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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 J. 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 1944
	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, 12 April 1946

Reacquired by the US Navy, 16 October 1951

Recommissioned, 3 May 1952

Decommissioned, 13 May 1955

Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown

USS Electra earned seven battle stars for World War II service

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

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
USS Electra (AK-21)
100200414	80k	*Namesake* Electra - A blue-white giant star in the constellation of Taurus. It is the third-brightest star in the Pleiades open star cluster (M45); the most visible stars in this group are named for the Seven Sisters of Greek mythology. M45 Map	Tommy Trampp
	213k	*USS Electra* (AK-21) under way, 9 November 1942, probably off Norfolk Navy Yard. Although the photo is labeled "AKA-4*" this is Electra* (AK-21) if photo is correctly dated. US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics photo # X1646 for Amphibious Force Atlantic Fleet	Steve Franklin
Charleston Navy Yard drydock Photos At about 0640, 15 November 1942, while proceeding to Fedala and about 17 miles off the coast, *USS Electra* (AK-21)** was struck by a torpedo on the starboard side in way of No. 3 hold. The explosion of the torpedo blew the hatch covers off No. 3 hold and was followed immediately by two smaller explosions, probably caused by bangalore torpedoes in the cargo. Charleston Navy Yard dry dock photos of the repair of the torpedo damage to USS Electra.
	934k	*USS Electra* (AK-21)** loading and flooding diagram on 15 November 1942. Navy Department Library; War Damage Report No. 32, Transports torpedoed off Fedala, 11-15 November 1942.	Mike Green
	55k	*USS Electra* (AK-21)** port side view looking forward while in dry-dock at the Charleston Navy Yard. The small patches are covering fragment holes from the starboard side torpedo explosion on 15 November 1942. Navy Department Library; War Damage Report No. 32, Transports torpedoed off Fedala, 11-15 November 1942.	Mike Green
	54k	*USS Electra* (AK-21)** starboard side view looking forward while in dry-dock at the Charleston Navy Yard. The view shows the outside of the large patch covering the torpedo hole. Navy Department Library; War Damage Report No. 32, Transports torpedoed off Fedala, 11-15 November 1942.	Mike Green
	59k	*USS Electra* (AK-21)** inside starboard side view looking forward of the torpedo hole patch while in dry-dock at Charleston Navy Yard. Navy Department Library; War Damage Report No. 32, Transports torpedoed off Fedala, 11-15 November 1942.	Mike Green
	51k	*USS Electra* (AK-21)** view looking forward and to starboard showing the inside shoring of the torpedo hole patch. Also visible is the fragment damage to the third deck at the upper edge of the hole. Navy Department Library; War Damage Report No. 32, Transports torpedoed off Fedala, 11-15 November 1942.	Mike Green
USS Electra (AKA-4)
	50k	*USS Electra* (AKA-4)** underway, 7 March 1943, location unknown. US Navy photo.	Lou Sander
	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, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Robert Hurst
100200415	175k	*USS Electra* (AKA-4)** underway off Charleston, S.C. Navy Yard, 5 July 1943 after repair and overhaul. US National Archives photos, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photos now in the collections of the US National Archives	Dirk Dijksman>
100200416	119k
100200417	138k
100200418	194k
100200421	475k	*USS Electra* (AKA-4)** underway, date and location unknown. U.S. Navy photo	MARAD
	143k	*USS Electra* (AKA-4)** at anchor off the East Coast of the United States, 9 September 1943. US National Archives, Photo No. 80-G-299370, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives	Mike Green
	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
	83k	*USS Electra* (AKA-4)** at anchor during World War II, date and location unknown.	Donald Ravey (Webmaster USS Electra pages), courtesy Lloyd Grady
100200420	468k	*USS Electra* (AKA-4)** port side view underway after battle damage repair, circa October 1944 probably off New York Navy Yard U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo	Nicholas Tiberio
100200419	601k	*USS Electra* (AKA-4)** moored starboard side to, after battle damage repair, circa October 1944 probably at New York Navy Yard U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo	Nicholas Tiberio
	76k	*USS Electra* (AKA-4)** under way, between 3 May 1952 and 13 May 1955. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 91928 colorized for commercial sale.	Robert Hurst and Donald Ravey (Webmaster USS Electra pages), courtesy Gerald Mullet.
	353k	*USS Electra* (AKA-4)** under way, circa 1950s, location unknown US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 91928	Robert Hurst

USS Electra (AK-21 / AKA-4)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Hughes, James Joseph, USN (USNA 1919)	17 March 1942 - 23 June 1943
02	LCDR. Beightler, Charles Sprague, USN (USNA 1920)	23 June 1943 - 20 September 1944
03	LCDR. Holler, Dennis Slocum, USNR	20 September 1944 - November 1945
04	LCDR. Austin, Clyde Harold, USN	November 1945 - January 1946
05	LT. Franklin Jr., Dawson Cleveland, USNR	January 1946 - 19 March 1946
	Decommissioned	19 March 1946 - 3 May 1952
06	CDR. Magoffin, Robert Earle, USN (USNA 1933)	3 May 1952 - November 1953
07	CAPT. Hartman, Irvin Swander, USN (USNA 1933)	November 1953 - December 1954
08	CAPT. Holtwick Jr., Jack Sebastian, USN (USNA 1927)	December 1954 - 13 May 1955


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
MARAD Vessel History Database
Transports Torpedoed Off Fedala, 11 - 15 November 1942
USS Electra (AK-21) War Diary 10 May 1942 to 29 January 1943
USS Electra (AKA-4) War Diary 1 February 1943 to 31 December 1945

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 21 April 2023

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

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

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