USS Cassiopeia (AK-75)

Broadside view of USS Cassiopeia (AK-75) off San Francisco, 19 December 1942.
History
United States
Name:	Melville W. Fuller Cassiopeia
Namesake:	Melville W. Fuller Cassiopeia (constellation)
Ordered:	as a type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 504, SS Melville W. Fuller
Builder:	Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Laid down:	8 October 1942
Launched:	15 November 1942
Sponsored by:	Mrs. C. F. Calhoun
Acquired:	27 November 1942
Commissioned:	8 December 1942
Decommissioned:	21 November 1945
Struck:	5 December 1945
Identification:	Hull symbol:AK-75
Honours and awards:	One battle star
Fate:	returned to US Navy, 27 June 1971, disposed of as a target by USS Cutlass (SS-478), in the VACAPES area, date unknown
General characteristics [1]
Class and type:	Crater-class cargo ship
Displacement:	4,023 long tons (4,088 t) (standard) 14,550 long tons (14,780 t) (full load)
Length:	441 ft 6 in (134.57 m)
Beam:	56 ft 11 in (17.35 m)
Draft:	28 ft 4 in (8.64 m)
Installed power:	2,500 shp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion:	2 × Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, 220psi 450° 1 × Hooven-Owens-Rentschler vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine 1 × shaft
Speed:	12.5 kn (14.4 mph; 23.2 km/h)
Complement:	195
Armament:	1 × 5 in (130 mm)/38 caliber dual purpose gun 1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber dual purpose gun 2 × 40 mm (1.6 in) 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun mounts 6 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons anti-aircraft gun mounts

USS Cassiopeia (AK-75) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. It was the only ship of to bear this name. It is named after the northern hemisphere constellation Cassiopeia.

Cassiopeia was launched 15 November 1942 as liberty ship SS Melville W. Fuller (MCE hull 504) by Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. C. F. Calhoun; acquired by the Navy 27 November 1942; and commissioned 8 December 1942, Lieutenant Commander W. E. Carlson in command.

Cassiopeia sailed from San Francisco 21 December 1942 with cargo for Nouméa, where she arrived 12 January 1943. From this base, she offered essential support to the operations in the consolidation of the northern Solomons, carrying the varied necessities of war throughout the South Pacific. Between 19 June and 11 July, the cargo ship voyaged to Auckland, New Zealand, to reload, then returned with voyages from Nouméa to Guadalcanal until 9 August. Another resupply mission and a brief repair period in New Zealand preceded her resumption of South Pacific operations in November.

This pattern of ferrying vital supplies in the South Pacific alternating with voyages to New Zealand to reload continued until 6 June 1945, when Cassiopeia cleared Auckland for San Francisco, the Panama Canal Zone, and Norfolk, where she arrived 25 October. The cargo ship was decommissioned 21 November 1945, and transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal the same day.

Cassiopeia received one battle star for World War II service.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links

• Photo gallery of Cassiopeia at NavSource Naval History