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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

AKN-2 Sagittarius

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Indus Class Net Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 8 September 1943, as J. Fred Essary, a Maritime Commission type (EC2-S-C1) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 1835) at Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard Inc., Baltimore, MD.
  • Launched, 30 September 1943
  • Acquired by the Navy, 8 December 1943
  • Commissioned USS Sagittarius (AKN-2), 18 March 1944
  • Decommissioned, 16 January 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, name reverted to J. Fred Essary
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 7 February 1946
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 1972 at Castellon, Spain
  • Sagittarius earned two battle stars during World War II
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,023 t.(lt) 14,500 t.(fl)
    Length 441' 6"
    Beam 56' 11"
    Draft 28' 4"
    Speed 12.5 kts.
    Complement 288
    Armament one 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount, four 40mm guns
    Propulsion General machinery Corp, Hamilton, OH. reciprocating steam engine, single propeller, 2,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Sagittarius 55k Sagittarius (AKN-2) after launching at Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard Inc., Baltimore, MD., 30 September 1943. David Nixon
    Sagittarius 61k Sagittarius (AKN-2) at anchor, date and place unknown. .
    View the Sagittarius (AKN-2)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    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 25 March 2005