USS Muliphen

Last updated

USS Muliphen (AKA-61) underway at sea, in the 1950s (L45-193.05.01).jpg
History
US flag 48 stars.svg
NameUSS Muliphen
NamesakeThe star Muliphen in the constellation Canis Major
Builder Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey
Laid down13 May 1944
Launched26 August 1944
Acquired21 October 1944
Commissioned23 October 1944
Decommissioned28 August 1970
ReclassifiedLKA-61, 1 January 1969
Stricken1 January 1977
Honors and
awards		2 battle stars (World War II)
FateSunk as an artificial reef off Fort Pierce, Florida, 21 January 1989
General characteristics
Class and type Andromeda-class attack cargo ship
Type Type C2-S-B1
Displacement7,360 long tons (7,478 t)
Length459 ft 2 in (139.95 m)
Beam63 ft (19 m)
Draft26 ft 4 in (8.03 m)
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Complement246
Armament

USS Muliphen (AKA-61/LKA-61) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1970. She was sunk as an artificial reef in 1989.

Contents

History

Muliphen was named after Muliphen, a star in the constellation Canis Major. She was laid down under Maritime Commission contract on 13 May 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J., launched on 26 August 1944, sponsored by Mrs. John Hascock, acquired by the Navy on 21 October 1944, and commissioned on 23 October 1944.

1944–1945

Following shakedown in Chesapeake Bay, Muliphen sailed on 1 December 1944 to operate with the Fleet Sonar School, Key West, Florida. On 14 December, she steamed for the Pacific where she joined Transport Division 43 off Pearl Harbor, and sailed to prepare for the invasion of Iwo Jima at Eniwetok, arriving on 5 February 1945. Muliphen arrived off Iwo Jima on 19 February, unloaded until 4 March, then retired to Saipan.

She departed on 27 March for the invasion of Okinawa, took part in a feint landing on 1 April, and repeated the feint the following day. Held in reserve off Okinawa until 10 April, she sailed then for Saipan and cargo duty between the Marianas and Solomons. She arrived Manila on 18 September with a cargo of underwater demolition gear, and spent the next three months carrying occupation troops to Japan from the Philippines, until sailing for Seattle on 24 November.

1946–1970

Serving with the Naval Transportation Service, for the next four years she carried men and supplies to Asiatic and Pacific ports, and supplied Point Barrow, Alaska in 1946 and 1947.

In 1950 Muliphen transferred to the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Amphibious Force, based at Norfolk. The following decade she rotated in a steady schedule of Caribbean and Mediterranean deployments. In 1958 she participated in the amphibious landings at Beirut, Lebanon, when a prompt response by the 6th Fleet prevented Communist subversion of Lebanon's government. Continuing similar duty in the 1960s, she also took part in NATO exercises and the training of Naval Academy midshipmen.

On 1 January 1969, Muliphen was redesignated LKA-61.

Decommissioning and fate

Muliphen was decommissioned on 28 August 1970, and transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet. The ship was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 January 1977, [1] and on 21 January 1989 was sunk as an artificial reef in a depth of 175 ft (53 m) of water off Fort Pierce, Florida [2] at 27°24.331′N80°00.337′W / 27.405517°N 80.005617°W / 27.405517; -80.005617 . [3] The wreck is used as a recreational dive site. [4]

Awards

Muliphen received two battle stars for World War II service.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Heywood L. Edwards</i> Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named after Lieutenant Commander Heywood L. Edwards (1905–1941), captain of the destroyer USS Reuben James, the first U.S. Navy ship sunk in World War II. Following the war, the ship was transferred to Japan and renamed Ariake. The ship served with the Japanese until 1974 and was scrapped in 1976.

USS <i>Algol</i> (AKA-54) Andromeda-class attack cargo ship

USS Algol (AKA-54) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship. She was the first ship of the United States Navy by this name, after Algol, a fixed star in the constellation Perseus. Algol served as a commissioned ship for 22 years and 1 month.

USS <i>Rankin</i> US Navy Tolland-class attack cargo ship in service 1945-1947, 1952-1971

USS Rankin (AKA-103/LKA-103) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1947 and again from 1952 to 1971. She was finally sunk as an artificial reef in 1988.

USS <i>Shoshone</i> (AKA-65) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

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 <i>Southampton</i> (AKA-66) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

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 <i>Yancey</i> Andromeda-class attack cargo ship sunk as an artificial reef off North Carolina

USS Yancey (AKA-93/LKA-93) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship built by the Moore Dry Dock Company of Oakland, California for the United States Navy during World War II. The ship was named in honor of Yancey County, North Carolina.

USS <i>Devosa</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

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 <i>Highlands</i> Haskell-class attack transport ship

USS Highlands (APA-119) was a Haskell-class attack transport built and used by the US Navy in World War II. She was a Victory ship design, VC2-S-AP5. She was named after Highlands County, Florida, United States.

USS <i>Hinsdale</i>

USS Hinsdale (APA-120) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Hocking</i>

USS Hocking (APA-121) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946, including participating in the Iwo Jima invasion. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Dickens</i>

USS Dickens (APA-161) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Logan</i>

USS Logan (APA-196) was a Haskell-class attack transport of the United States Navy, named for counties in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North Dakota, and West Virginia. The Haskell-class design, United States Maritime Commission standard type VC2-S-AP5, is a sub type of the World War II Victory ship design.

USS <i>Barrow</i>

USS Barrow (APA-61) was a Gilliam class attack transport serving in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scuttled in 1948.

USS <i>Queens</i>

USS Queens (APA-103) was a Windsor-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II. She was commissioned late in the war and initially assigned to transport duties; consequently she did not take part in any combat operations.

USS Lyon County (LST-904) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Nevada, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

USS <i>Monmouth County</i>

USS Monmouth County (LST-1032) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after Monmouth County, New Jersey, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.

USS <i>Pickens</i> United States Navy attack transport

USS Pickens (APA-190) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>Sanborn</i>

USS Sanborn (APA-193) was a Haskell-class attack transport acquired by the United States Navy during World War II for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.

USS <i>Lubbock</i> American naval vessel

USS Lubbock (APA-197) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1975.

USS <i>Sibley</i>

USS Sibley (APA-206) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1975.

References

  1. ↑ "MULIPHEN (LKA-61, ex-AKA 61)". Naval Vessel Register . Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  2. ↑ "Navy Cargo Ship Sunk for Reef". AP News Archive. Associated Press. 22 January 1989. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  3. ↑ Horn, Bill (24 December 2008). "State of Florida Artificial Reef Locations" (PDF). Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. p. 43. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2010. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  4. ↑ "USS Muliphen". www.wreckwiki.com. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.