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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

SS Gopher State (ACS-4)


Keystone State Class Crane Ship):
  • Laid down, 26 July 1971, at Bath Iron Works, Bath, ME. as SS Export Leader, a Maritime Administration type (C5-S-73b) hull under Maritime Administration contract (MA 257)
  • Launched, 8 July 1972
  • Delivered to the Maritime Administration, 22 January 1973
  • Assigned by the Maritime Administration to the Military Sealift Command (MSC)
  • Placed in service as SS Gopher State (ACS-4), date unknown
  • SS Gopher State is berthed at Newport News VA. and is maintained in a 5-day readiness status (ROS-5)
    Specifications:
    Displacement 13,900 t.(lt) 31,500 t.(fl)
    Length 668'
    Beam 76' 1"
    Draft 33' 5"
    Speed 17 kts.
    Complement
    Full Operational Status 89 civilian mariners,
    Reserve Operational Status 5 civilian mariners
    Cargo Capacity 300+ standard containers
    Cranes six 30 ton capacity cranes
    Armament none
    Propulsion
    two boilers
    two General Electric steam turbines; 17,500shp
    one propeller

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    Gopher State 71k SS Gopher State (ACS-4) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    MSC web site
    Gopher State
    09760411
    201k SS Gopher State (ACS-4) arrives at Johnston Atoll during "Operation Steel Box", November 1990 . The ship was delivering chemical munitions to the U.S. Army Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System for storage and disposal.
    U.S. Department of Defense photo VIRN # DF-ST-92-02441 by SSgt. Val Gempis
    Robert Hurst
    Gopher State 43k Tugs push SS Gopher State (ACS-4) into place along side the pier at Johnson Island, 1 November 1990.DOD photo # DFST9202443, by SSGT James M. Bowman Defense Visual Information Center
    Gopher State 54k SS Gopher State (ACS-4) moored pierside at Johnson Island, 1 November 1990, as chemical munitions are unloaded during Operation Steel Box. The munitions will be taken to the U.S. Army Chemical Activity on the atoll for storage and disposal.
    DOD photo # DFST9202472, by SSGT Val Gempis.
    Defense Visual Information Center
    Gopher State 42k SS Gopher State (ACS-4) moored pierside at Johnson Island, 1 November 1990, as chemical munitions are unloaded.
    DOD photo # DFST9202471, by SSGT Val Gempis.
    Defense Visual Information Center
    Gopher State 48k SS Gopher State (ACS-4) moored pierside at Johnson Island, 1 November 1990. Note, the Coast Guardsmen in a rigid-hull inflatable boat passing through the harbor.
    DOD photo # DFST9202442, by SSGT James M. Bowman
    Defense Visual Information Center
    Gopher State 48k SS Gopher State (ACS-4) moored pierside at Johnson Island, 1 November 1990. Note, line handlers on the pier ready to cast off the ships mooring lines.
    DOD photo # DFST9202442, by SSGT James M. Bowman
    Defense Visual Information Center
    Gopher State 48k SS Gopher State (ACS-4) getting under way at Johnson Island after off-loading chemical munitions, November 1990.
    DOD photo.
    Peter Westdijk
    Gopher State 82k SS Gopher State (ACS-4), operated by the Military Sealift Command, off loaded equipment from the lighterage onto the pier at Chuk Samet, Sattahip, Thailand, 4 May 2002.. Equipment transported from the lighterage was off loaded from MV 1st Lt. Jack Lummus (AK-3011) and MV PFC. Dewayne T. Williams (AK-3009) of Maritime Prepositioning Squadron Ships Three in support of Exercise Cobra Gold 2002. Cobra Gold 2002 is the 21st U.S. Pacific Command exercise conducted in Thailand demonstrating the ability of U.S. forces to deploy rapidly and conduct joint-combined operations with the Thai and Singapore armed forces.US Navy photo # 020504-N-9818S-001 by PH2 Jennifer A. Smith. Chief of Naval Information
    Gopher State 89k SS Gopher State (ACS-4) uploading Side Loading Warping Tugs (SLWT), lighterage and other equipment, date and place unknown. Federation of American Scientists
    Gopher State 56k SS Gopher State (ACS-4) under way, date and location unknown. Federation of American Scientists
    Cornhusker State
    09760626
    152k From right to left; SS Cornhusker State (T-ACS-6), SS Gopher State (T-ACS-4) and SS Flickertail State (T-ACS-5) moored at Victory Landing Park in Newport News, VA., 2 April 2015.
    Photo by Smash the Iron Cage (real name unknown)
    Robert Hurst
    Gopher State
    09760412
    115k SS Gopher State (ACS-4) in Boston's Dry Dock Number 3, at sunset, 20 December 2016.
    Courtesy of Arnold Reinhold. This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
    Robert Hurst

    SS Gopher State (ACS-4)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
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    MARAD Vessel History Database
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    Last Updated 7 July 2023