Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Beltrami (AK-162)

International Radio Call Sign:
November (Nan) - Echo (Easy) - Foxtrot (Fox) - Uniform (Uncle) NEFU

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Ribbon (with Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal

Alamosa Class Cargo Ship:

Laid down, 18 July 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C1-M-AV1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2107) at Kaiser Cargo Inc., Richmond, CA.

Launched, 26 September 1944

Acquired by the Navy 4 January 1945

Commissioned USS Beltrami (AK-162), 4 January 1945, LT. Gerald W. Rahill, USNR, in command

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

Following World War II USS Beltrami was assigned to Occupation duty in Europe and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
3 to 29 March 1949	17 November 1945 to 27 June 1946
27 October to 18 November 1949	14 October 1946 to 3 March 1947

Decommissioned, 10 November 1955, at Savannah, GA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 April 1960

Returned to the Maritime Administration, 21 June1960, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Savannah

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 28 July 1960, (PD-X-582) to Hugo Neu Steel Products, removed 29 August 1960

Specifications:
Displacement 2,382 t.(lt) 7,450 t.(fl)
Length 338' 8"
Beam 50'
Draft 21' 1"
Speed 11.5 kts.

Complement

Officers 15

Enlisted 70

Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.

Cargo Capacity 3,945 DWT

refrigerated 9,830 Cu ft

non-refrigerated 227,730 Cu ft

Armament

one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount

six single 20mm AA gun mounts

Fuel Capacity

Diesel 6,300 Bbls

Propulsion

one Nordberg Diesel, TSM 6 engine

two Diesel-drive 250Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 1,700shp

Size	Image Description	Source
78k	*USS Beltrami* (AK-162)** at anchor, on the Whangpoo River, off Shanghai, China, circa 18 November to 26 January 1946.	Alice Volkert for her father Arden Keith Colby, SC USNR USS Beltrami July 1944 to January 1945
109k	*USS Beltrami* (AK-162)** underway off the Massachusetts coast during a shakedown following overhaul at the Boston Navy Yard, May to July 1949.	Gerald J. Smith, ET2 USN, USS Beltrami, September 1948 to June 1950
102k
48k	*USS Beltrami* (AK-162)** at anchor, circa 1952, location unknown.	Robert Hurst

USS Beltrami (AK-162)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

Commanding Officers
01	LT. Rahill, Gerald Wells, USNR	4 January 1945 - 5 July 1945
02	LT. Woodard, Daniel James, USNR	6 July 1945 - 27 July 1945
03	LT. Lyden, John Robert, USNR	27 July 1945 - 26 January 1946
04	LT. Drost, Willis John, USN	26 January 1946 - 31 May 1946
05	CDR. Ketchum, Gerald Lyle, USN (USNA 1931)	31 May 1946 - 1 October 1946
06	LCDR. Anderson, Norman Ward, USN	1 October 1946 - 1 February 1947
07	LT. Jensen, Andy Fred, USN	1 February 1947 - 3 June 1947
08	LT. Kohman, Robert Nichols, USN	3 June 1947 - 1 May 1948
09	CDR. Zink, William Talbott, USN (USNA 1932)	1 May 1948 - 10 August 1948
10	LT. White, Jesse Lee, USN	10 August 1948 - ?


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 Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index

Back To The Cargo Ship (AK) Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 5 August 2022