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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Prentiss (AKA-102)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Charlie - Charlie
NECC

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive, 21 June 1945)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal

Andromeda Class Attack Cargo Ship

Laid down, 10 October 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1699), at North Carolina Shipbuilding, Wilmington, N.C.

Launched, 6 December 1944

Commissioned USS Prentiss (AKA-102), 11 February 1945, LCDR. George P. Walker, USNR, in command

During World War II USS Prentiss was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater;
TransRon Twenty-Three, COMO. A. S. Witherspoon;
TransDiv Sixty-Eight, CAPT. C. R. Crutcher USN (18) and participated in the following campaign:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates
Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 21 to 30 June 1945

Decommissioned, 31 May 1946

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 1 June 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946

Commercial History

Sold by the Maritime Commission, 15 October 1947, for commercial service to Alcoa Steamship Co., and renamed SS Alcoa Ranger

Sold to Cortez Shipping Corp. in February 1967, renamed SS Cortez

Sold to Crest Overseas Shipping Co., Inc., 13 May 1969

Renamed SS Jody RE, 26 November 1969

Ran aground, 18 December 1969, off Nicaragua while enroute from Lake Charles, LA. to Saigon, South Vietnam

Severely damaged and later towed to Mobile, AL. for possible repair, repairs found to be uneconomical

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 18 March 1970, to Hierros Ardes Societa Anonima, Bilbao, Spain

USS Prentiss received one battle star for World War II service

Specifications:
Displacement 6,556 t.(lt) 14,100 t.(fl)
Length 459' 2"
Beam 63'
Draft 26' 4"
Speed 16.5 kts.

Complement

Officers 38

Enlisted 387

Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.

Cargo Capacity 5,275 DWT

non-refrigerated 380,000 Cu. ft.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts

Boats

eight LCMs

one LCP(L)

fifteen LCVPs

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 10,425 Bbls

Diesel 805 Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric steam turbine

two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 450psi 750°

double General Electric Main Reduction Gears

three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Prentiss (AKA-102)
	54k	Broadside view of *USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)** underway on the Cooper River off Charleston, S.C., 17 February 1945. US Navy Yard Charleston, S.C. photo #469-46	Robert Hall
	147k	*USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Tommy Trampp
	72k	*USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)** at anchor, date and location unknown.	Brian Forget for his father Francis W. Forget EM3/c USS Prentiss
	73k	*USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)** at anchor, date and location unknown.	Brian Forget for his father Francis W. Forget EM3/c USS Prentiss
	74k	*USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)** moored pierside, date and location unknown.	Brian Forget for his father Francis W. Forget EM3/c USS Prentiss
	58k	Shrapnel hole in *USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)*'s superstructure from a Japanese Kamikaze attack at Kerama Rhetto, 21 June 1945. Photo by Francis W. Forget USS Prentiss*	Brian Forget for his father Francis W. Forget EM3/c USS Prentiss
	125k	*USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)** crew members top to bottom, top, Francis W. Forget, Jim Landau?, and Seymour Fishman.	Brian Forget for his father Francis W. Forget EM3/c USS Prentiss
	114k	*USS Prentiss* (AKA-102) crew member Seymour Fishman holding Prentiss** life ring.	Brian Forget for his father Francis W. Forget EM3/c USS Prentiss
	43k	*USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)** unknown crew members posing on the fantail with one of the ship's life rings.	Scott Lewellen for his father LTjg. Melvin G. LewellenUSS Prentiss
	143k	King Neptune and his court arrive aboardUSS Prentiss (AKA-102) as the crew celebrates crossing the Equator, date unknown.	Scott Lewellen for his father LTjg. Melvin G. LewellenUSS Prentiss
	82k	Amphibious Transports at anchor, date and location unknown. Photo taken from *USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)**.	Scott Lewellen for his father LTjg. Melvin G. LewellenUSS Prentiss
	84k	*USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)** crew members, LTjg. Melvin Lewellen, third from right, date and location unknown.	Scott Lewellen for his father LTjg. Melvin G. LewellenUSS Prentiss
	50k	LTjg. Melvin Lewellen, left, and an unidentified officer aboard *USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)**, date and location unknown.	Scott Lewellen for his father LTjg. Melvin G. LewellenUSS Prentiss
	55k
	98k	Decommissioned Prentiss (AKA-102) moored, date and location unknown.	Brian Forget for his father Francis W. Forget EM3/c USS Prentiss
Commercial Service
	436k	Ex-*USS Prentiss* (AKA-102)** underway while in Alcoa Steamship colors as SS Alcoa Ranger, circa 1957, location unknown.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus

USS Prentiss (AKA-102)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Walker, George Pearson	11 February 1945 - 27 June 1945
02	LCDR. Tibbets, Richard Herbert	27 June 1945 - February 1946


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

Last Updated 12 April 2013