Andromeda-class attack cargo ship

The Andromeda-class attack cargo ships were a class of amphibious cargo ship built by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Kearny, New Jersey, and Moore Dry Dock Co., in Oakland, California, during World War II. Like all attack cargo ships, they were designed to carry combat loaded military cargo and landing craft, and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies, and troops on enemy shores during amphibious operations.

USS Rolette – a typical Andromeda-class AKA
Class overview
Builders
Built1943–1945
Completed30
General characteristics
Class and typeType C2 ship
Displacement6,761 tons empty
Length459 ft 2 in (140 m)
Beam63 ft (19 m)
Draft26 ft 4 in (8 m)
Speed16.5 kn (31 km/h)
Complement247 (varies)
Armament

All these ships were built on the same standard hull design, but there were some differences from ship to ship. The armament varied, as did that of the other ships of the day. During 1944–1945, the 5"/38 was recognized as the best gun for the dual role of antiaircraft and naval gunfire support, and the 40 mm was seen as the best antiaircraft gun. The older 20 mm and .50 caliber guns had been recognized to be of limited value, and were being phased out, though they appeared on some of these ships. The 20 mm guns were later removed from all of them, but it is not clear just when this happened.

The complement varied as well, but the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships figures sometimes seem to confuse ship's company with embarked troops in determining a ship's complement.

Ships

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List of Andromeda-class ships
Name Hull no. MC hull Builder Laid down Launched Comm. Decomm. Fate
Andromeda AKA-15 199 FSBD 22 Sep 1942 22 Dec 1942 2 Apr 1943 1 May 1956
  • stricken 1 July 1960
  • sold in 1971
Aquarius AKA-16 205 FSBD 28 Apr 1943 23 Jul 1943 21 Aug 1943 23 May 1946
  • stricken 13 Nov 1946
  • sold 12 Feb 1947
Centaurus AKA-17 FSBD 3 Sep 1943 21 Oct 1943 30 Apr 1946
  • returned to the Maritime Commission 11 Sep 1946
  • transferred to United States Lines 24 Feb 1947
Cepheus AKA-18 FSBD 23 Oct 1943 16 Dec 1943 22 May 1946
  • returned to the Maritime Commission 1946
Thuban AKA-19 203 FSBD 2 Feb 1943 26 Apr 1943 10 Jun 1943 Oct 1967
  • reclassified as amphibious cargo ship, redesignated LKA-19 1 Jan 1969
  • remained in National Defense Reserve Fleet into Oct 1979
Virgo AKA-20 204 FSBD 9 Mar 1943 4 Jun 1943 16 Jul 1943 1 Jul 1961
  • redesignated AE-30 1 Nov 1965
  • stricken 18 Feb 1971
  • sold for scrapping 19 Nov 1973
19 Aug 1966 18 Feb 1971
Achernar AKA-53 FSBD 6 Sep 1943 3 Dec 1943 31 Jan 1944 1 Jul 1963
  • transferred to Spanish Navy as Castilla (TA-21) 2 Feb 1965
  • scrapped in 1982
1 Sep 1961 1 Jul 1963
Algol (ex-James Barnes) AKA-54 1153 MDD 10 Dec 1942 17 Feb 1943 27 Nov 1943 3 Dec 1943
  • reclassified LKA-54 1 Jan 1969
  • stricken 1 Jan 1977
  • sunk as artificial reef 18 Nov 1991
21 Jul 1944 2 Jan 1958
17 Nov 1961 23 Jul 1970
Alshain AKA-55 209 FSBD 29 Oct 1943 26 Jan 1944 1 Apr 1944 14 Jan 1956
  • reclassified USNS Alshain (T-AKA-55) 1 Oct 1949
  • stricken 1 Jul 1960
  • sold for scrap 16 Feb 1978
Arneb (ex-Mischief) AKA-56 1159 MDD 6 Jul 1943 22 Apr 1944 16 Mar 1948
  • reclassified LKA-56 1 Jan 1969
  • stricken 13 Aug 1971
  • sold for scrap 1 Mar 1973
19 Mar 1949 12 Aug 1971
Capricornus (ex-Spitfire) AKA-57 MDD 14 Aug 1943 31 May 1944 30 Mar 1948
  • reclassified LKA-57 1 Jan 1969
  • stricken 1 Jan 1977
  • scrapped 1985
12 Oct 1950 10 Feb 1970
Chara AKA-58 FSBD 15 Mar 1944 14 Jun 1944 21 Apr 1959
  • reclassified AE-31, 25 Jun 1966
  • stricken 10 Mar 1972
  • sold for scrap 12 Nov 1972
25 Jun 1966 Mar 1972
Diphda AKA-59 FSBD 11 May 1944 8 Jul 1944 11 May 1956
  • placed in reserve 11 May 1956
Leo AKA-60 FSBD 17 Mar 1944 29 Jul 1944 30 Aug 1944 11 Feb 1955
  • stricken 1 Jul 1960
  • sold for scrap 19 Jul 1976
Muliphen AKA-61 FSBD 13 May 1944 26 Aug 1944 23 Oct 1944 28 Aug 1970
  • reclassified LKA-61 1 Jan 1969
  • stricken 1 Jan 1977
  • sunk as an artificial reef off Fort Pierce, Florida, 21 Jan 1989
Sheliak AKA-62 214 FSBD 19 Jun 1944 17 Oct 1944 1 Dec 1944 10 May 1946
  • stricken 21 May 1946
  • sold into commercial service 1948
  • scrapped 1969
Theenim AKA-63 215 FSBD 18 Jul 1944 31 Oct 1944 22 Dec 1944 10 May 1946
  • stricken 12 May 1946
  • scrapped 1970
Uvalde AKA-88 1188 MDD 27 Mar 1944 20 May 1944 18 Aug 1944 1957
  • stricken 1 Jul 1960, reinstated 1 Sep 1961
  • stricken 1 Dec 1968
  • sold for scrap 1969
18 Nov 1961 1 Dec 1968
Warrick AKA-89 1189 MDD 7 Apr 1944 29 May 1944 30 Aug 1944 3 Dec 1957
  • stricken 1 Jul 1961
  • sunk as a target ship 28 May 1971
Whiteside AKA-90 1190 MDD 22 Apr 1944 12 Jun 1944 11 Sep 1944 30 Jan 1958
  • stricken 1 Jul 1961
  • sunk as a target ship 1971
Whitley AKA-91 1191 MDD 2 May 1944 22 Jun 1944 21 Sep 1944 16 Aug 1955
  • stricken 1 Jul 1960, reinstated 1 Dec 1961
  • loaned to Italy Feb 1962, renamed Etna (A 5328)
  • stricken and sold to Italy 1 May 1973
  • scrapped Jul 1979
Wyandot AKA-92 1192 MDD 6 May 1944 28 Jun 1944 30 Sep 1944 10 Jul 1959
  • reclassified T-AKA-92 Mar 1963
  • sold for scrap 5 Nov 1987
Nov 1961 31 Oct 1975
Yancey AKA-93 1193 MDD 22 May 1944 8 Jul 1944 11 Oct 1944 Mar 1958
  • redesignated as LKA-93 1 Jan 1969
  • stricken 1 Jan 1977
  • sunk as artificial reef off Morehead City, NC, 1990
17 Nov 1961 20 Jan 1971
Winston AKA-94 216 FSBD 10 Jul 1944 30 Nov 1944 19 Jan 1945 1 Feb 1957
  • reclassified LKA-94 1 Jan 1969
  • stricken 1 Sep 1976
  • sold for scrap 15 Nov 1979
24 Nov 1961 Nov 1969
Marquette AKA-95 FSBD 29 Apr 1945 20 Jun 1945 19 Jul 1955
  • turned over to the Maritime Commission, placed in National Defense Reserve Fleet 9 Jan 1960
  • scrapped 1972
Mathews AKA-96 FSBD 15 Sep 1944 22 Dec 1944 15 Mar 1945 4 Apr 1947
  • stricken 1 Nov 1968
  • sold for scrap 1969
16 Feb 1952 31 Oct 1968
Merrick AKA-97 219 FSBD 19 Oct 1944 28 Jan 1945 31 Mar 1945 26 Jun 1946
  • reclassified LKA–97 1 Jan 1969
  • stricken 1 Sep 1976
  • withdrawn from reserve, traded to States Marine Lines 19 Dec 1979
  • scrapped 13 Mar 1980
19 Jan 1952 17 Sep 1969
Montague AKA-98 FSBD 12 Feb 1945 12 Apr 1945 22 Nov 1955
  • sold for scrapping 12 Mar 1971
Rolette AKA-99 FSBD 2 Dec 1944 11 Mar 1945 27 Apr 1945 late 1945
  • stricken 23 Apr 1947, reinstated 13 Aug 1951
  • stricken 1 Jul 1960
  • scrapped 1978
23 Feb 1952 1 May 1956
Oglethorpe AKA-100 FSBD 26 Dec 1944 15 Apr 1945 6 Jun 1945 1968
  • stricken 1 Nov 1968
Sedgwick AKA-110 canceled before keel laid 27 Aug 1945
Whitfield AKA-111 2898 FSBD

See also

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References

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