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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

AKA-69 Suffolk

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Tolland Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 11 July 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1396), at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co. Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 15 September 1944
  • Commissioned USS Suffolk (AKA-69), 23 October 1944, CDR. E. C. Clusman, USNR, in command
  • During World War II Suffolk was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:
  • Decommissioned, 27 June 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 19 July 1946
  • Commercial History
  • Sold for commercial service by the Maritime Administration in 1947, renamed SS Southport
  • Acquired in 1961 by United States Lines and renamed SS American Retailer
  • Acquired (date unknown) by Alcoa Steamship Co., and renamed SS Alcoa Master
  • Sold (date and owner unknown), renamed SS Columbia Star
  • Resold (date and owner unknown) renamed SS Antillian Star
  • Final Disposition, scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1971
  • Suffolk received one battle star for World War II
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,635 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 40 mm AA gun mounts
    sixteen single 20 mm AA gun mounts
    Boats
    fourteen LCVPs
    eight LCMs
    Cargo Capacity 380,000 cu ft, (5,275 t.)
    Propulsion General Electric geared turbine drive, single propeller, 6,000shp
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    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Suffolk (AKA-69)
    Suffolk 100k Suffolk (AKA-69) at anchor, date and place unknown. .
    Suffolk 60k Suffolk (AKA-69) getting underway at Astoria, OR. date unknown. Terry Sanders
    Commercial Service
    Suffolk 68k ex-Suffolk (AKA-69) in commercial service as SS Southport moored pierside at Antwerp, Belgium, circa late-1950s, Note she is in United States Lines colors. Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Suffolk 117k ex-Suffolk (AKA-69) in commercial service as the United States Lines SS American Retailer underway on the Weser River, Germany, October 1962. Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Suffolk 98k ex-Suffolk (AKA-69) in commercial service as the Alcoa Steamship Co.'s SS Alcoa Master moored pierside, Bremerhaven, Germany, July 1967. Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    View the Suffolk (AKA-69)
    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
    USS Suffolk (AKA-69)
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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 9 March 2007