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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
US Navy photo NH 84238-KN from the US Naval Historical Collection

USS Jupiter (AVS-8)
ex
 USS Jupiter (AK-43) (1942 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Charlie - Bravo - Victor
 NCBV
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (5) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Congo 3-Vietnam)
Fourth Row - Philippines Liberation Medal (1) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Aldebaran Class Cargo Ship
  • Built in 1939, as M/S Flying Cloud, a Maritime Commission type (C-2) hull, under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 17) at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J.
  • Renamed M/S Santa Catalina, date unknown
  • Acquired by the Navy, 19 June 1941
  • Commissioned, USS Jupiter (AK-43), 22 August 1942, LCDR. D. S. Baker in command
  • During World War II USS Jupiter (AK-43) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    World War II Campaigns
    Capture and defense of Guadalcanal
    January-February 1943     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 22 October 1944
    Gilbert Islands operation
    November 1943     		Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, March 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 to 25 June 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, May 1945

  • Redesignated Jupiter Class Aviation Stores Issue Ship (AVS-8), 31 July 1945
  • Decommissioned, 23 May 1947, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Recommissioned, 10 October 1950, CDR. H. R. McKibben in command
  • During the Korean War USS Jupiter (AVS-8) participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    First UN Counter Offensive
    15 April 1951     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    13 to 15 May 1952
    30 June 1 July 1952
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    3 to 9 May 1951
    6 to 8 July 1951     		Third Korean Winter
    28 to 31 March 1953
    2 April 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    12 to 14 September 1951
    24 to 25 October 1951     		Korean Summer-Fall 1953
    8 to 9 May 1953
    14 to 15 May 1953
    28 June 1953
    7 to 10 and 25 to 27 July 1953
    Second Korean Winter
    11 December 1951
    30 January to 4 February 1952
    14 to 15 March 1952
    14 to 16 April 1952     		 

  • Decommissioned in June 1964
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA., 1 August 1964
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 August 1965
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in March 1971
  • USS Jupiter received six battle stars for World War II and seven battle stars for Korean War service
    Specifications
    Displacement 7,293 t.(lt) 13,900 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 25' 10"
    Speed 16.4 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 24
    Enlisted 221
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Cargo Capacity494,667 Cu ft (non-refrigerated), 7,500 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual gun mount
    four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity - NSFO 9,055 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine
    two Babcock and Wilcox D-type boilers, 465psi 765°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gear
    three 250Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed By
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    USS Jupiter (AK-43)
    Jupiter
    80-G-31879    		 84k USS Jupiter (AK-43) underway, circa 1942-1943, location unknown.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-31879 and 80-G-31881, US Navy photos now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Mike Green
    Jupiter
    80-G-31881    		 77k
    Jupiter 140k Aft plan view of USS Jupiter (AK-43) at Oakland, CA., 14 March 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1789-3-43, 3/14/43    		 Darryl Baker
    Jupiter 119k Forward plan view of USS Jupiter (AK-43) at Oakland, CA., 14 March 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1790-3-43, 3/14/43    		 Darryl Baker
    Jupiter 71k Stern view of USS Jupiter (AK-43) off Alcatraz Island with Treasure Island and Oakland Bay Bridge in the background, 16 March 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1817-3-43, 3/16/43    		 Darryl Baker
    Jupiter 71k Bow view of USS Jupiter (AK-43) off Alcatraz Island with Treasure Island and Oakland Bay Bridge in the background, 16 March 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1821-3-43, 3/16/43    		 Darryl Baker
    Jupiter 105k USS Jupiter (AK-43) underway in San Francisco Bay, 16 March 1943, after minor alterations, including the conversion of her forward kingpost pair to a goalpost mast.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-43413 a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Mike Green
    USS Jupiter (AVS-8)
    Jupiter 121k USS Jupiter (AVS-8) comes alongside USS Valley Forge (CV-45) to transfer supplies, during operations off the Korean Coast. Photo, dated 21 February 1951.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-427412, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Jupiter 98k USS Jupiter (AVS-8) comes alongside USS Valley Forge (CV-45) to transfer supplies during operations off the Korean Coast. Photo, dated 21 February 1951. Note Jupiter's name painted above her bow hull number, a rather unusual practice.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-427413, a US Navy photo now in the collection of the US National Archives    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Jupiter 105k USS Jupiter (AVS-8) underway in the Sea of Japan, 1 August 1953. Photographed from USS Boxer (CVA-21).
    US Navy photo # NH 97586 from the collection of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Aludra 120k USS Jupiter (AVS-8), in the right distance, makes her approach to take on fuel from USS Ponchatoula (AO-148) as USS Aludra (AF-55) at left, steams away after transferring stores. Photo taken from Ponchatoula, 23 August 1963, released with Commander Service Squadron THREE press release # 3-154. .
    US Navy photo # NH 104026 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Jupiter 45k USS Jupiter (AVS-8) underway, circa 1957, location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "Jane's Fighting Ships" 1958-59 Edition.    		 Robert Hurst
    Jupiter 65k USS Jupiter (AVS-8) at anchor, date and location unknown. Stanley C. Svec
    Jupiter 20k USS Jupiter (AVS-8) at anchor, date and location unknown. Gunter Krebs
    USS Jupiter (AK-43 / AVS-8)
    DANFS history entry located 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 15 April 2011