USNS Marshfield (T-AK-282)
History
United States
NameMarshfield Victory
NamesakeMarshfield, Massachusetts, Marshfield, Wisconsin
OwnerWar Shipping Administration
OperatorAmerican Export Line
Orderedas type (VC2-S-AP2) hull, MCV hull 106
BuilderOregon Shipbuilding Corporation, Portland, Oregon
Way numberIMO 5226568
Laid down1 April 1944
Launched15 May 1944
Completed7 June 1944
FateTransferred to US Navy in 1968
NotesInternational Radio Call Sign: NIZX
United States
NameUSNS Marshfield (T-AK-282)
OperatorUS Navy
Stricken30 November 1992
IdentificationHull symbol:T-AK-282
FateScrapped 30 June 2006.
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeVC2-S-AP3 Victory ship, then rebuilt in 1963 to USNS Marshfield (T-AK-282)
Displacement
  • 4,512 metric tons (4,441 long tons) (standard)
  • 15,589 metric tons (15,343 long tons) (full load)
Length455 ft (139 m)
Beam62 ft (19 m)
Draft29 ft 2 in (8.89 m)
Installed power8,500 shp (6,300 kW)
Propulsion
  • 1 × steam turbine
  • 1 × shaft
Speed15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph)
Complement
  • 12 officers
  • 87 enlisted
Armament
Notes[2]

USNS Marshfield (T-AK-282) was a Fleet Ballistic Missile Cargo Ship, which was launched as a World War II commercial Victory cargo ship SS Marshfield Victory under the Emergency Shipbuilding program. The Marshfield Victory was acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1968.[3]

Victory ship built in Oregon

SS Marshfield Victory was laid down under U.S. Maritime Commission contract at Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation of Portland, Oregon on 1 April 1944; launched 15 May 1944; and delivered to her operator, American Export Line on 7 June 1944. In 1968 she was renamed the USNS Marshfield.[4]

Marshfield Victory was one of many new 10,500-ton class ships to be known as a Victory ship, designed to replace the earlier Liberty Ships. Liberty ships were designed to be used solely for World War II, whereas Victory ships were designed to last longer and to serve the US Navy after the war. Victory ships differed from Liberty ships in that they were faster, longer, wider, taller, and had a thinner stack set farther toward the superstructure. In addition, they had a long raised forecastle.

World War II service

SS Marshfield Victory was owned by the Maritime Commission, she served on the merchant sealanes under the control of the War Shipping Administration during the post World War II work. She was operated by the American Export Line. With the war over and her post-war work completed, on 17 August 1948 she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Wilmington, North Carolina.

Korean War

On 25 August 1950 she was removed from the Reserve Fleet and serviced to return her to active duty for the Korean War. SS Marshfield Victory served as merchant marine ship, with the Orion Shipping and Trading Company supplying goods for the Korean War. About 75 percent of the personnel taking to Korea for the Korean War came by the merchant marine ship.[5] On 10 October 1953 she was put into the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Olympia, Washington.

US Navy

On 22 August 1968 she was transferred to the US Navy. She was refitted to be a Fleet Ballistic Missile Cargo Ship, to support Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarine tenders at Holy Loch, Scotland and Naval Station Rota in Spain. As a fleet ballistic missile cargo ship, she transported torpedoes, Poseidon missiles, packaged petroleum, and spare parts to deployed to the submarine tenders. She was placed into service with Military Sealift Command as USNS Marshfield (T-AK-282). Her regular assignment was the transportation of missile components and ship's stores from Charleston, South Carolina to submarine tenders at Holy Loch as an U.S. Navy auxiliary ship. USNS Marshfield had a newer design than the three previous Norwalk Class Cargo Ships, thus is sometimes put into a class of its own (T-AK-FBM).[6][7][8][9][10][11]

Inactivation

She was struck from the Navy List on 30 November 1992 and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, at Fort Eustis, Newport News, Virginia. The Title was transferred to Maritime Administration (MARAD) on 8 May 1995. She was sold for scrapping on 8 November 2005 and scrapped by Bay Bridge Enterprises LLC, Chesapeake, Virginia, scrapping completed on 30 June 2006.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "USNS Marshfield (T-AK-282)". Navsource.org. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  2. ↑ Babcock & Wilcox (April 1944). "Victory Ships". Marine Engineering and Shipping Review.
  3. ↑ "MARSHFIELD (AKA-282)". vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov.
  4. ↑ "Victory Ships".
  5. ↑ "American Merchant Marine Ships Participating in Korean War". www.usmm.org.
  6. ↑ "vicshipsM". www.mariners-l.co.uk.
  7. ↑ "USNS Marshfield (T-AK 282) Crew List — Navybuddies.com Crew List - Reunite with old US Navy Buddies". USNS Marshfield (T-AK 282) Crew List — Navybuddies.com Crew List - Reunite with old US Navy Buddies.
  8. ↑ "T-AK 282 USNS Marshfield, United States Navy, Coulport, 25 January 1989". May 2, 2010 – via Flickr.
  9. ↑ "USNS Marshfield". Ships Nostalgia.
  10. ↑ "An aerial port beam view of the Victory type fleet ballistic missile cargo ship USNS MARSHFIELD (T-AKR 282) underway". The U.S. National Archives. January 1, 1984.
  11. ↑ "Norwalk (AK 279, VC2-S-AP3, FBM) Class". www.shipscribe.com.

Sources

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