NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Chara

Ships

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

Technical data

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
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
Electronic equipment	presumably SF or SG or SH or SL or SO or SU radar
Complement	404

Graphics

Project history

USN military transport vessels were sectioned into two groups: АР for transportation of troops and АК for carriage of goods and technics. The majority of them were built on the basis of standard types С2, С3 and С4 and differed from usual cargo ships a little.

For delivery of troops and cargoes directly to a beaching place assault landing transport ships (АРА and АКА) served, which main difference from АК and АР 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 АР and АК. In February, 1943 reorganisation was done and assault transports have received indexation АРА and АКА.

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 АРА and АКА 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 (АРА) and Artemis (АКА) classes.

Besides the large landing transport ships of АРА and АКА 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.



© Ivan Gogin, 2014-15