USS Stratford, lead ship of the Stratford class | |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Builders | Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company |
Built | 1917-? |
In commission | 25 Aug 1941-17 Apr 1946 |
Completed | 2 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Stratford class transport |
Displacement | 2,300 (lt) 3,640 (fl) |
Length | 261 ft (80 m) |
Beam | 43 ft 6 in (13.3 m) |
Draft | 15 ft 7 in (4.7 m) |
Propulsion | Steam turbine, single screw |
Speed | 8.5-9.6 knots |
Complement | 132 (Stratford), 365 (Gemini) |
Armament |
|
The Stratford class transport was a class of transport ship that served with the United States Navy during World War II. Their purpose was to transport soldiers to overseas service.
There were only two Stratford class vessels, both built by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company. They were both apparently built for commercial service on the Great Lakes as freighters in about 1918, and operated as commercial vessels between the wars.
Shortly before America's entry into World War II, two ships were requisitioned by the US Navy. The first ship, USS Stratford , was commissioned in August 1941 and the second, USS Gemini , in August 1942. Initially designated as cargo ships (AK), they were both converted to transports (AP) shortly after commission and hence became the Stratford class transports.
Both ships were initially assigned to convoy duty to Iceland in 1942, and then later took part in operations against the Japanese in the Pacific until the end of the war. Both were decommissioned in 1946. Gemini subsequently returned to commercial service, in Norway. Stratford was scrapped in 1956.
The Victory ship was a class of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace losses caused by German submarines. They were a more modern design compared to the earlier Liberty ship, were slightly larger and had more powerful steam turbine engines, giving higher speed to allow participation in high-speed convoys and make them more difficult targets for German U-boats. A total of 531 Victory ships were built in between 1944 and 1946.
USS Colhoun (DD-85/APD-2) was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War I and later redesignated APD-2 in World War II. She was the first Navy ship named for Edmund Colhoun.
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typically loading and unloading at a seaport or onto smaller vessels, either tenders or barges.
Landing Ship, Tank (LST), or tank landing ship, is the naval designation for ships first developed during World War II (1939–1945) to support amphibious operations by carrying tanks, vehicles, cargo, and landing troops directly onto shore with no docks or piers. This enabled amphibious assaults on almost any beach.
Battleship Cove is a nonprofit maritime museum and war memorial in Fall River, Massachusetts, United States. Featuring the world's largest collection of World War II naval vessels, it is home to the highly decorated battleship USS Massachusetts. It is located at the heart of the waterfront at the confluence of the Taunton River and Mount Hope Bay and lies partially beneath the Braga Bridge and adjacent to Fall River Heritage State Park.
The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 1950. The commission replaced the United States Shipping Board which had existed since World War I. It was intended to formulate a merchant shipbuilding program to design and build five hundred modern merchant cargo ships to replace the World War I vintage vessels that comprised the bulk of the United States Merchant Marine, and to administer a subsidy system authorized by the Act to offset the cost differential between building in the U.S. and operating ships under the American flag. It also formed the United States Maritime Service for the training of seagoing ship's officers to man the new fleet.
The names of commissioned ships of the United States Navy all start with USS, for United States Ship. Non-commissioned, primarily civilian-crewed vessels of the U.S. Navy under the Military Sealift Command have names that begin with USNS, standing for United States Naval Ship. A letter-based hull classification symbol is used to designate a vessel's type. The names of ships are selected by the Secretary of the Navy. The names are those of states, cities, towns, important persons, important locations, famous battles, fish, and ideals. Usually, different types of ships have names originated from different types of sources.
Attack transport is a United States Navy ship classification for a variant of ocean-going troopship adapted to transporting invasion forces ashore. Unlike standard troopships – often drafted from the merchant fleet – that rely on either a quay or tenders, attack transports carry their own fleet of landing craft, such as the landing craft, vehicle, personnel (LCVP) or Higgins boat.
USS Mizar (AF-12) was the United Fruit Company fruit, mail and passenger liner Quirigua that served as a United States Navy Mizar-class stores ship in World War II.
USS Stratford (AK-45/AP-41) was a Stratford-class transport commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering military personnel and equipment to ships and stations in the war zone.
USS Gemini (AG-38/AK-52/AP-75) was a Stratford-class transport commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Enceladus (AK-80) was an Enceladus-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
The Bayfield-class attack transport was a class of US Navy attack transports that were built during World War II.
The Sumter-class attack transport was a class of attack transport built for service with the US Navy in World War II.
The Windsor-class attack transport was a class of nine US Navy attack transports. Ships of the class saw service in World War II.
The McCawley-class attack transport was a class of US Navy attack transport built in 1928 that saw service in World War II.
The President Jackson-class attack transport was a class of seven US Navy attack transport that saw service in World War II.
USS President Monroe (AP-104) was a President Jackson-class attack transport. that served with the US Navy during World War II. She was named after Founding Father and the fifth U.S. president, James Monroe.
The Kennebec-class oilers were sixteen United States Navy medium oilers built during World War II to three related designs at Bethlehem Sparrows Point Shipyard of Sparrows Point, Maryland and Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. of Chester, Pennsylvania, all of which survived the war. One is still in commercial service as of 2022.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .