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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

AKA-68 Stokes

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - India - Foxtrot

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 - Philippines Liberation Medal

Tolland Class Attack Cargo Ship:

Laid down, 26 June 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ3) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1394) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp, Wilmington, N.C.

Launched, 31 August 1944

Commissioned USS Stokes (AKA-68), 12 October 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C., LCDR. G. W. Graber in command

During WWII Stokes 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 4 March 1945	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 10 to 19 April 1945

Decommissioned, 9 July 1946, at Norfolk, VA.

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 9 July 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 July 1946

Commercial Service

Sold to Oceanic SS Co., 9 May 1947, converted to a Maritime Commission hull type (C2-S-AJ1), renamed SS Sierra

Sold by Oceanic SS Co., 3 March 1961, to Matson Navigation Co., renamed SS Hawaiian Banker

renamed SS Fanwood, 8 September 1961

Sold by Matson Navigation Co., to Sea-Land Services Inc., 15 September 1961.

Sold to Georgelis Mid-America Lines, Inc., 20 April 1964, renamed SS A & J Doctor Max

Repossed by Sea-Land Services Inc., 10 July 1964, renamed SS Fanwood

Title transferred to the Maritime Administration under the MARAD Exchange Program, 13 May 1965

Leased by MARAD to Sea-Land Services Inc., 13 May 1965

Returned to the Maritime Administration, 22 April 1966, at Hoboken, N.J.

Sold to Waterman Industries Corp., 22 April 1966

Sold by Waterman Industries Corp., to Gatx/Boothe Corp. 15 May 1969

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in Taiwan by Gatx/Boothe Corp. to Kenematsu-Gosho, Ltd., Japan, 4 September 1971

Stokes received two battle stars for World War II service

Specifications:
Displacement 6,318 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl)
Length 459' 2"
Beam 63'
Draft 26' 4"
Speed 16.5 kts.
Complement

62 Officers

333 Enlisted
Armament

one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
Boats

14 LCVP

8 LCM
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
USS Stokes (AKA-69)
	35k	Stokes (AKA-68) underway, date and location unknown.	Mary (Miracle) Palmer for her father Warren Howard Miracle USS Stokes
	53k	**Stokes (AKA-68) LCVP-3**, on the beach at Iwo Jima, unloading supplies and material, date unknown.	LBS Products
Commercial Service
	58k	Ex-Stokes (AKA-68) in commercial service as the Waterman S.S. Co. cargo ship SS Fanwood underway on the River Weser, Germany on a foggy day in February 1963.	Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus

View the Stokes (AKA-68)
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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Last Updated 14 December 2007