USS Enceladus (AK-80)

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Career (US) 100x35px
Ordered: as N3-M-A1 hull, MC hull 463
Laid down: 14 February 1942, as SS Elias D. Knight
Launched: 9 October 1942
Acquired: 18 August 1943
Commissioned: 18 August 1943
Decommissioned: 18 December 1945
Struck: date unknown
Fate: Sold in 1964 for non-transportation use
General characteristics
Displacement: 1,677 t.(lt), 5,202 t.(fl)
Length: 269 ft 10 in (82.25 m)
Beam: 42 ft 6 in (12.95 m)
Draught: 20 ft 9 in (6.32 m)
Propulsion: Diesel, single shaft, 1,300 shp
Speed: 10 knots (19 km/h)
Complement: 83
Armament: one 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount

USS Enceladus (AK-80) was an Enceladus-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

Enceladus (AK-80) was built by the Penn Jersey Shipbuilding Co., Camden, New Jersey, in 1942, acquired and commissioned by the Navy on 18 August 1943, Lieutenant Melville M. Coombs, USCGR, in command.

World War II Pacific Ocean operations

During World War II she operated entirely in the southwest Pacific Ocean, all the while U.S. Coast Guard manned. She shuttled supplies between supply bases which included Noumea, New Caledonia, Tongatapu, Torokina, Bougainville, Emirau, and Guadalcanal. She was occupied with inter-island freight traffic until 4 August 1945 when she arrived at Pearl Harbor. Enceladus was decommissioned on 18 December 1945 and turned over to the Maritime Commission.

Military awards and honors

Enceladus’ crew was eligible for the following medals:

  • American Campaign Medal
  • Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
  • World War II Victory Medal

References

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

External links