USS Lenoir (AKA-74)

USS Lenoir (AKA-74)
History
Laid down:	7 September 1944
Launched:	6 November 1944
Commissioned:	14 December 1944
Decommissioned:	13 June 1946
Struck:	Unknown
Fate:	Merchant service
General Characteristics
Hull Type:	C2-S-AJ3
Displacement:	8,635 tons light, 13,910 tons loaded
Length:	459 ft 2 in (140 m)
Beam:	63 ft (19.2 m)
Draft:	26 ft 4 in (8.0 m)
Propulsion:	GE geared steam turbine drive, single propeller, 6,000 shp (4.5 MW)
Speed:	16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
Complement:	395 (62 officers, 333 men), plus embarked troops
Armament:	1 × 5"/38 caliber DP gun, 4 × twin 40 mm AA guns, 16 × 20 mm AA guns
Boats:	14 LCVP, 8 LCM
NOTES: Some sources report different displacements for ships of this type. Speed and complement may have changed as the ship or her mission were modified. Often one or two LCVPs were replaced by LCPLs. 20mm AA guns were sometimes removed.

USS Lenoir (AKA-74) was a Tolland class attack cargo ship named after Lenoir County, North Carolina and the distant City of Lenoir, North Carolina, which are both named for the patriot William Lenoir. Like all AKAs, Lenoir was designed to carry military cargo and landing craft, and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies, and Marines on enemy shores during amphibious operations. She served as a commissioned ship for 17 months, receiving one battle star for World War II service.

History

Lenoir was laid down by North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, North Carolina, 7 September 1944; launched under Maritime Commission contract 6 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. John M. Kerr; acquired and commissioned 14 December 1944, LCDR Marcus L. Whitford in command.

Lenoir departed Norfolk 21 January 1945 and arrived Pearl Harbor 20 February. After touching Eniwetok 22 March to 25 March, she sailed from Ulithi 13 April for the Okinawa landings, arriving off Hagushi beach 17 April. Within 72 hours she had discharged her cargo; though coming under air attack, she sustained no battle damage. She then voyaged to Saipan, Guadalcanal, and Guam, and arrived San Francisco, California 10 July.

The ship returned to Pearl Harbor 25 August to embark men of the Army 6th Division for Japan, arriving there 22 October. She departed 4 November for Portland, Oregon, arriving the 18th. The ship next sailed from Alameda, California, for Tsingtao, China, and Jinsen, Korea, on a "Magic Carpet" voyage. She returned to San Francisco, California 11 March 1946, sailed on to Norfolk, and was decommissioned there 13 June 1946. Returned to the Maritime Commission 14 June 1946, she was sold in 1947 to Lykes Bros. SS Co., Inc., and operated out of Tampa, Florida, as Margaret Lykes. Resold the same year to the Gulf & South American SS Co., she was renamed Gulf Merchant.

References

• Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (Primary source for this article)

External links

• Naval Historical Center: USS Lenoir I
• NavSource Online: AKA-74 Lenoir
• 51 Years of AKAs