USS Enceladus (AK-80)
|
| Career (US) |
|
| Ordered: |
as N3-M-A1 hull, MC hull 463 |
| Laid down: |
14 February 1942, as SS Elias D. Knight |
| Launched: |
9 October 1942 |
| Acquired: |
18 August 1943 |
| Commissioned: |
18 August 1943 |
| Decommissioned: |
18 December 1945 |
| Struck: |
date unknown |
| Fate: |
Sold in 1964 for non-transportation use |
| General characteristics |
| Displacement: |
1,677 t.(lt), 5,202 t.(fl) |
| Length: |
269 ft 10 in (82.25 m) |
| Beam: |
42 ft 6 in (12.95 m) |
| Draught: |
20 ft 9 in (6.32 m) |
| Propulsion: |
Diesel, single shaft, 1,300 shp |
| Speed: |
10 knots (19 km/h) |
| Complement: |
83 |
| Armament: |
one 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount |
USS Enceladus (AK-80) was an Enceladus-class[Note 1] 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.
Enceladus (AK-80) was built by the Penn Jersey Shipbuilding Co., Camden, New Jersey, in 1942, acquired and commissioned by the Navy on 18 August 1943, Lieutenant Melville M. Coombs, USCGR, in command.
World War II Pacific Ocean operations
During World War II she operated entirely in the southwest Pacific Ocean, all the while U.S. Coast Guard manned. She shuttled supplies between supply bases which included Noumea, New Caledonia, Tongatapu, Torokina, Bougainville, Emirau, and Guadalcanal. She was occupied with inter-island freight traffic until 4 August 1945 when she arrived at Pearl Harbor. Enceladus was decommissioned on 18 December 1945 and turned over to the Maritime Commission.
Military awards and honors
Enceladus’ crew was eligible for the following medals:
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
- World War II Victory Medal
Notes
- ^ Only USS Enceladus (AK-80) of the ten ships of the Enceladus class, composed of Maritime Commission N3-M-A1 type small cargo vessels, saw significant naval service. Of the other nine, excpting USS Hydra (AK-82), all were transferred within months or days of shipyard delivery to Navy to the Army. Hydra was transferred to Army shortly after commissioning and trials. Navy had assumed the administration of contracts for these ships from the Maritime Commission on 1 January 1943 during or before construction and thus most were only administratively Navy, including names and numbers, during construction.
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links