USS Craighead (AK-175)

USS Craighead (AK-175) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

History
United States
Name: Craighead
Namesake: Craighead County, Arkansas
Ordered: as type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2148[1]
Builder: Froemming Brothers, Inc, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Yard number: 20[1]
Laid down: 1944
Launched: 28 February 1945
Sponsored by: Mrs. W. R. Provoost
Acquired: 31 July 1945
Commissioned: 5 September 1945
Decommissioned: 18 January 1946
Stricken: 7 February 1946
Identification:
Fate: Sold, 24 February 1947[2]
Turkey
Name: Kastamonu
Namesake: Province of Kastamonu
Owner: Deniz Nakliyati T.A.O., Turkey
Acquired: 24 February 1947
Homeport: Istanbul, Turkey
Identification: IMO number: 5183209
Fate: scrapped in January 1984 at Aliağa, Turkey
General characteristics [3]
Class and type: Alamosa-class cargo ship
Type: C1-M-AV1
Tonnage: 5,032 long tons deadweight (DWT)[1]
Displacement:
  • 2,382 long tons (2,420 t) (standard)
  • 7,450 long tons (7,570 t) (full load)
Length: 388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draft: 21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Installed power:
Propulsion: 1 × propeller
Speed: 11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity:
  • 3,945 t (3,883 long tons) DWT
  • 9,830 cu ft (278 m3) (refrigerated)
  • 227,730 cu ft (6,449 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Complement:
  • 15 Officers
  • 70 Enlisted
Armament:

Construction

Craighead was launched 28 February 1945, by Froemming Brothers, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, under a Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 2148; sponsored by Mrs. W. R. Provoost; transferred to the Navy 31 July 1945; and commissioned 5 September 1945, Lieutenant Commander G. M. Walker, USNR, in command.[4]

Service history

Post-World War II activity

Craighead sailed from Galveston, Texas, 25 September 1945 and arrived at Davisville, Rhode Island, 4 October to load cargo for construction battalions on the US West Coast. She sailed from Davisville 25 October, arriving at San Pedro, California, 15 November. After sailing on cargo duty between Port Hueneme, San Pedro, and San Francisco, California, she sailed 14 December 1945 for Norfolk, Virginia, where she arrived 5 January 1946.[4]

Post-war decommissioning

Craighead was decommissioned 18 January 1946 and returned to the Maritime Commission the same day for disposal.[4]

Merchant service

Craighead was sold to the Republic of Turkey in 1947, for $693,862. She was transferred to the shipping company of Deniz Nakliyati T.A.O., Istanbul, Turkey, and renamed Kastamonu and reflagged to Turkish. Along with her sister ships, ex-Antrim, renamed Kars, ex-Bullock, renamed Malatya, and ex-Hidalgo, renamed Rize, she would, for the next 15 years, provide cargo service between Turkey and Northern Europe. She was finally broken up in the Turkish port of Aliağa in January 1984.[3]

Notes
    Citations
    1. C1 Cargo Ships 2009.
    2. MARAD.
    3. Navsource 2013.
    4. DANFS.

    Bibliography

    Online resources

    • "Craighead". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 16 November 2016. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    • "C1 Cargo Ships". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
    • "Craighead (AK-175)". Navsource.org. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
    • "Craighead". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
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    • Photo gallery of USS Craighead (AK-175) at NavSource Naval History


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