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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Sarita (AKA-39)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Uniform - Quebec
 NKUQ
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
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Artemis Class Attack Cargo Ship
  • Laid down, 22 December 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BE1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1900), at Welsh-Kaiser Co. Providence, R.I.
  • Launched, 23 February 1945
  • Commissioned USS Sarita (AKA-39), 22 March 1945, LCDR. Erwin E. Smith USNR in command
  • During World War II USS Sarita was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Twenty-Three, COMO . A.S. Witherspoon;
    TransDiv Sixty-Seven
  • Following World War II USS Sarita was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 to 28 September 194515 to 21 March 1946
    20 to 28 October 19452 to 25 June 1946
    17 November to 18 December 1945 
    8 to 10 March 1946 
    22 to 29 March 1946 
    23 to 30 May 1946 

  • Decommissioned, 29 January 1947, at San Francisco, CA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration, 29 January 1947, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 25 February 1947
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 17 May 1966, to National Metal and Steel Corp., (PD-X-726 dated 22 April 1966) for $79, 627.18. Delivered, 15 May 1966. Removed 8 June 1966. Scrapping completed 13 October 1967
    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
    Sarita 83k USS Sarita (AKA-39) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Ray Bleam, Son-In Law of Dudley P. Smith BM1/c USS Sarita
    USS Sarita (AKA-39)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Smith, Erwin Ernest USNR23 March 1945 - 16 May 1946
    02CAPT. Lackner, Peter Robert USN (30)16 May 1946 - 21 October 1946
    03LCDR. Soper, Robert Thomas USNR21 October 1946 - 29 January 1947
    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
    USS Sarita (AKA-39) blog
    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 16 October 2015