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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Scania (AKA-40)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Mike - Uniform
 NHMU
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, 6 January 1945, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE-2-BE1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1901), at Walsh-Kaiser Co. Providence, R.I.
  • Launched, 17 March 1945
  • Commissioned USS Scania (AKA-40), 16 April 1945, LCDR. Ben C. Gerwick, Jr., in command
  • During World War II USS Scania was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater;
    TransRon Twenty-Three, COMO. A. S. Witherspoon;
    TransDiv Sixty-Eight, CAPT. C. R. Crutcher USN (18)
  • Following World War II USS Scania was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    10 to 28 March 194610 to 28 March 1946
    25 May to 17 June 194625 May to 17 June 1946
    9 October to 10 November 19469 October to 10 November 1946

  • Decommissioned, 2 September 1947, at San Francisco Anchorage # 26 and towed to the National Defense Fleet Anchorage at Suisun Bay CA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 2 September 1947, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 16 September 1947
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 17 May 1965, in a two ship deal to Zidell Explorations Inc, Portland, OR. (PD-X-692) for $137,000.00 includes ex-USS Garrard (APA-84). Removed 13 July 1965. Scrapping completed 23 May 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
    Scania 71k USS Scania (AKA-40) commissioning ceremony at Walsh Kaiser Co., Inc., Providence, R.I., 16 April 1945. Charles Harden, Jr. MD in honor of his father Ens Charles Harden USS Scania, April to December 1945,
    Scania
    100204003    		 47k USS Scania (AKA-40) on the Willamette River, 4 November 1945, after arrival in Portland, OR. with returning Navy personnel.
    Alfred Anthony Monner photographer, Oregon Historical Society Library.    		 Mike Green
    and Charles Harden, Jr. MD in honor of his father Ens Charles Harden USS Scania, April to December 1945,
    Scania 144k USS Scania (AKA-40) at Shanghai, China, 24 March 1946, at approximately 1430 hours, while off-loading surplus equipment brought from Okinawa for the Chinese Government.
    Photo by Pharmacist's Mate 3rd Class John M. Long, Jr., 1st Medical Battalion, 1st Marine Division, from the deck of APL-44, which was anchored in mid-stream off the city.
    US Navy photo # NH 99744 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, Courtesy of John M. Long, Jr., 2004.    		 US Navy Historical Center
    USS Scania (AKA-40)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Gerwick Jr., Ben C. USNR16 April 1945 - 7 November 1945
    02LCDR. Davis Jr., Richard USN (USNA 1925)7 November 1945 - 21 August 1946
    03LCDR. Hansen, Sigurd USNR21 August 1946 - 2 September 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
    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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 11 December 2020