USS Lenoir (AKA-74)

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Career
*USS Lenoir* (AKA-74)**
Laid down:	7 September 1944
Launched:	6 November 1944
Commissioned:	14 December 1944
Decommissioned:	13 June 1946
Fate:	Merchant service
General Characteristics
Hull Type:	C2-S-AJ3
Displacement:	13,910 tons full
Length:	459 ft 2 in (140 m)
Beam:	63 ft (19.2 m)
Draft:	26 ft 4 in (8.0 m)
Propulsion:	GE geared turbine drive, single propeller, 6,000 shp (4.5 MW)
Speed:	16.5 knots (31 km/h)
Boats:	14 LCVP, 8 LCM
Cargo Capacity:	380,000 ft³ (11.000 m³), 5,275 tons
Range:	17,000 miles
Complement:	247
Armament:	1 × 5 in (127 mm) / 38 caliber dual purpose gun mount, 4 × twin 40 mm gun mounts, 16 × 20 mm gun mounts

USS Lenoir (AKA-74) was a Tolland class attack cargo ship named after Lenoir County, North Carolina and the town with the same name. Like all AKAs, Lenoir 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. She served as a commissioned ship for 17 months.

Lenoir was laid down by North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, North Carolina, 7 September 1944; launched under Maritime Commission contract 6 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. John M. Kerr; acquired and commissioned 14 December 1944, Lt. Comdr. Marcus L. Whitford in command.

Lenoir departed Norfolk 21 January 1945 and arrived Pearl Harbor 20 February. After touching Eniwetok 22 March to 25 March, she sailed from Ulithi 13 April for the Okinawa landings, arriving off Hagushi beach 17 April. Within 72 hours she had discharged her cargo; though coming under air attack, she sustained no battle damage. She then voyaged to Saipan, Guadalcanal, and Guam, and arrived San Francisco 10 July.

The ship returned to Pearl Harbor 25 August to embark men of the Army 6th Division for Japan, arriving there 22 October. She departed 4 November for Portland, Oregon, arriving the 18th. The ship next sailed from Alameda, California, for Tsingtao, China, and Jinsen, Korea, on a "Magic Carpet" voyage. She returned to San Francisco 11 March 1946, sailed on to Norfolk, and was decommissioned there 13 June 1946. Returned to the Maritime Commission 14 June 1946, she was sold in 1947 to Lykes Bros. SS Co., Inc., and operated out of Tampa, Florida, as Margaret Lykes. Resold the same year to the Gulf & South American SS Co., she was renamed Gulf Merchant.