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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

AKA-55 Alshain

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5)
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (3) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Andromeda Class Amphibious Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 29 October 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 209), at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp., Kearny, N.J.
  • Launched, 26 January 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy, 31 March 1944
  • Commissioned USS Alshain (AKA-55), 1 April 1944 at Brooklyn, N.Y., Cdr. Roland E. Krause in command
  • Assigned to the Naval Transportation Service (NTS) in 1946
  • Transferred to the newly created Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 1 October 1949, redesignated (T-AKA-55)
  • Decommissioned, 14 January 1957, at Orange, TX.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1960
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration (date unknown) for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX.
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in1978
  • Alshain earned five battle stars for her World War II service and three battle stars for Korean War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,556 t.(lt) 13,900 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4"
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement 247
    Cargo Capacity 4,450 dwt cargo
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boats
    8 LCMs
    1 LCP(L)
    15 LCVPs
    Propulsion steam turbine, single shaft, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Alshain 56k Alshain (AKA-55) at anchor, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Tarrel Clark USS Alshain
    Alshain 46k Alshain (AKA-55) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, January 1954.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    View the Alshain (AKA-55)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    Tony Soria Reunion Coordinator
    2045 Avalon Drive, Merced CA. 95340
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    No Information Available
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 31 March 2006