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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Lacerta (AKA-29)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Uniform - Echo
 NKUE
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Second 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 July 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BE1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1890) at Welsh-Kaiser Co. Providence, R.I.
  • Launched, 10 November 1944
  • Completed and delivered to the Maritime Commission, 19 December 1944, at Providence, R.I.
  • Acquired from the Maritime Commission and commissioned USS Lacerta (AKA-29), 19 December 1944, LCDR. Louis Funkenstein in command
  • During World War II USS Lacerta was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Twenty, COMO. H. W. Graf USN (15);
    TransDiv Fifty-Nine, CAPT. J K. Davis and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 9 April 1945

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

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    13 to 29 September 19451 to 12 October 1945
    25 to 26 November 194524 October to 19 November 1945

  • Decommissioned, 25 March 1946, at Norfolk VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS Lacerta earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 30 June 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 16 August 1966, to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. (PD-X-736 dated 22 July 1955) for $221,200.00, in a three ship deal
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,087 t.(lt) 7,080 t(fl)
    Length 426'
    Beam 58'
    Draft 16' (lim)
    Speed 16.9 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 27
    Enlisted 276
    Armament
    one single 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 LCVPs
    two LCMs
    Troop Capacity 264
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 9,540 Bbls
    Diesel 365 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Westinghouse turbo-electric engines
    two Wickes boilers, 450psi 750°
    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 Contributed
    By
    Lacerta 101k USS Lacerta (AKA-29) underway, date and location unknown. Gary Richardson, for his father, Raymond Richardson, S/1c,
    USS Lacerta1944-45.
    USS Lacerta (AKA-29)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Funkenstein Jr., Louis19 December 1944 - 1 January 1946
    02CDR. McIver Jr., DeWitt Clinton1 January 1946 - 17 January 1946
    03CDR. Parker, David Lewis, USNR17 January 1946 - 25 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
    Commissioning Program cover
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Cargo Ship (AKA) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 23 October 2015