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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Sirona (AKA-43)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Oscar - Romeo
NTOR
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 - Europe-Africa-Middle East 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, 15 February 1945, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BE1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1904), at Welsh-Kaiser Co. Providence, R.I.
  • Launched, 17 April 1945
  • Commissioned USS Sirona (AKA-43), 10 May 1945, LCDR. Joseph A. F. Neal USNR in command
  • During her brief career USS Sirona served in both the Europe-Africa-Middle East and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters transporting troops from one to the other
  • While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS Sirona came under the command of
    TransRon Twenty-four, COMO. E. L. Short;
    TransDiv Seventy-one, CAPT. W. P. Davis USN (17)
  • Following World War II USS Sirona 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 194529 September to 2 December 1945

  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 12 June 1946, at South Boston MA. and simultaneously returned to the Maritime Commission for service as the training ship TS Yankee States at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (shared with the Maine Maritime Academy)
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • Decommissioned, 17 July 1947, at South Boston, MA.
  • Laid up, 29 July 1947, in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 7 May 1966, to Boston Metals Corp, Baltimore MD. Removed 7 June 1966. Scrapping completed 21 May 1968
    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
    Sirona 165k USS Sirona (AKA-43) under way, probably during her builders trials off Providence, R.I., circa June 1945.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 78593
    Joe Radigan, MACM USN Ret.
    Sirona 74k USS Sirona (AKA-43) moored, date and location unknown. Gerhard Muller-Debus

    USS Sirona (AKA-43)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Neal, Joseph Alexander Francis USNR 10 May 1945 - 18 December 1945
    02CAPT. Taylor, Francis USN (20)18 December 1945 - 12 June 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

    Additional Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Data Base
    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 1 July 2016