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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Shoshone (AKA-65)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Golf - Kilo
NHGK

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

Tolland Class Attack Cargo Ship:

Laid down, 12 May 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1388), at North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp, Wilmington, N.C.

Launched, 17 July 1944

Commissioned USS Shoshone (AKA-65), 24 September 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C., LCDR. Stanley E. Melville, USNR, in command

During WWII USS Shoshone was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater;
TransRon Fifteen, CAPT. W. S. Popham USN (14)
TransDiv Forty-Three and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 1 March 1945	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April 1945

Following World War II USS Shoshone was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
1 to 18 October 1945
4 to 22 November 1945

Decommissioned, 28 June 1946

Returned to the Maritime Commission for disposal

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 July 1946

USS Shoshone earned two battle stars for World War II service

Sold by the Maritime Commission for commercial service in 1947

Merchant Service

Purchased by Oceanic Steamship Corp. in 1947, renamed SS Alameda

Traded to Matson Lines in 1961, renamed SS Hawaiian Trader

Sold to Waterman Steamship Corp renamed SS Short Hills in late 1961

Renamed SS Colorado in 1964

Exchange Program, Conqueror Freighters Inc., title passed 7 April 1966, renamed SS U.S. Mate

Sold to Merchant Mariners in June 1967

Sold to AEC Shipping Corp, 28 December 1967

Sold for scrapping, 30 December 1970, to Sing Chung Yung Iron and Steel Co. Ltd., Taiwan

Specifications:
Displacement 8,635 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl), 14,160 (lim)
Length 459' 2"
Beam 63'
Draft 26' 4"
Speed 16.5 kts.

Complement

Officers 62

Enlisted 333

Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts

Boats

fourteen LCVPs

eight LCMs

Cargo Capacity 5,275 DWT

non-refrigerated 380,000 Cu ft

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 10,425 Bbls

Diesel 805 Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric geared turbine

two Foster Wheeler boilers, 450psi 750°

double General Electric Main Reduction Gears

three Ship's Service Generators 300Kw, 120V/240V D.C.

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Shoshone (AKA-65)
	57k	*USS Shoshone* (AKA-65)** under way, date and location unknown.	Terry Sanders USS Suffolk
	85k	*USS Shoshone* (AKA-65)** seen from astern, with USS LSM-145 alongside. Probably during the Iwo Jima landings in February 1945. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 105032. Collection of Robert B. Campbell. Courtesy of his family, 2007.	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	90k	*USS Shoshone* (AKA-65)** at right off Iwo Jima during the landings there, February 1945. At left is USS LST-713, with USS LCI(G)-739 alongside. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 105030. Collection of Robert B. Campbell. Courtesy of his family, 2007.	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	74k	*USS Shoshone* (AKA-65)** at right off Iwo Jima during the landings there, February 1945. USS LST-785 is in the extreme left. USS LST-713, with USS LCI(G)-739 alongside, is in the left center, US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 105030. Collection of Robert B. Campbell. Courtesy of his family, 2007.	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	67k	*USS Shoshone* (AKA-65)** at anchor, probably in San Francisco Bay, in late 1945 or in 1946. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 78594. Courtesy of James Russell.	US Naval Historical Center
Merchant Service Matson Lines Waterman S.S. Corp.
	75k	Ex-*USS Shoshone* (AKA-65)** showing Matson Line colors as SS Alameda moored pierside, date and location unknown	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	108k	Ex-*USS Shoshone* (AKA-65)** in merchant service as the Waterman Steamship Corp., SS Short Hills at Bremerhaven, Germany in April 1963.	Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	59k	Ex-Shoshone (AKA-65) under way while in merchant service as the AEC Shipping Company's SS U.S. Mate in the Malacca Strait, circa late 1960s. Photo by Airfoto Malacca.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	201k	Barge *Seattle* and SS U.S. Mate alongside *USS Iredell County* (LST-839)** probably off Vietnam, circa 1968. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 82553 by PH1 Don Grantham	Mike Smolinski