USS Sterope
USS Sterope (AK-96) unloading cargo onto pontoons at Guadalcanal, 1943
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | James Wilson |
Namesake | James Wilson |
Owner | War Shipping Administration (WSA)) |
Operator | American President Lines Ltd. (APL) |
Ordered | as a type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 183[1] |
Builder | Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, Portland, Oregon |
Cost | $1,267,331[2] |
Yard number | 186 |
Way number | 3 |
Laid down | 9 December 1941 |
Launched | 22 February 1942 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. John Spady |
Completed | 11 April 1942 |
Identification |
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Fate | Transferred to the US Navy , 27 March 1943 |
United States | |
Name |
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Namesake |
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Acquired | 27 March 1943 |
Commissioned | 14 May 1943 |
Decommissioned | 16 May 1946 |
Refit | converted for Naval service by the Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. |
Stricken | 19 November 1947 |
Identification | Hull symbol: AK-96 |
Fate | Sold for scrapping, 16 August 1963 |
General characteristics [3] | |
Class and type | Crater-class cargo ship |
Displacement |
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Length | 441 ft 6 in (134.57 m) |
Beam | 56 ft 11 in (17.35 m) |
Draft | 28 ft 4 in (8.64 m) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion |
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Speed | 12.5 kn (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) |
Complement | 207 |
Armament |
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USS Sterope (AK-96) was a
U.S. Navy for service in World War II
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Construction
Originally named SS James Wilson (MC hull 183) after
Oregon Shipbuilding Co., Portland, Oregon; launched on 22 February 1942; sponsored by Mrs. John Spady; acquired by the Navy on 27 March 1943; and commissioned on 14 May 1943.[4]
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Sterope was converted to Navy specifications by the
Service Force, Pacific Fleet.[4]
Highlights of her service came in July 1944, when she delivered supplies to American forces engaged in recapturing
Okinawa.[4]
End-of-war operations
Late in July 1945, Sterope headed for Pearl Harbor and the U.S. west coast. She reached San Francisco on 6 August and was undergoing overhaul there when the war ended. On 9 October 1945, the ship sailed for Guam and moved varied cargo among the islands of the Central Pacific for the next six months.[4]
Post-war decommissioning
Sterope arrived at
Navy list on 19 November 1947.[4]
Military awards and honors
Sterope received two
battle stars for World War II service. Her crew was eligible for the following medals:[3]
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
- World War II Victory Medal
References
Bibliography
- "Sterope". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 15 December 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- "USS Sterope (AK-96)". Navsource.org. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- "James Wilson". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- "SS James Wilson". Retrieved 15 December 2017.
External links
- Photo gallery of Sterope at NavSource Naval History