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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

SS Comet (AKR-7)
ex
USNS Comet (T-LSV-7) (1963 - 1669)
USNS Comet (T-AK-269 (1958 - 1963)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Battle "E" Ribbon - National Defense Service Medal
Bottom Row - Vietnam Service Medal - Southwest Asia Service Medal- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Comet Class Roll-on Roll-off Cargo Ship:

Laid down, 15 May 1956, under Maritime Administration contract (MA hull 42) at Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, PA.

Launched, 31 July 1957

Delivered to the Navy, 24 January 1958 and placed in service under control of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as Cargo Ship USNS Comet (T-AK-269)

Redesignated Vehicle Landing Ship, (T-LSV-7), 1 January 1963

Transferred to MARAD for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA. as a member of the MARAD Ready Reserve Force (RRF), date unknown

Redesignated Vehicle Cargo Ship/ Roll-on/Roll-off Ship, (AKR-7) in 1969

Comet was berthed in the San Francisco Bay area and participated in numerous RRF exercises, and in the major deployment for Operations DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM. Comet’s last service was for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM in 2003.

Removed from MSC control, withdrawn from the RRF by reassignment to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, CA., 28 July 2006

Specifications:
Displacement 10,000 Long Tons.(lt) 16,489 Long Tons (fl)
Length 465'
Beam 78'
Draft 27' (max.)
Speed 18 kts.
Complement unknown
Armament none

Propulsion

two steam turbines

twin shafts, 12,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USNS Comet (T-AK-269)
	41k	*USNS Comet* (T-AK-269)** under way, date and place unknown.	Bill Valashinas
	161k	One truck is hoisted to the deck and another is driven up a ramp during the loading of *USNS Comet* (T-AK-269), 27 January 1958, at the Northern Metal Terminal, Philadelphia, PA. Five hydraulic ramps handle cargo. Comet** is heading to France with 378 vehicles. Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, George D. McDowell Collection, Photo No. P554131B	Mike Green
USNS Comet (T-LSV-7)
	192k	*USNS Comet* (T-LSV-7)** moored pierside in Saigon harbor, South Vietnam in May 1965. US National Archives, Photo No. USN 1116385, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives	Mike Green
	63k	*USNS Comet* (T-LSV-7)** off loading a tank onto the US Army Logistic Support Vessel USAV LCol. John U.D. Page, Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, 8 April 1967. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, December 1968.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	79k		Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	57k	*USNS Comet* (T-LSV-7)** moored pierside at Bremerhaven, Germany, April 1976.	Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	67k	*USNS Comet* (T-LSV-7)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo	Robert Hurst
	95k	*USNS Comet* (T-LSV-7) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Photo taken from USNS Meteor (T-AKR-9)**. US Navy photo	Robert Hurst
SS Comet (AKR-7) MARAD RRF
	66k	*SS Comet* (AKR-7)** under way with the assistance of a tug, date and place unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, October 1968.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	98k	*SS Comet* (AKR-7)** under way, date and place unknown.	Maritime Administration web site
	74k	*SS Comet* (AKR-7)** under way, date and place unknown.	Maritime Administration web site