![]() USS Electra (AKA-4) | |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name | USS Electra |
Namesake | Electra, a star in the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus |
Builder | Tampa Shipbuilding Company, Tampa, Florida |
Laid down | as MV Meteor |
Launched | 18 November 1941 |
Acquired | 16 April 1941 |
Commissioned | 17 March 1942, as USS Electra (AK-21) |
Decommissioned | 19 March 1946 |
Reclassified | AKA-4 (attack cargo ship), 1 February 1943 |
Recommissioned | 3 May 1952 |
Decommissioned | 13 May 1955 |
Honours and awards | 6 battle stars (World War II) |
Fate | Sold for scrap, 7 June 1974 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Arcturus-class attack cargo ship |
Type | Type C2 ship |
Displacement | 14,225 long tons (14,453 t) |
Length | 459 ft 1 in (139.93 m) |
Beam | 63 ft (19 m) |
Draft | 20 ft 1 in (6.12 m) |
Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
Complement | 267 |
Armament |
|
USS Electra (AKA-4) was an Arcturus-class attack cargo ship named after Electra, a star in the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus. She served as a commissioned ship for seven years.
Electra (AK-21) was launched 18 November 1941 as Meteor by Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, Fla., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. C. O. Andrews, wife of the Senator from Florida; transferred to the Navy 16 April 1941; and commissioned 17 March 1942. She was reclassified AKA-4, 1 February 1943.
After a fast voyage from Norfolk, Va., to Wellington, New Zealand, between 10 May and 18 July 1942, to deliver men of the 1st Marines, Electra, upon her return trained in the Chesapeake Bay with troops assigned to the initial north African landings. On 23 October she sailed for French Morocco and saw action during the invasion landings off Safi on 8 November. Although several of her landing boats were lost under intensive fire from the beach, she unloaded her cargo by the 14th and got underway with wounded soldiers on board. Bound for Fedhala, she was torpedoed on the starboard side by German U-boat U-173 . USS Cole (DD-155) took off all of Electra's crew and passengers except for a ship's salvage party, and with the assistance of several ships, Electra was beached at Casablanca two days later. Her remaining cargo was discharged, and her ship's company with the aid of salvage facilities ashore performed a herculean repair job which enabled her to return to Charleston 30 April 1943.
Following an overhaul and permanent repairs, Electra carried out amphibious training in Chesapeake Bay until the end of the year, then sailed from Norfolk on 11 December 1943 for the Pacific. She departed Pearl Harbor 23 January 1944 for the invasion of the Marshalls, and during the capture of Kwajalein furnished her boats for the occupation of the small islands north of the atoll, and refueled minecraft and small craft of the invasion force. After discharging part of her cargo, she sailed to Eniwetok where she supplied boats and equipment for the initial landings 18 February. After unloading the remainder of her cargo, Electra returned to Pearl Harbor 8 March.
In June 1944, Electra served in the assault landings on Saipan, debarking her troops 15 June and unloading cargo and embarking casualties for return to Pearl Harbor until 26 June. She arrived at Guadalcanal in August to stage for the invasion of the Palaus, and on 15 September took part in the feint assault on Babelthuap to divert attention from the main landings on Peleliu. Two days later she was engaged as control boat for the initial assault on Angaur, remaining there to unload cargo until the 23d.
After a brief respite at Manus, Electra sortied for the invasion of the Philippines, landing her troops and cargo at Tacloban, Leyte, 20 October 1944, sailing 2 days later for the Palaus. She lifted troops from Guam for support landings on 23 November, then sailed to Hollandia, New Guinea, to prepare for the next invasion. On 9 January 1945, Electra arrived at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon for the initial assault, made under air attack, and successfully offloaded her troops and cargo by the 17th. She returned to New Guinea briefly to embark Army troops for transfer to support operations at Mindoro, then sailed to Ulithi, arriving 19 February.
On 18 March 1945, Electra arrived off Iwo Jima to embark men of the fighting 5th Marines for transportation to Pearl Harbor, arriving 15 April. The transport then continued on to the West Coast of the United States for overhaul. When the war ended, Electra was back at Pearl Harbor. She carried occupation troops to Wakayama and Hiro Wan from Pearl Harbor and the Philippines, then embarked returning veterans for the States, arriving at San Francisco 10 November 1945. She was placed out of commission in reserve 19 March 1946, and returned to the Maritime Commission 1 July 1946.
Reacquired from the Maritime Commission 16 October 1951 as a result of the Korean War, Electra was recommissioned 3 May 1952. She operated along the West Coast of the United States, taking part in amphibious exercises and acting as a submarine target vessel. In June 1953 she loaded cargo at Long Beach for a supply mission in the Arctic, then sailed from Seattle 10 July with TF 9 to arrive at Icy Cape on the 21st. Electra furnished provisions, fuel, and water to other ships in the force, as well as unloading cargo for northern bases. She returned to San Diego 2 September, and except for a supply mission to the Pribilof Islands from 10 July to 7 September 1954, Electra continued training and upkeep along the west coast until placed out of commission in reserve again 13 May 1955. Electra was sold for scrap on 7 June 1974 to Van Komodo International Inc. [1]
Electra received six battle stars for World War II service.
The first USS La Salle (AP-102) of the United States Navy was the lead ship of her class of transport ships in use during the latter part of World War II.
USS Achernar (AKA-53) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship of the United States Navy during World War II and after.
USS Shoshone (AKA-65) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship of the United States Navy, named after a river in Wyoming. She was designed to carry military cargo and landing craft, and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies, and Marines on enemy shores during amphibious operations. USS Shoshone served as a commissioned ship for 21 months.
USS Southampton (AKA-66) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was sold into commercial service and scrapped in 1971.
USS Storm King (AP-171) was a Storm King class auxiliary transport of the United States Navy. She was designed as a troop carrier, and named after Storm King Mountain.
USS Alshain (AKA-55) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy. She was named after the star Alshain in the constellation Aquila, and served as a commissioned ship for 11 years and 9 months.
USS Devosa (AKA-27) was an Artemis-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1966.
USS Aurelia (AKA-23) was an Artemis-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1972.
USS Artemis (AKA-21) was an Artemis-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947. She was scrapped in 1966.
USS Centaurus (AKA-17) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship named after the constellation Centaurus. She was one of a handful of World War II AKAs manned by officers and crew from the United States Coast Guard. She served as a commissioned ship for 2 years and 6 months.
USS Aquarius (AKA-16) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy. She was named after the constellation Aquarius. She was one of a handful of World War II AKAs manned by officers and crew from the United States Coast Guard. She served as a commissioned ship for 2 years and 9 months.
USS Procyon (AKA-2) was an Arcturus-class attack cargo ship of the United States Navy, named after Procyon, a star in the constellation Canis Minor. She was laid down and launched in 1940, entering service shortly before the American entry into World War II. She served with distinction in World War II, earning five battle stars. Her work included shipping planes in the Pacific, and troops in North Africa. She was part of the Invasion of Sicily and the Invasion of Okinawa. She served as a commissioned ship for 5 years and 4 months. In 1946, the ship was decommissioned, and was later sold to Levin Metals Corp. on 19 November 1973.
USS Bolivar (APA-34) was a Bayfield-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was then sold into commercial service and was scrapped in 1973.
USS James O'Hara (APA-90) was a Frederick Funston-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II and later in the Korean War. The ship was named after a Continental Army officer who fought in the Revolutionary War and who later became Quartermaster General of the US Army.
USS Barnstable (APA-93) was a Bayfield-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was sold to commercial service in 1948 and finally scrapped in 1974.
USS Custer (AP-85/APA-40) was a Bayfield-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was sold into commercial service in 1948 and was scrapped in 1973.
USS Fayette (APA-43) was a Bayfield-class attack transport that served with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. In 1947, she was sold into commercial service, where she served as SS Robin Gray until being scrapped in 1972.
USS Pierce (APA-50) was an Ormsby-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.
USS Sheridan (APA-51) was an Ormsby-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.
USS Harris (APA-2) was an Emergency Fleet Corporation Design 1029 ship launched for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) on 19 March 1921 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, at Sparrows Point, Maryland as Pine Tree State. After operation by commercial lines for the USSB, during which the ship was renamed President Grant and operated commercially until laid up in the late 1930s.