Displacement (tons): 6,318 light, 14,160 lim.
Dimensions (feet): 459.2' oa, 435.0' pp x 63.0' e x 26.4' lim.
6<10-20mmT (1946-52: AKA-104-08); 1-5"/38 4-40mmT 18>6-20mm (1946-56: AKA-103, 107); 1-5"/38 4-40mmT (1957-59: AKA 103-08);
Machinery: G.E. turbine, 1 screw
FY 1944. On 9 Nov 43 JCS requested that the MC construct 130 standard APAs and 30 standard AKAs for the Navy for completion as early in the fourth quarter of 1944 as practicable. The AKAs included 24 units of the C2-S-AJ3 type from the North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C. (AKA 64-87). On 6 Jun 44 JCS requested that the MC modify its building program for the first half of 1945 to provide for the construction of 56 merchant type vessels as Naval auxiliaries. The MC on 22 Jun 44 agreed to supply 54 ships, including eight more AKAs from North Carolina (AKA 101-108).
The C2-S-AJ series of cargo ships was built exclusively at North Carolina. This yard was one of nine established at the beginning of 1941 to build the 260 merchant ships in the first wave of the U. S. emergency merchant shipbuilding program. The new yard was built and managed by the Newport News Shipbuilding Co., whose own facilities were filled with Navy work. The yard initially built Liberty ships, but in December 1942 it received its first contract for C2 freighters and it delivered its first C2 in December 1943, four months after its last Liberty. The yard's principal C2 merchant ship design, the C2-S-AJ1, differed from the standard C2 in that it was of the full scantling rather than the shelter deck type, with a greater maximum draft and higher gross and deadweight tonnages. The Navy first drew on the yard in mid-1943 for some ammunition ships (the AE-11 class), and the yard's expected large production stream made it a natural candidate to provide the ships needed for the large AKA and AGC programs of November 1943 and June-July 1944.
All of the C2-S-AJ3s, the AKA variant of the C2-S-AJ1, were built with military features (including quadrupod masts) by the MC under its Military Program. They were produced simultaneously in two series. AKA 64-75 and 101-4 were acquired substantially complete and were ferried under their own power to the Charleston Navy Yard for conversion. AKA 76-87 and 105-108 were acquired incomplete (with main engines, auxiliary machinery and boilers on board but not connected up) and were towed to repair yards in New York and Baltimore for completion. (Originally these were to have been completed by North Carolina.) The ships of this class were laid down in the order indicated by their MC hull numbers, not their Navy AKA numbers (AKA-76 was the first laid down, and AKA-64 was the next hull laid down after AKA-78). Their landing craft allowance as fitted was 8 LCM's, 15 LCVP's, and 1 LCL launch. A distinctive recognition feature of this class was the slanted support for signal halyards, etc., stepped on the forward edge of the stack.
Three more North Carolina hulls, MC 2609-2611, were originally to be built as AKA 109-111, but the MC placed the order for these AKAs at Federal instead because it did not feel that North Carolina could produce the ships promptly enough to meet the Navy's schedule. The three North Carolina hulls were completed in late 1945 as standard C2-S-AJ1 type merchant ships.
| AKA |
Name |
MC# |
Notes |
| 64 |
TOLLAND |
1385 |
Ferry comm. 13-15 Aug 44. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. EDGAR F. LUCKENBACH 1947. Scrapped 1971 as RELIANCE CORDIALITY. |
| 65 |
SHOSHONE |
1388 |
Ferry comm. 31 Aug-4 Sep 44. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. ALAMEDA 1947. Scrapped 1971 as U.S. MATE. |
| 66 |
SOUTHAMPTON |
1390 |
Ferry comm. 16-18 Sep 44 (manned by U.S. Navy Ferry Crew #1). Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. FLYING CLIPPER 1947. Scrapped 1971. |
| 67 |
STARR |
1392 |
Ferry comm. 29 Sep-1 Oct 44 (7-hour transit 30 Sep 44). Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. INDIAN BEAR 1947. Scrapped 1970 as INDIA BEAR. |
| 68 |
STOKES |
1394 |
Ferry comm. 12-14 Oct 44. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. SIERRA 1947. Scrapped 1971 as FANWOOD. |
| 69 |
SUFFOLK |
1396 |
Ferry comm. 23-25 Oct 44. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. SOUTHPORT 1947. Scrapped 1971 as ANTILLIAN STAR. |
| 70 |
TATE |
1398 |
Ferry comm. 3-5 Nov 44. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. JULIA LUCKENBACH 1947. Scrapped 1970 as BAY STATE. |
| 71 |
TODD |
1400 |
Ferry comm. 14-16 Nov 44. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. VENTURA 1947. Scrapped 1972 as CHATHAM. |
| 72 |
CASWELL |
1402 |
Ferry comm. 27-29 Nov 44. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. SOUTHWIND 1947. To NDRF 7 Jun 63 as AMERICAN SURVEYOR. Sold by MA 10 Aug 73, to buyer 28 Aug 73. |
| 73 |
NEW HANOVER |
1403 |
Ferry comm. 6-8 Dec 44. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. ALAWAI 1947. Scrapped 1970 as SAGAMORE HILL. |
| 74 |
LENOIR |
1404 |
Ferry comm. 14 Dec 44 (transit 15 Dec 44, probably decomm. 16 Dec). Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. MARGARET LYKES 1947. Scrapped 1971 as ANTILLIAN TIGER. |
| 75 |
ALAMANCE |
1405 |
Ferry comm. 22-24 Dec 44. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. SOUTHSTAR 1947. In NDRF 1962-63 as AMERICAN SUPPLIER. Scrapped 1971 as ANTILLIAN FOX. |
| 76 |
TORRANCE |
1382 |
Delivered 98.0% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 20 Jun 44 to ca. 24 Jun 44 (transit 21-24 Jun). Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Hoboken, N.J. Merc. ALCOA ROAMER 1947. Scrapped 1972 as SINGAPORE TRADER. |
| 77 |
TOWNER |
1383 |
Delivered 96.2% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 27 Jun-4 Jul 44 (transit 30 Jun-3 Jul). Converted by Todd Shipyards, Brooklyn, N.Y. Merc. PHILIPPINE BEAR 1947. Scuttled after collision 1967 as GUAM BEAR. |
| 78 |
TREGO |
1384 |
Delivered 96.2% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 4-8 Jul 44 (transit 5-7 Jul). Converted by Bethlehem 56th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. Merc. MASON LYKES 1947. Scrapped 1969 as FLOWER HILL. |
| 79 |
TROUSDALE |
1386 |
Delivered 96.1% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 24-29 Jul 44 (transit 24-27 Jul). Converted by Todd Shipyards, Hoboken, N.J. Merc. LAFAYETTE 1947. Scrapped 1969 as GREEN DALE. |
| 80 |
TYRRELL |
1387 |
Delivered 94.6% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 30 Jul 44 to ca. 8 Aug 44 (transit 5-8 Aug). Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Key Highway, Baltimore, Md. Merc. CALIFORNIA BEAR 1947. To MA 4 Aug 67 as OCEANIC CLOUD, sold by MA 13 Oct 67. |
| 81 |
VALENCIA |
1389 |
Delivered 91.2% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 14 Aug 44 to ca. 18 Aug 44 (transit 15-18 Aug). Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Key Highway, Baltimore, Md. Merc. GENEVIEVE LYKES 1947. Scrapped 1970 as GARDEN CITY. |
| 82 |
VENANGO |
1391 |
Delivered 95.2% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 25-30 Aug 44 (transit 26-29 Aug). Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Hoboken, N.J. Converted for commercial service 28 Nov 46 to 11 Nov 47 at the Bethlehem Key Highway yard. Merc. PONCE DE LEON 1947. Scrapped 1971 as ANNA. |
| 83 |
VINTON |
1393 |
Delivered 95.0% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 7 Sep 44 to ca. 11 Sep 44 (transit 8-11 Sep). Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Key Highway, Baltimore, Md. Merc. GULF SHIPPER 1947. Scrapped 1971 as COLUMBIA BEAVER. |
| 84 |
WAUKESHA |
1395 |
Delivered 94.9% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 20-25 Sep 44 (transit 20-24 Sep). Converted by Todd Shipyards, Brooklyn, N.Y. Merc. MARY LUCKENBACH 1947. Sank BENEVOLENCE (AH-13) in collision 1950. Scrapped 1970 as BAYOU STATE. |
| 85 |
WHEATLAND |
1397 |
Delivered 97.9% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 6-12 Oct 44 (transit 7-10 Oct). Converted by Atlantic Basin Iron Works, Brooklyn, N.Y. (originally scheduled for Bethlehem Steel, Brooklyn). Merc. BEATRICE 1947. Scrapped 1973 as GRAND LOYALTY. |
| 86 |
WOODFORD |
1399 |
Delivered 98.0% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 19-26 Oct 44 (transit 22-26 Oct). Converted by Todd Shipyards, Hoboken, N.J. Merc. SUZANNE 1947. Scrapped 1973 as RAPPAHANNOCK. |
| 87 |
DUPLIN |
1401 |
Delivered 97.9% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 30 Oct 44 to ca. 9 Nov 44 (transit 7-9 Nov) for conversion at the Bethlehem Steel Co. Key Highway yard, Baltimore, Md. In service again for ferrying under tow 15-18 Dec 44 (transit 16-17 Dec), converted by NYd Norfolk. Merc. KATHRYN 1947. To NDRF 28 Sep 67 as RIO GRANDE. Sold by MA 6 Jan 71, to buyer 20 Jan 71. |
| 101 |
OTTAWA |
1698 |
Accepted 9 Jan 45, ferry comm. to 10 Jan 45. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. ANDREA F. LUCKENBACH 1947. Wrecked 12 Mar 51 off Hawaii. |
| 102 |
PRENTISS |
1699 |
Accepted 12 Jan 45, ferry comm. to 14 Jan 45. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Merc. ALCOA RANGER 1947. Scrapped 1970 as JODY RE. |
| 103 |
RANKIN |
1702 |
Accepted 25 Jan 45, ferry comm. to 27 Jan 45. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). Commissioning also recorded as 25 Feb 45. Stk. 23 Jun 47, decomm. and to MC and NDRF 21 May 47. Contract of sale to Isbrandtsen Co., Inc., signed 18 Dec 47, out of NDRF 30 Dec 47, approval of this sale rescinded by MC 17 Aug 48 and ship returned to NDRF 26 Aug 48. Reinst. 17 Jul 51, from MC 24 Sep 51. To LKA-103 1 Jan 69. To NDRF 12 Aug 71, to Florida for use as a fish reef 23 Sep 87, delivered by MA 5 May 88. |
| 104 |
SEMINOLE |
1703 |
Accepted 6 Feb 45, ferry comm. to 8 Feb 45. Converted by NYd Charleston (S.C.). To LKA-104 1 Jan 69. To NDRF 20 May 71, to buyer 12 Dec 77. |
| 105 |
SKAGIT |
1696 |
Delivered 98.0% complete. Accepted 28 Nov 44, in service for ferrying under tow to ca. 20 Dec 44 (transit 1-20 Dec, adrift 5-7 Dec after breaking tow in storm). Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Hoboken, N.J. In USN reserve 1949-50. To LKA-105 1 Jan 69. To NDRF 19 May 70, to buyer 22 Apr 74. |
| 106 |
UNION |
1697 |
Delivered 98.0% complete. Accepted 4 Dec 44, in service for ferrying under tow to 22 Dec 44 (transit 17-22 Dec after weather delay). Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Hoboken, N.J. To LKA-106 1 Jan 69. To NDRF 18 Aug 70, to buyer 12 Dec 77. |
| 107 |
VERMILION |
1700 |
Delivered 98.0% complete. Accepted 23 Dec 44, in service for ferrying under tow to 8 Jan 45 (transit 4-8 Jan). Converted by Todd Shipyards, Brooklyn, N.Y. In USN reserve 1949-50. To LKA-107 1 Jan 69. To NDRF 27 Jul 71, delivered by MA for use as a fish reef 4 Mar 88. |
| 108 |
WASHBURN |
1701 |
Delivered 98.0% complete. Accepted 30 Dec 44, in service for ferrying under tow to 13 Jan 45 (transit 10-13 Jan). Converted by Todd Shipyards, Hoboken, N.J. To LKA-108 1 Jan 69. To NDRF 19 Aug 70, to buyer 20 Dec 79, scrapped by 18 Feb 80. |
© Stephen S. Roberts, 2002-2007