MV American Cormorant (AK-2062), was a heavy-lift cargo ship built in 1975, that took part in the Gulf War.[1] The ship is named after a genus of cormorant comprising three species found in the Americas, hence the common name American cormorant.[2]

MV American Cormorant
History
United States
NameAmerican Cormorant
NamesakeAmerican Cormorant
Owner
BuilderEriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstad
Yard number674
Laid down1975
Launched1975
Completed1975
Renamed
  • Kollbris (1975–1982)
  • Ferncarrier (1982–1985)
  • American Cormorant (1985–2005)
  • Asian Atlas (2014–2010s)
Identification
FateScrapped
General characteristics
TypeHeavy-lift cargo ship
Displacement
  • 17,942 metric tons (17,659 long tons), light
  • 70,692 metric tons (69,576 long tons), full
Length738 ft (225 m)
Beam175 ft 4 in (53.44 m)
Draft34 ft 0 in (10.36 m)
Propulsion
Speed16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Capacityapprox. 4,190 metric tons (4,120 long tons)
Complement20 mariners

Construction and commissioning

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The ship was built in 1975 by the Eriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstad, Gothenburg, Sweden. She was delivered to be used by Odd Berg & Co. as MV Kollbris in the same year until January 1982.[3][4]

Kollbris was later sold to Fearnley & Eger and renamed to MV Ferncarrier from 1982 until 1985. During her time in Fearnley & Eger, she was converted from a tanker to a heavy-lift carrier.[5][3]

In 1985, she was bought by Osprey Ship Management as MV American Cormorant and chartered by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) for the US Army.[6] She was assigned to Marine Prepositioning Squadron 2 and was forward deployed at Diego Garcia.[3] American Cormorant was underway in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm in 1991.[7]

The contract with MSC was completed in 2002 and she would be returned to commercial service with Osprey until 2014.[3] Sam Woo Holdings Ltd. bought and operated the ship as Asian Atlas.[8][9] She would be scrapped later.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "AMERICAN CORMORANT (AK 2062)". Naval Vessel Register. 30 September 2002. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  2. ^ Kennedy, Martyn; Spencer, Hamish G. (1 October 2014). "Classification of the cormorants of the world". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 79: 249–257. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2014.06.020. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 24994028.
  3. ^ a b c d "Cargo Ship Photo Index". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  4. ^ "KOLLBRIS - IMO 5191804 - ShipSpotting.com - Ship Photos and Ship Tracker". www.shipspotting.com. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Ferncarrier - IMO 7388712 - ShipSpotting.com - Ship Photos and Ship Tracker". www.shipspotting.com. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  6. ^ "AMERICAN CORMORANT - IMO 7388712 - ShipSpotting.com - Ship Photos and Ship Tracker". www.shipspotting.com. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  7. ^ OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM: THE LOGISTICS PERSPECTIVE (PDF). ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY. September 1991. p. 8.
  8. ^ a b "Asian Atlas, IMO 7388710, Call sign S7TY, Semi submersible ships". ship-photo-roster.com. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  9. ^ "ASIAN ATLAS - IMO 7388712 - ShipSpotting.com - Ship Photos and Ship Tracker". www.shipspotting.com. Retrieved 16 February 2022.