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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Aurelia (AKA-23)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Uniform - Foxtrot
NTUF

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

Artemis Class Attack Cargo Ship:

Laid down, 5 February 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BE1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC hull 1884), at Welsh-Kaiser Co., Providence, R.I.

Launched, 4 July 1944

Delivered to the War Shipping Administration, 14 October 1944

Commissioned USS Aurelia (AKA-23), 14 October 1944, CDR. Ernest George MacMurdy in command

During World War II USS Aurelia was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater;
TransRon Eleven, COMO. D. W. Loomis USN (18)
Trans Division Thirty-Three, CAPT. S. M. Haight USN (18) and participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 14 April 1945

Following World War II USS Aurelia was assigned to Occupation service for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
21 to 28 October 1945
15 to 31 December 1945

Decommissioned, 14 March 1946 at Orange TX. and transferred to the Maritime Commission

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946

USS Aurelia earned one battle star for World War II service

Laid up, 1 July 1946, in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, AL.

Final Disposition, sold for non transportation use (scrapping) 10 January 1972, to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., delivered 21 March 1972

Specifications:
Displacement 4,025 long tons (lt) 6,800 long tons (fl)
Length 426'
Beam 58'
Draft 16' 6", loaded
Speed 16.9 kts (trial)

Complement

Officers 27

Enlisted 276

Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.

Armament

one single stern mounted 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

ten single 20mm AA gun mounts

Cargo Capacity 980 DWT non-refrigerated 110,000 Cu ft

Boats

one LCP(L)

twelve LCVP

two LCMs

Troop Accommodations 267

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 9,540 Bbls

Diesel 365 Bbls

Propulsion

twin screws, 3300 SHP each, Max. 2210 AC

two Westinghouse Turbo-electric engines

two Wickes boilers, 2-Drum, D-Type Superheaters, 44,000 lb/hr. ea, 450 psi at 750 ° F.

two Desuperheaters

two Economizers

Mechanical Ventilation, 213,135 CFM

Ship's Service Generators
two turbo-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
one turbo-drive 150Kw 450V A.C.
two turbo-drive 250Kw 450V A.C.

twin propellers, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Source
	68k	*USS Aurelia* (AKA-23)*underway off the East Coast of the United States, 24 October 1944. US National Archives photo # 80-G-289732*, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.		Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships Vol. 1 A, pg. 487

USS Aurelia (AKA-23)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. MacMurdy, Ernest George, USNR	14 October 1944 - 28 July 1945
02	CDR. Sabol, Ernest John, USNR (USNA 1927)	28 July 1945 - 4 April 1946
03	LCDR. Clark, Harry Albert, USNR	4 April 1946 - 14 March 1946


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

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

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Back To The Amphibious Cargo Ship (AKA) Photo Index

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 27 September 2019