Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Sappho (AKA-38)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Oscar - November
 NTON
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right top to bottom
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp)
Artemis Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 12 December 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BE1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1899) at Welsh-Kaiser Co. Providence R.I.
  • Launched, 3 March 1945
  • Commissioned USS Sappho (AKA-38), 24 April 1945, LCDR. Merrick A. Beach USN in command
  • During World War II USS Sappho was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Twenty-Two, COMO. S. P. Jenkins;
    TransDiv Sixty-Six, CAPT. W. G. Ludlow Jr. USN (17)
  • Following World War II USS Sappho was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    22 to 26 September 1945
    14 to 26 October 1945

  • Decommissioned, 23 May 1946, at Seattle WA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 October 1946
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA., 13 January 1947
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 12 August 1965, to Zidell Explorations Inc. Portland, OR. (PD-X-702) for $65,000.00. Removed, 9 September 1965. Scrapping completed 1 March 1966

    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
    Sappho
    100203802    		 85k USS Sappho (AKA-38) moored pierside at Shanghai, China in late December 1945 during Magic Carpet duty to load U.S. Army troops. Sappho departed Shanghai for Seattle, WA. 20 December 1945. The Royal Navy Dido-class cruiser at right is probably HMS Black Prince (81).
    Courtesy of BMI James L. Ford, USN (RET). U.S Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 89743, courtesy BM1 James L. Ford, USN (Ret.)    		 Robert Hurst
    Sappho 32k USS Sappho (AKA-38) Master-At-Arms Badge Steve Greenfield
    USS Sappho (AKA-38)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Beach, Merrick Alease USN24 April 1945 - 23 May 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 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 5 April 2024