MV Cape Horn (T-AKR-5068)

37.7730888°N 122.3814327°W / 37.7730888; -122.3814327

MV Cape Horn on 2 October 1993
History
United States
NameCape Horn
NamesakeCape Horn
OwnerUnited States Department of Transportation United States Maritime Administration
BuilderTangen Verft, Kragro, Norway
Launched31 January 1979
Completed1979
AcquiredDecember 1986
CommissionedDecember 1986
Renamedfrom Barber Tonsberg
Identification
StatusLaid in San Francisco, in ROS-5 status
General characteristics
Class and typeCape H-class roll-on/roll-off
Displacement51,007 long tons
Length749 feet
Beam105 feet inches
Draft35 feet
PropulsionDiesel, single propeller
Speed17.4 knots
RangeNot Disclosed
Complement27 civilian mariners
Armamentnone
Armornone
Aircraft carriednone

MV Cape Horn (T-AKR-5068) was originally built as a commercial ship in 1979 and sold to the Wilhelmsen Line with the name Barber Tonsberg. She has two sister ships: MV Cape Hudson and MV Cape Henry.

Construction and career

It was a Norwegian-built, B&W, 9-cylinder, approximately 29000 SHP, low-speed direct drive, Swedish-operated merchant RO/RO ship until it was purchased by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, in December 1986. Operated under contract by Marine Transport Lines of Weehawken.

On 15 April 1987, the ship was moored in Pusan for shipment back to the United States after the joint United States/South Korean Exercise TEAM SPIRIT '87.[1]

In Aug 1990, the ship left San Francisco, Calif. transiting the Panama Canal enroute to Beaumont(Port Arthur), Texas to load a military cargo to be delivered to a Persian Gulf port in Saudi Arabia as part of Desert Shield. After delivering the first cargo, she proceed back stateside to Charlestown, South Carolina to load a partial military cargo and then proceed to Bayonne, New Jersey to complete the military cargo loading. After delivering the second cargo to Saudi Arabia, she proceed to Antwerp, Belgium in December 1990 to load a military cargo from West Germany. After delivering the third cargo, she proceed back stateside stopping at Port Said to await the Suez Canal Transit. On 17 Jan 1991 after the start of Desert Storm, she received a special order to proceed ASAP through the Suez Canal and headed to Jacksonville, Florida for special military cargo. After loading the special cargo. she proceed back to the Gulf and arrived after 28 Feb 1991 when the war ended. After a 2 week delay, she delivered part of her special cargo to Kuwait. She then proceeded back to Jacksonville, Florida.

MV Cape Horn was docked at a port facility in the Persian Gulf region on 19 October 1994. Army stevedores from the 567th Transportation Unit, Ft. Eustis, Virginia, were flown to the region to download the equipment from the ships in preparation for Operation Vigilant Warrior.[2]

On 18 April 2005, she housed the military tactical vehicles for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, 12th Marines, and Combat Logistics Regiment 7 for exercise Cobra Gold.[3]

From there it was later transferred to the Maritime Administrations Ready reserve fleet and assigned to San Francisco.

Further reading

References

  1. An M113 armored personnel carrier is driven into the hold of the Ready Reserve Force ship SS CAPE HORN (T-AKR 5068) for shipment back to the United States after the joint US/South Korean Exercise TEAM SPIRIT '87, 15 April 1987, retrieved 15 April 2021
  2. Navy, National Museum of the U. S. (14 August 2015), 330-CFD-DF-ST-98-04386: Operation Vigilant Warrior, October 8-December 22, 1994. A United States Army stevedore directs a tractor-trailer down the ramp of the Ready Reserve Force ship Cape Horn (T-AKR-5068) at a port facility in the Persian Gulf region on 19 Oct 1994. Army stevedores from the 567th Transportation Unit, Fort Eustis, Virginia were flown to the region to download the equipment from the ships in preparation for Operation Vigilant Warrior, the United States armed force's response to aggressive Iraqi actions towards Kuwait, 19 October 1994. Conrad M. Evans, II (OPA-NARA II-8/14/2015)., retrieved 15 April 2021
  3. Rojas, U. S. Navy photo by USMC Lance Cpl Christopher T. (18 April 2005), English: Chuc Samet, Thailand (April 18, 2005) - A logistical vehicle system debarks off of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) Ready Reserve Force roll-on/roll-off ship MV Cape Horn (T-AKR 5068), which housed the military tactical vehicles for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, 12th Marines, and Combat Logistics Regiment 7 for exercise Cobra Gold. Cobra Gold is an annual field training exercise with joint services from the U.S. Marines, Navy, Air Force, Thai Army, and Thai Royal Marines. U.S. Navy photo by USMC Lance Cpl. Christopher T. Rojas (RELEASED), retrieved 15 April 2021
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