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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Electra (AKA-4)
ex
 USS Electra (AK-21) (1942 - 1943)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Uniform - Kilo
 NAUK
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, torpedoed, 14 November 1942) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
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 - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Arcturus Class Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, date unknown, as MV Meteor, a Maritime Commission type (C2-T) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 127) at Tampa Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. Tampa, FL.
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 16 April 1941
  • Launched, 18 November 1941
  • Commissioned USS Electra (AK-21), 17 March 1942, CDR. Jack Joffre Hughes in command
  • Reclassified Attack Cargo Ship (AKA-4), 1 February 1943
  • During World War II USS Electra served in both the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater, and the Asiatic-Pacific Theater where she was assigned to:
    TransRon Twelve, COMO. H.B. Knowles USN (17);
    TransDiv Thirty-Five, CAPT. R.C. Bartman and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    North African occupation
    Algeria-Morocco landings (Safi), 8 to 11 November 1942     		Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944
    Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 17 to 25 February 1943
      Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 to 26 June 1944
      Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944
      Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 13 to 30 October and 19 to 29 November 1944
      Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 to 17 January 1945
      Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 9 to 15 March 1945

  • Following World War II USS Electra was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    27 September to 1 October 1945
    19 to 27 October 1945

  • Decommissioned, 19 March 1946, at San Francisco, CA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the Suisun Bay National Defense Reserve Fleet, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Reacquired by the US Navy, 16 October 1951
  • Recommissioned, 3 May 1952
  • Decommissioned, 13 May 1955
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, 21 July 1960
  • Permanent transfer the Maritime Commission, 1 October 1962
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 7 May 1974, to Van Komodo International Ltd.
  • Delivered, 7 June 1974
  • USS Electra earned seven battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,480 t.(lt) 14,100 t.(fl.)
    Length 459' 1"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 5"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 43
    Enlisted 326
    Cargo Capacity 4,535 dwt
    non-refrigerated 320,474 Cu ft.
    refrigerated 6,755 Cu ft.
    Largest Boom Capacity 40 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity Diesel 8,950 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Nordberg TSM, 9 cylinder diesels, 3165 HP each, connected through clutches to a single shaft
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    two Diesel-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    one Diesel-drive 150Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Electra 50k USS Electra (AKA-4) underway, 7 March 1943, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Lou Sander
    Electra 83k USS Electra (AKA-4) off Charleston, S.C. Navy Yard, 3 July 1943.
    US National Archives RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-47413, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Robert Hurst
    Electra 77k USS Electra (AKA-4) at anchor with her boats alongside during World War II, date and location unknown. Donald Ravey (Webmaster USS Electra pages), Courtesy Lloyd Grady
    Electra 83k USS Electra (AKA-4) at anchor during World War II, date and location unknown. Donald Ravey (Webmaster USS Electra pages), courtesy Lloyd Grady
    Electra 76k USS Electra (AKA-4) underway after recommissioning in 1952, location unknown. Donald Ravey (Webmaster USS Electra pages), courtesy Gerald Mullet
    USS Electra (AK-21 / AKA-4)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Hughes, Jack Joffre17 March 1942 - 23 June 1943
    02CDR. Beightler, Charles Sprague23 June 1943 - 20 September 1944
    03CDR. Holler, Dennis Slocum20 September 1944 - March 1945
    04CDR. Austin, Clyde HaroldJuly 1945 - 1945
    05CDR. Franklin Jr., Dawson Cleveland1945 - 19 March 1946
     Decommissioned19 March 1946 - 3 May 1952
    06CDR. Magoffin, Robert Earle3 May 1952 - November 1953
    07CAPT. Hartman, Irvin SwanderNovember 1953 - December 1954
    08CAPT. Holtwick Jr., Jack SebastianDecember 1954 - 13 May 1955
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Electra (AKA 4)
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 12 April 2013