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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Allegan (AK-225)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Tango - Victor
 NXTV
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal
Crater Class Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 21 December 1943, as SS Van Lear Black, a Maritime Commission type (EC2-S-C1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2416) at Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Inc., Baltimore, MD.
  • Launched, 21 January 1944
  • Delivered to Merchants and Miners Transportation Co., 31 January 1944, at Baltimore, MD.
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 7 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS Allegan (AK-225), 21 September 1944, LCDR. Joseph Simpson Hulings in command
  • During World War II USS Allegan was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign;
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 3 May to 30 June 1945

  • Decommissioned, 15 November 1945 at Portsmouth, VA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 22 November 1945, for disposal, name reverted to SS Van Lear Black
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 November 1945
  • Commercial Service
    Sold November 1946 to Fordom Trading Co, New York for Cia de Nav San Leonardo S.A., Panama RP - Panamanian flag - renamed SS San Leonardo.
    Sold in 1951 to Sociedad Nav Interamericana S.A. - Panamanian flag - renamed SS Wanderer.
    Sold in 1955 to La Guayra Cia Nav S.A. - Panamanian flag - name retained
    Transferred to Liberian flag in 1956.
    Sold in 1959 to Force Steamship Corp. - US flag - renamed SS Valiant Force
    Sold in 1963 to the Potomac Steamship Corp., New York - Liberian flag renamed SS Wanderer
    Renamed SS Wanderlust in 1963 - same owners
    Sold in 1964 to Macedonian Steamship Corp - Liberian flag - renamed SS Agathopolis
    Final Disposition, sold to Japanese breakers, arrived Osaka, 30 June 1969, for scrapping
  • USS Allegan received one battle star for her World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,023 t.(lt) 14,550 t.(fl)
    Length 441' 6"
    Beam 56' 11"
    Draft 28' 4"
    Speed 12.5 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 18
    Enlisted 211
    Cargo Capacity 7,160DWT
    non-refrigerated 400,000 Cu ft.
    Largest Boom Capacity 50 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    six single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 13,500 Bbls
    Diesel 2,010 bbls
    Propulsion
    one Ellicott Machine Corp, Baltimore, MD. vertical reciprocating steam engine
    two Babcock & Wheeler header-type boilers, 220psi 450°
    Ships' Service Generators
    one turbo-drive 60Kw 120V D.C.
    three recip-drive 20Kw 120V D.C.
    single propeller, 2,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    USS Allegan (AK-225)
    Allegan 115k USSAllegan (AK-225) underway in Chesapeake Bay off her conversion yard at Baltimore, Maryland, 29 September 1944. She and the other late addition to this class, USS Appanoose (AK-226), were acquired to serve as pontoon assembly ships but initially had no distinctive external fittings for this purpose. Her camouflage is Measure 32 Design 1F.
    US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-72320, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Mike Green
    Allegan 27k USSAllegan (AK-225) at anchor, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Commercial Service
    Allegan 251k Ex- USS Allegan (AK-225) in commercial service as the Force Steamship Corp. freighter SS Valiant Force, after being seized at Naples, Italy, circa 1961.
    Photo by ©William Schell.    		 Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    USS Allegan (AK-225)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    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
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    Last Updated 20 July 2012