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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USNS Taurus (T-LSV-8)
ex
 USNS Taurus (T-AK-273) (1959 - 1963)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
National Defense Service Medal - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Casa Grande Class Landing Ship Dock:
  • Laid down, 8 November 1944, as Fort Snelling (LSD-23) at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp., Chickasaw, AL.
  • Contract canceled, date unknown
  • Uncompleted hull purchased in October 1945 by Gulf Atlantic Transportation Co.
  • Sold, 22 December 1956 to TMT Trailer Ferry Inc. for conversion to a Roll-on Roll-off ferry for service between Florida and Cuba
  • Completed in 1956 as SS Carib Queen
  • Repossessed by the US Government in February 1958 at Jacksonville, FL.
  • Laid up, 17 March 1958, in the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet, at Wilmington, N.C.
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 15 January 1959, and assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS)
  • Classified as a Cargo Ship and placed in service as USNS Taurus (T-AK-273)
  • Reclassified as a Landing Ship Vehicle (T-LSV-8), 1 January 1963
  • Placed out of service in September 1968 at Yokosuka Japan
  • Custody transferred to MARAD, 25 June 1969 for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 25 June 1969 to Union Minerals and Alloys Corp., New York NY., 25 June 1969
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 22 June 1971
    AK Specifications:
    Displacement 9,950 t.(fl)
    Length 476'
    Beam 72'
    Draft 19'
    Speed 16 kts.
    Complement 69
    Propulsion
    two Westinghouse steam turbines
    two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi
    double Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gears
    two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship' Service Generators
    twin propellers, 7,000shp
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    Taurus 813k Fort Snelling (LSD-23) under construction at Gulf Ship Building Corp., Chickasaw, AL. yard, 21 August 1945. View of stern looking forward. Note typical naval stern gate and raised anti-aircraft gun and fire control tubs on both wing walls. Well deck, wing wall bulkheads, stern gate hydraulics and interior planking are incomplete. Photo Courtesy of State Archives of Florida Don Wagner
    Taurus 227k Gulf Atlantic Transportation Company's passenger-auto ferry SS Carib Queen ready for a starboard launch at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp. shipyard at Chickasaw, AL., 25 July 1946. Photo Courtesy of State Archives of Florida. Don Wagner
    Taurus 326k Stern view of SS Carib Queen ready to launch. 25 July 1946. Note typical LSD stern has been converted to a completely enclosed stern with doors. The shape of the prow has also been modified from original LSD design. The athwartship funnels still identify the vessel as a former Landing Ship, Dock. Photo Courtesy of State Archives of Florida Don Wagner
    Taurus 39k USNS Taurus (T-LSV-8) underway, date and location unknown. James Melton
    USNS Taurus (T-LSV-8)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Dock Landing Ship (LSD) Photo Index Back To The Cargo Ship (AK) Photo Index Back To The Vehicle Landing Ship (LSV) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 4 March 2011