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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

AK-16 Spica

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Sirus Class Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down 15 June 1918 as SS Shannock a US Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corp standard cargo ship at American International Shipbuilding Corp., Philadelphia, (Hog Island Facility) PA.
  • Launched, 8 August 1918
  • Acquired by the Navy from the United States Shipping Board, 16 November 1921 and renamed Spica (AK-16)
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet, at New York, then at Charleston, and finally at Philadelphia--from January 1927 until 28 February 1940
  • Commissioned, USS Spica (AK-16), 1 March 1940 at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y., Cdr. E. D. Gibb in command
  • Decommissioned, 18 January 1946, at Seattle, WA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 7 February 1946
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission for lay up pending disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 13 June 1947 to J. T. Robinson Ltd. of Canada
  • Spica was awarded one battle star during World War II
    Specifications:
    Displacement (as built) 5,800 t.(lt), 7,825 t.(fl)
    Length 401'
    Beam 54' 2"
    Draft 24' 5"
    Speed 11.5 kts.
    Complement 56
    Armament two 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts, 4 3"/50 guns, eight 20mm gun mounts
    Propulsion geared turbine engine, single screw, 2,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Spica 31k Spica (AK-16) commissioning ceremony, 1 March 1940 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Cdr. E. D. Gibb, Commanding Officer Spica, (at right) reads his orders. Tom Donovan for his father Charles "Chuck" Donovan RM1/c USS Spica 1940-May 1942.
    Spica 72k Spica (AK-16) underway while departing New York City, 13 March 1940
    Photo by Art Cor Photo Service, Brooklyn, N.Y.    		 Tom Donovan for his father Charles "Chuck" Donovan RM1/c USS Spica 1940-May 1942.
    Spica 30k Spica (AK-16) off Sitka, Territory of Alaska, 1941. Tom Donovan for his father Charles "Chuck" Donovan RM1/c USS Spica 1940-May 1942.
    View the Spica (AK-16)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    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 7 April 2006