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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Cygnus (AF-23)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Sierra - Zulu
 NBSZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Cygnus Class Stores Ship:
  • Built in 1925 as SS La Perla at Cammell Laird, Liverpool, England
  • Operated by United Fruit Co.
  • Transfered to the War Shipping Agency for delivery to Munargo Line Co., 1 June 1942 under a Transportation Corps. Agreement
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 8 July 1942
  • Commissioned, USS Cygnus (AF-23), 11 August 1943, LCDR. W. W. Williamson USNR in command
  • During World War II, USS Cygnus was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Decommissioned, 18 July 1946, at New York, N.Y. and transferred to the Maritime Commission for re-delivery to United Fruit Co.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Re-delivered to Munargo Line Co., 14 December 1946
  • Sold foreign in January 1947
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,170 t.(fl)
    Length 336' 3"
    Beam 48'
    Draft 23' 9"
    Speed 11.7kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 12
    Enlisted 100
    Cargo Capacity refrigerated 116,100, 1,770 DWT
    Largest Boom Capacity 3 t.
    Armament
    two single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    two single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 5,421 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one Cammell-Laird vertical triple expansion reciprocating steam engine
    two Scotch boilers, 190psi Sat
    Ship's Service Generators
    three recip-drive 200Kw 220V D.C.
    one recip-drive 50Kw 220V D.C.
    single propeller, 2,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Merchant Service
    Bridge 81k SS La Perla, 7 August 1942, a few days before acquisition by the Navy.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 83225, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Cygnus (AF-23)
    Bridge 163k USS Cygnus (AF-23) at Mare Island Navy Yard, 30 August 1943, after completion of conversion. The conversion alterations, circled in the photo, were relatively minor, the most conspicuous being the addition of vertical splinter protection around the gun positions fore and aft and the addition of two 20mm AA guns aft.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # unassigned, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Robert Hurst.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Cygnus (AF-23)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Williamson, Walter, William, USNR11 August 1942 - 5 May 1944
    02LCDR. Baldwin, James Thomas, USNR5 May 1944 - 15 December 1945
    03LT. Dixon, Harry Frederick, USN15 December 1945 - 18 July 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To the Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Stores Ship (AF) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 17 September 2021