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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Octans (AF-26)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Quebec - November NWQN

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal

Octans Class Stores Ship:

Built in 1917 as SS Ulua at Workman Clark and Co., Ltd., Belfast, Northern Ireland

Acquired by the US Navy, 8 May 1943, from the United Fruit Co.

Commissioned USS Octans (AF-26), 11 June 1943, LCDR. Otto J. Stein in command

During World War II USS Octans was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater

Following World War II USS Octans was assigned to China service from 11 December 1945 to 1 January 1946

Decommissioned, 6 March 1946, at Baltimore, MD. and returned to United Fruit Co. the same day

Struck from the Naval Register, 20 March 1946

Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 17 September 1947, to Patapsco Scrap Co., (PD-X-379) for $48,430.00

Specifications:
Displacement 11,000 t.(fl)
Length 440'
Beam 54' 4"
Draft 26' 2"
Speed 13.5 kts. (max)

Complement

Officers 17

Enlisted 210

Cargo Capacity1,600 DWT

refrigerated 165,887 Cu ft.

Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.

Armament

one single 5"/51 cal gun mount

four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose guns

eight single 20mm AA gun mounts

Fuel Capacity 8,395 Bbls

Propulsion

two Workman and Clark vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engines

two Scotch single-end and two Scotch double-end boilers, 215psi Sat

three recip-drive 90Kw 110V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

twin propellers, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
09062613	15k	*Namesake* Octans is a faint constellation located in the deep southern sky.	Tommy Trampp
09062612	361k	Aerial view of United Engineering Shipyard, Alameda, CA. with *USS Octans* (AF-26) in drydock YFD-18*, 3 June 1943. Delta King* (YHB-6) is at the bottom of the photo across the pier from *YFD-18. US National Archives photo # 80-G-71465*, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Rick Davis and John Chiquoine
Mare Island Navy Yard photo # YFD 18 4375-43	93k	*USS Octans* (AF-26) drydocked in YFD 18 at Alameda, CA., 15 June 1943. Octans** was used to test the new Yard Floating Drydock which was 543’ long and 114’ wide and had a nominal lift of 10,500 tons. Mare Island Navy Yard photo # YFD 18 4375-43 and Mare Island Navy Yard photo # YFD 18 4374-43, dated 6/15/43.	Darryl Baker and Stan Svec
Mare Island Navy Yard photo # YFD 18 4374-43	93k		Darryl Baker and Stan Svec
	53k	Bows on view of *USS Octans* (AF-26)** off San Francisco, 19 June 1943. Mare Island Navy Yard photo # AF 26 4494-43, dated 6/19/43.	Darryl Baker
	49k	Stern view of *USS Octans* (AF-26)** off San Francisco, 19 June 1943. Mare Island Navy Yard photo # AF 26 4498-43, dated 6/19/43.	Darryl Baker
NH 83227	61k	*USS Octans* (AF-26)** underway off San Francisco, 19 June 1943. US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. NH 83227 and US National Archives (RG-19-LCM), Photo # 19-N-52191, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Mike Green
19-N-52191	50k		Mike Green
Mare Island Navy Yard photo # AF-26	287k	Four views of *USS Octans* (AF-26)** pierside at a San Francisco, CA. ship repair facility, 2 July 1945. Mare Island Navy Yard photo # AF 26, AF-26 9609-45-S8, AF-26 9610-45-S8, AF-26 9607-45-S8	Ed Zajkowski
Mare Island Navy Yard photo # AF-26 9609-45-S8	302k
Mare Island Navy Yard photo # AF-26 9610-45-S8	226k
Mare Island Navy Yard photo # AF-26 9607-45-S8	274k

USS Octans (AF-26)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Stein, Otto John, USNR	11 June 1943 - 29 September 1944
02	CDR. Doolin Sr., Edward Hamilton	29 September 1944 - 12 February 1945
03	LCDR. Fitzgerald, Charles F., USNR	10 February 1945 - 6 March 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

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Back To The Stores Ship (AF) Photo Index

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 16 October 2020