USS Gwinnett
USS Gwinnett (AK-185/AG-92/AVS-5) was originally an Alamosa-class cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy shortly before the end of World War II and converted into a Gwinnett-class aviation stores issue ship. She was found to be excess-to-needs and was placed into reserve in 1946.
History | |
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United States | |
Name | Gwinnett |
Namesake | Gwinnett County, Georgia |
Ordered | as type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2116[1] |
Builder | Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin |
Yard number | 34[1] |
Laid down | 21 December 1943 |
Launched | 14 May 1944 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. Oliva Dionne |
Acquired | 13 March 1945 |
Commissioned | 10 April 1945 |
Decommissioned | 11 February 1946 |
Reclassified |
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Refit | prior to 13 March 1945, converted to Gwinnett-class Aviation Stores Issue Ship |
Stricken | 26 February 1946 |
Identification |
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Fate | Sold, 14 August 1947 |
History | |
Republic of France | |
Name | Sainte Helene |
Acquired | 14 August 1947 |
Fate | Scrapped 1970 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type |
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Type | C1-M-AV1 |
Tonnage | 5,010 long tons deadweight (DWT)[1] |
Displacement |
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Length | 388 ft 8 in (118.47 m) |
Beam | 50 ft (15 m) |
Draft | 21 ft 1 in (6.43 m) |
Installed power |
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Propulsion | 1 × propeller |
Speed | 11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) |
Capacity |
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Complement |
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Armament |
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Constructed
Gwinnett was originally designated AK-185 and was launched as AG-92 under U.S. Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 2116, by Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin, 14 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Oliva Dionne, mother of the Dionne quintuplets. After being taken down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, Louisiana, the ship was outfitted at Port Houston Iron Works, Houston, Texas, and commissioned there 10 April 1945.[3]
Service history
World War II-related service
Soon after commissioning, Gwinnett was redesigned AVS-5 on 25 May 1945. After shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico she was ordered to the Pacific coast for disposal.[3]
Inactivation
Gwinnett arrived San Francisco, 25 January 1946. She decommissioned and was simultaneously redelivered to the U.S. Maritime Commission 11 February 1946.[3]
Merchant service
Gwinnett was initially leased to the General Steamship Corporation, on 11 July 1947, but then sold to the Republic of France on 14 August 1947.[4] She was reflagged for France and renamed Sainte Helene. She was scrapped in January 1970.
Bibliography
Online resources
- "Gwinnett". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 17 November 2016. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- "C1 Cargo Ships". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- "Gwinnett (AK-185)". Navsource.org. 21 February 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- "Gwinnett (AK-185)". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
External links
- Photo gallery of USS Gwinnett (AK-185) at NavSource Naval History