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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

AKA-66 Southampton

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - India - Bravo
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)<>br>
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), 8 October 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C., LCDR. Lester V. Cooke, USNR, in command
  • During WWII Southampton was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater 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

  • Decommissioned, 21 June 1946, at Portsmouth VA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 22 June 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
  • Southampton earned two battle stars during World War II
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,318 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement Officers 62 Enlisted 333
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boats
    fourteen LCVPs
    eight LCMs
    Cargo Capacity 380,000 cu ft, (5,275 t.)
    Propulsion GE geared turbine drive, 1 propeller, 6,000 shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Southampton 93k Southampton (AKA-66) underway, date and location unknown. Terry Sanders, Webmaster. USS Suffolk (AKA-69) History and Photos web site
    View the Southampton (AKA-66)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center.
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    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 22 June 2007