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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

AK-49 / AF-40 Saturn

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Europe, Africa, Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Saturn Class Stores Ship:
  • Built in 1939 at Bremer Vulcan, Vegesach, Germany, as the Hamburg-American freighter, SS Arauca
  • Interned at Port Everglades, FL., in 1939
  • Acquired by US Navy from the Maritime Commission and Commissioned as Cargo Ship, USS Saturn (AK-49), 20 April 1942, CDR. Charles M. Furlow in command
  • Converted to a Stores Ship at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA., April 1944
  • During World War II Saturn was assigned to the European Theater and participated in the:
  • Redesignated Stores Ship (AF-40), 10 April 1944
  • Decommissioned, 23 July 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Delivered to the Maritime Commission, 25 July 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 August 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold to Isaac Varela, Castellon de la Plana, Spain, 12 September 1972 for scrapping.
  • Saturn received one battle star for her World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,088 t.
    Length 423'
    Beam 55' 5"
    Draft 24'
    Speed 17.5 kts.
    Complement 207
    Armament
    one single 5" gun mount
    two single 3" gun mounts
    one twin 40mm AA gun mount
    Propulsion system unknown
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Saturn (AK-49)
    Saturn 50k Saturn (AK-49) underway, 5 August 1942, location unknown. Stan Svec
    USS Saturn (AF-40)
    Saturn 48k Saturn (AF-40) underway, probably immediately after completing conversion to a store ship.
    US Navy photo # NH 99294 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Saturn 19k Saturn (AF-40) moored pierside, date and place unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Saturn 60k Saturn (AF-40) moored pierside, date and place unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Saturn 28k Saturn (AF-40) moored pierside, date and place unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Hesperia 78k Saturn (AF-40) and an unidentified Icebreaker are in the left background of this photo of Hesperia (AKS-13) off Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA., 26 April 1945.
    US Navy photo # NH 94524 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, courtesy of Charles N. Dragonette.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Saturn 160k Saturn (AF-40) transfers frozen provisions to Midway (CVB-41), during operations off th U.S. East Coast in the spring of 1946.
    US Navy photo # NH 99295 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Saturn 78k Saturn (AF-40) reprovisions Macon (CA-132), during operations off the U.S. East Coast, circa late April or early May 1946. Photo was released by Macon's Commanding Officer on 8 May 1946.
    US Navy photo # NH 99296 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    View the Saturn (AF-40)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    No Information Available
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 26 January 2007