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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

AK-55 / AKA-13 Titania

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Lima - Alpha
Voice Call Sign "Kosher" (50-53)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation (8) - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Korean Service Medal (7)
Fourth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal (2) - Republic of Korea War Service Meal

Arcturus Class Cargo Ship

Laid down, 25 October 1941, as SS Harry Culbreath, a Maritime Commission type (C2-F) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 132) at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. Kearny, N.J.

Commissioned USS Titania (AK-55), 27 May 1942, LCDR. Dale E. Collins in command

Reclassified Attack Cargo Ship, (AKA-13), 1 February 1943

During World War II Titania was first assigned to the European Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater participating in the following campaigns:

Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
North African Occupation Algeria-Morocco landings, 7 to 14 November 1942	Capture and defense of Guadalcanal January and February 1943
.	Treasury-Bougainville operation Occupation and defense of Cape Torokina, 1 and 8 November 1943
.	Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 1945
.	Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 26 July 1944
.	Borneo operation Tarakan Island operation, 1 to 9 May 1945 Brunei Bay operation, 10 to 11June 1945 Balikpapan operation, 1 July1945

After World War II Titania was assigned to the Naval Transportation Service (NTS) in 1946

Transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 1 October 1949

During the Korean War Titania participated in the following campaigns:

**Korean War Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
North Korean Aggression 16 to 22 July 1950 25 September to 2 November 1950	Second Korean Winter 19 to 20 December 1951 8 February 1952 18 March 1952 22 to 30 April 1952
Communist China Aggression 3 to 16 November 1950	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 31 August to 17 September 1952 24 to 28 September 1952 9 to 17 October 1952 16 to 30 November 1952 1 to 3 December 1952 6 to 18 December 1952 23 December 1952 to 6 January 1953
Communist China Spring Offensive 19 to 28 May 1951 10 to 30 June 1951	Third Korean Winter 28 January to 5 February 1953
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 14 to 30 July 1951 7 to 27 August 1951 6 to 17 September 1951 8 to 19 October 1951 30 October to 13 November 1951	.

Decommissioned, 10 July 1955

Struck from the Naval Register, 2 July 1961

Final Disposition, scrapped in 1974

Titania received six battle stars for World War II service and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation seven times. She also received seven battle stars for Korean War service

Specifications:
Displacement 7,480 t. (lt) 14,225 t. (fl.)
Length 459' 1"
Beam 63'
Draft 26' 5"
Speed 16.5 kts.
Complement 267
Armament

one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount

eight 40mm guns

eighteen 20mm guns
Propulsion one 2-stroke, 4 cylinder single-acting Doxford Diesel, single propeller, 6,000shp

Size	Image Description	Source
100k	Titania (AK-13) and Aquarius (AKA-16) at Pavuvu, Russell Islands, 28 April 1944, after bringing veterans of the Cape Gloucester Campaign to a rest camp. LCPs in the foreground, are from Wayne (APA-54), and being used as water taxis. Note SC-2 radar antenna mounted atop *Aquarius' forward kingposts. Photographed by Fitzgerald USMC photo # 86265*	US Naval Historical Center
85k	Titania (AKA-13) outboard of Aquarius (AKA-16) unload Marine veterans of the Cape Gloucester campaign at a rest camp at Pavuvu, Russell Islands, 28 April 1944. US Coast Guard photo # 2271, from the collections of the US Coast Guard Historian's Office.	Mike Green
46k	Titania (AKA-13) at Pavuvu, Russell Islands, 28 April 1944, after bringing veterans of the Cape Gloucester Campaign to a rest camp. Aquarius (AKA-16) is on *Titania's far side. LCVPs in the left foreground are from Wayne* (APA-54). Photographed by Fitzgerald. USMC photo # 86251	US Naval Historical Center
76k	Titania (AKA-13) at Wonsan Harbor, North Korea, circa 10-13 September 1951, seen from Floyd B. Parks (DD-884), which is coming alongside to take on fuel. Photographed by AFAN E.A. McDade USN. National Archives photo # 80-G-433793, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
57k	Titania (AKA-13) underway, circa 1953, location unknown. US Navy photo.	Darryl Baker
128k	Forward plan view of Titania (AKA-13) at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 16 May 1953. *Titania* was under repair at Mare Island from 19 March to 19 May 1953. Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # AKA 13 17550-5-53, 5/16/53	Darryl Baker
130k	Amidships plan view looking forward of Titania (AKA-13) at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 16 May 1953. *Titania* was under repair at Mare Island from 19 March to 19 May 1953. Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # AKA 13 17552-5-53, 5/16/53	Darryl Baker

View the Titania (AKA-13)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
No Information Available

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Last Updated 29 June 2007