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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinksi

SS Cape Island (AKR-10)
ex
 USNS Mercury (T-AKR-10) (1977 - 1993)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Mike - Xray
 NEMX
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
National Defense Service Medal - Southwest Asia Service Medal - Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait)
Cape I Class Roll-on/Roll-off Ship:
  • Laid down, 16 February 1976, as SS Illinois, a Maritime Commission type (C7-S-95a) hull, under Maritime Administration contract (MA hull 295) at Bath Iron Works, Bath, ME.
  • Launched, 21 December 1976
  • Delivered for commercial service, 2 June 1977, to States Lines
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for assignment to the Military Sealift Command (MSC), renamed SS Mercury
  • Placed in service as USNS Mercury (T-AKR-10), 2 June 1977, under the management of Crowley Liner Services of Jacksonville, FL
  • Mercury (T-AKR-10) was assigned to the Military Sealift Command Near Term Prepositioning Force (NTPF) in support of the equipment of the 7th Marine Amphibious Brigade until 1993
  • Returned to MARAD control, 01 April 1993
  • Renamed SS Cape Island, 22 November 1993 and assigned to the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force, (RRF) as SS Cape Island (AKR-10) one of the Military Sealift Command's (MSC) 31 Roll-on/Roll-off ships and one of the 63 ships of the Sealift Program Office, .
  • SS Cape Island (AKR-10) is laid up as part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet in a layberth at Tacoma, WA. in ROS-5 status
    Specifications:
    Displacement 15,000 t.(lt) 33,900 t.(fl)
    Length 685'
    Beam 102'
    Draft 32'
    Speed 18.7
    Complement
    Full Operational Status 31
    Reduced Operational Status 9
    Armament none
    Propulsion two steam turbines, two propellers
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    USNS Mercury (T-AKR-10)
    Mercury 149k USNS Mercury (T-AKR-10) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Robert Hurst
    SS Cape Island (AKR-10) - MSC RRF
    Cape Island 101k SS Cape Island (AKR-10) underway in San Francisco, Bay, date unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 MSC web site
    There is no DANFS history for USNS Mercury (T-AKR-10) / SS Cape Island (AKR-10) at NavSource
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    Not Applicable to this ship
    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 7 April 2006