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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Sheliak (AKA-62)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Hotel - Tango
 NHHT
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal

USS Sheliak was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
Andromeda Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 19 June 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 214), at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J.
  • Launched, 17 October 1944
  • Completed and delivered to the US Maritime Commission at New York Navy Yard, 30 November 1944
  • Commissioned USS Sheliak (AKA-62) 1 December 1944, CDR. Searcy J. Lowery, USCG, in command
  • During World War II USS Sheliak was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Twenty, COMO. H. W. Graf USN (15);
    TransDiv Fifty-Eight and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaigns and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 19 April 1945
  • Decommissioned, 10 May 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Returned to the War Shipping Administration, 11 May 1946, at the US National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.l
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 21 May 1946
  • USS Sheliak received one battle star for her World War II service
  • Merchant Service
    Leased under a General Agency Agreement to the United States Lines, 22 February 1948, renamed SS Pioneer Isle
    Purchased by the United States Lines, 12 August 1948
    Resold to the Farrell Lines, Inc., in July 1965, renamed SS Australian Isle
    Resold to Windsor Maritime Co., 2 July 1969, renamed SS Transluna
    Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 13 November 1969, to Keun Hwa Iron & Steel Works and Enterprises, Ltd., China, for scrapping in Taiwan
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,556 t.(lt) 14,200 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 48
    Enlisted 351
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Cargo Capacity 4,900 dwt
    non-refrigerated 440,000 Cu. ft.,
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boats
    eight LCMs
    one LCP(L)
    fifteen LCVPs
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 10,990 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric steam turbine
    two Foster and Wheeler D-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Sheliak (AKA-62)
    Sheliak
    100206207    		 470k
    Namesake
    Sheliak is a multiple star system in the constellation of Lyra. It is approximately 960 light-years distant from the Sun.    		 Tommy Trampp
    Sheliak
    100206208
    NARA 19-LCM AKA 62-1    		 132k Sheliak (AKA-62) running trials prior to commissioning, circa late November 1944, near her builders yard, Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J. and prior to her commissioning, 1 December 1944, at New York Navy Yard. She is painted in Camouflage measure 32/8T.
    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Identifiers 19-LCM-AKA 62-1 and 19-LCM-AKA 62-2    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    Sheliak
    100206209
    NARA 19-LCM AKA 62-2    		 196k
    Sheliak 218k USS Sheliak (AKA-62) commissioning program. Heather Budge
    Sheliak 150k USS Sheliak (AKA-62) at anchor, date and location unknown.  
    Sheliak 150k USS Sheliak (AKA-62) at anchor, date and location unknown.  
    Sheliak 76k USS Sheliak (AKA-62) under way off San Francisco, soon after the end of World War II, circa 1945-1946.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 78643. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1974.
    Merchant Service United States Line
    Sheliak 2866k Ex- USS Sheliak (AKA-62) in service as the United States Lines SS Pioneer Isle, loading apples in the port of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, circa 1954. Photo from the Maritime Museum of Tasmania. Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Lowery, Searcy, James, USCG (USNA-1925)1 December 1944 - 15 December 1945
    02LCDR. Sawtell, Eggerton B., USCG15 December 1945 - 10 May 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    USS Sheliak (AKA-62)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Postal Covers related to the ship
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 16 June 2023