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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Pipestone (AK-203)

Alamosa Class Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, as a Maritime Commission type (C1-M-AV1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC Hull 2157), at Globe Shipbuilding Co., Superior, WI.
  • Launched, 6 March 1945
  • Acquired by the US Navy in April 1945
  • Pipestone never saw service with the US Navy
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 23 November 1945, at New Orleans
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Merchant Service
    Renamed MV Coastal Explorer by the Maritime Commission
    Sold, 21 February 1947, for $693,862 to Corperacion Peruana e Vapores, of Callao, Peru (a Peruvian Government Controlled operator), reflagged Peru, renamed MV Putumayo
    Sold in 1968 to Naviera Panamar S.A., also of Callao, renamed MV Felipe
    Sold, date unknown, to Gold Shipping S.A., Panama
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 1974 to Spanish shipbreakers
    Specifications:
    Displacement 2,382 t.(lt) 7,450 t.(fl)
    Length 338' 6"
    Beam 50'
    Draft 21' 1"
    Speed 11.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 15
    Enlisted 70
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Cargo Capacity 3,945 DWT
    non refrigerated 177,515 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
    on Nordberg TSM6 Diesel engine
    two Diesel-drive 250Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 1,700shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    War Shipping Administration
    Pipestone
    0913020302    		 56k Launching of Pipestone (AK-203), 6 March 1945, at Globe Shipbuilding Co., Superior, WI.
    US Navy photo from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Digital Library, Donated by Kenneth E. Thro    		 John Spivey
    MV Putumayo
    Pipestone 94k Ex-Pipestone (AK-203), underway in 1947-48 for the Corporacion Peruana De Vapores as MV Putumayo
    Photo from "Merchant Ships of World War II: A Post War Album 1" by Victor Young.    		 Robert Hurst
    There is no DANFS history for Pipestone (AK-203) at NavSource
    Addition 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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 13 August 2021