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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Pleiades (AK-46)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Bravo - Romeo NIBR

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (Convoy SC-107, 1 - 4 November 1943) - American Defense Service Medal (with "A" device)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal (1) - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal

Built in 1939 as MV Mangalia for the Romanian State Maritime Service by Cantieri Navali Riuniti, Palermo, Italy

Taken over while lying idle at New York, 25 June 1941, by the U.S. Maritime Commission

Acquired by the US Navy 11 August 1941

Commissioned USS Pleiades (AK-46), 25 October 1941, CDR. Drayton Harrison in command

During World War II USS Pleiades was assigned to the American Theater and the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

American Campaign	Europe-Africa-Middle East
Convoy SC-107, 3 to 8 November 1942	Invasion of Southern France, 4 to 23 September 1944

Decommissioned, 21 November 1945, at Bayonne, N.J.

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 4 March 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA., renamed MV Scepter

Struck from the Naval Register, 5 December 1946

USS Pleiades (AK-46) earned two battle stars for World War II service

Merchant Service

Sold, 17 May 1966, to Cleveland Tankers, Inc, Cleveland, OH., Removed 14 June 1966, Renamed MV Scepter,

To owner National Marine Service, Inc., Wilmington, DE. 1 December 1966

Resold, 4 January 1967, to Charles Kurz Co., Wilmington, DE.

Sold, 3 January 1968, to Union Carbide Corp, Sturgeon Bay, WI.

Title returned to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 12 January 1968

Sold, 16 February 1968, to Sturgeon Bay Iron and Steel for scrapping, for $13,999.99, Removed 7 March 1968

Final Disposition, scrapping completed, 7 June 1968

Specifications:
Displacement 8,185 t. (fl)
Length 382' 2"
Beam 50' 11"
Draft 21' 9"
Speed 13 kts.

Complement

Officers 18

Enlisted 187

Cargo Capacity 4,300 DWT

non-refrigerated 243,352 Cu ft.

refrigerated 21,200 Cu ft.

Largest Boom Capacity 3 t.

Armament

two single 3"/50 cal gun mounts

Fuel Capacity

Diesel 5,060 Bbls

Propulsion

one Fiat Diesel engine
Ship's Service Generators
two Diesel-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
one Diesel-drive 100Kw 220V D.C.

single propeller, 2,400shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
	61k	The ex-Romanian cargo ship MV Mangalia at Robins Dry Dock and Repair Co., Brooklyn, N.Y. on 23 August 1941 in preparation for conversion to *USS Pleiades* (AK-46)*. US National Archives RC-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-25105*. A US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Mike Green
0913004608	198k	MV Mangalia at Robins Dry Dock and Repair Co., Brooklyn, N.Y. prior to the start of her conversion to *USS Pleiades* (AK-46)**. Photo by Robert Aitkens Potts	David Wright
	90k	*USS Pleiades* (AK-46)** in New York harbor, probably on 24 October 1941, after conversion for US Navy service. No armament larger than machine guns is visible. US National Archives RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-25718. A US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Mike Green
	84k	*USS Pleiades* (AK-46)** under way in the harbor at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1942. From the Nova Scotia Archives, HB Jefferson collection. For educational and non commercial use.	John Chiquoine
	93k	*USS Pleiades* (AK-46)** in Broad Sound near the Boston Navy Yard, 18 March 1943. The ship now has two 3"/50 guns, one forward and one aft, and four 20mm guns at the corners of the amidships deckhouse. US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, Photo No.'s 19-N-41921, 19-N-41922, 19-N-41923 US Navy Bureau of Ships photos now in the collections of the US National Archives and US Naval History and Heritage Command photo No. NH 97494	Mike Green
19-N-41922	89k
19-N-41923	104k
NHHC NH 97494	108k

USS Pleiades (AK-46)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Harrison, Drayton. USN (USNA 1918)	25 October 1941 - ?
02	LCDR. Hoffman, John Donald, USNR	18 July 1943 - ?
03	LT. Moiley Jr., Edward T., USNR	1 June 1944 - ?
04	LT. Gjedsted, Robert James, USNR	12 July 1945 - 21 November 1945


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 29 May 2020