinstated 8.1951, stricken 7.1960

AKA100, 10.1949- T-AKA100

Oglethorpe

264

Federal, Kearny

12.1944

15.4.1945

6.1945

Military Sealift Command 10.1949, stricken 11.1968

 

Displacement standard, t

8635

Displacement full, t

13910

Length, m

132.6 wl 139.9 oa

Breadth, m

19.2

Draught, m

7.92 max

No of shafts

1

Machinery

AKA15, 19, 20: 1 set General Electric geared steam turbines, 2 Combustion Engineering boilers

AKA16, 17: 1 set De Laval geared steam turbines, 2 Combustion Engineering boilers

AKA18, 53-63, 88-100: 1 set General Electric geared steam turbines, 2 Foster Wheeler boilers

Power, h. p.

6000

Max speed, kts

16.5

Fuel, t

oil 1553

Endurance, nm(kts)

16046(12)

Armament

1 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12, 4 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, (16 - 18) x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4

Electronic equipment

presumably SF or SG or SH or SL or SO or SU radar

Military load

15 - 16 LCVP, 8 LCM(3), 1 LCP(L), 4450 t of cargo

by 1945: 6 LCM(6), 2 LCM(3), 13 LCVP, 1 LCPL, ~4900 t of cargo, 74 - 78 marines

Complement

404

Project history: USN military transport vessels were sectioned into two groups: ÀÐ for transportation of troops and ÀÊ for carriage of goods and technics. The majority of them were built on the basis of standard types Ñ2, Ñ3 and Ñ4 and differed from usual cargo ships a little.

For delivery of troops and cargoes directly to a beaching place assault landing transport ships (ÀÐÀ and ÀÊÀ) served, which main difference from ÀÊ and ÀÐ consisted that they were extra equipped with disembarkation craft of LCVP, LCM and LCP (L) types; with their help delivery of people and cargoes to beach also was effected.

Originally similar ships were not outlined in own subclass and were registered as ÀÐ and ÀÊ. In February, 1943 reorganisation was done and assault transports have received indexation ÀÐÀ and ÀÊÀ.

Two ships of Doyen class, projected even on the eve of war for landing operations in Caribbean basin, became the first American assault military transports. The overwhelming majority of remaining ÀÐÀ and ÀÊÀ has been converted from merchant cargo and cargo-passenger vessels or constructed in hulls of standard cargo vessels built by the big series in days of war. An exception were specially projected as assault transports Gilliam (ÀÐÀ) and Artemis (ÀÊÀ) classes.

Besides the large landing transport ships of ÀÐÀ and ÀÊÀ classes, small landing parties and subversive groups were landed by fast landing transports (APD) converted from become outdated Wickes and Clemson classes destroyers and destroyer escorts of Buckley and Rudderow classes.

Andromeda class ships were built in standard type C2-S-B1 hulls.

Modernizations: None.

1/1946: 1 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 30, 4 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, (16 - 18) x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, SF or SG or SH or SL or SO or SU radar

Naval service: Leo 27.2.1945 was damaged at Iwojima by gunfire of Japanese coastal batteries. Wyandot 28.3.1945 was damaged at Okinawa by Japanese aircraft. Achernar 2.4.1945 was damaged at Okinawa by kamikaze.

Chara

© Ivan Gogin, 2014-15