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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Southampton (AKA-66)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - India - Bravo
 NHIB
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)
Personnel Awards

Purple Hearts (2-WIA, 1 April 1945 Iwo Jima)
Tolland Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 26 May 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1390) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp, Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 28 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS Southampton (AKA-66), 16 September 1944, at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C., CDR. Elias M. Doar Jr., in command
  • Decommissioned, 18 September 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C., for fitting out
  • Recommissioned, 8 October 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C., LCDR. Lester V. Cooke, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Southampton was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater;
    TransRon Fifteen, CAPT. W. S. Popham USN (14);
    TransDiv Forty-four, CAPT. J. H. Seyfried USN and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    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 to 11 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS Southampton was assigned to Occupation service from 3 September to 12 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 21 June 1946, at Portsmouth VA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 22 June 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • Commercial Service
  • Sold to Isbrandtsen Co. Inc, at Baltimore, MD. 15 August 1947, renamed SS Flying Clipper
  • Sold to American Export Lines, Inc., 16 July 1962
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 29 July 1971, to Chen Nan Steel and Iron Co., Taiwan
  • USS Southampton earned two battle stars during World War II
    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 Southampton (AKA-66)
    Southampton 93k USS Southampton (AKA-66) underway, date and location unknown. Terry Sanders, Webmaster. USS Suffolk (AKA-69) History and Photos web site
    Commercial Service
    Southampton 106k Ex-USS Southampton (AKA-66) in commercial service as the Isbrandtsen Co. freighter SS Flying Clipper moored pierside, date and location unknown. Photo source http://www.nautilia.gr web site Robert Hurst
    USS Southampton (AKA-66)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Doar Jr., Elias M.16 September 1944 - 18 September 1944
     Decommissioned18 September 1944 - 8 October 1944
    02LCDR. Cooke, Lester Vincent8 October 1944 - ?
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 12 April 2013