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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Carina (AK-74)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Yankee - Juliet - Yankee
 NYJY
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (Tulagi, 23JAN43, Okinawa, 04MAY45)
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Personnel Awards

Purple Hearts (6-Tulagi, 23JAN44, 6-Okinawa, 04MAY45)
Crater Class Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 30 September 1942, as SS David Davis a Maritime Commission type (EC2-S-C1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 502) at Permanente Metals Corp., Yard No. 1, Richmond, CA.
  • Launched, 6 November 1942
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 20 November 1942
  • Commissioned, USS Carina (AK-74), 1 December 1942, LCDR. James I. MacPherson, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Carina was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Capture and defense of Guadalcanal, 1 February 1943 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 April to 3 May 1945
    Consolidation of Solomon Islands
    Consolidation of southern Solomon Islands, 11 March 1943     		 

  • Decommissioned, 16 October 1945, at Suisun Bay, CA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission for disposal, 17 October 1945
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1945
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 1 February 1952, to National Metal and Steel Corp., Removed 7 April 1952, Scrapping completed, 20 March 1953
  • USS Carina earned three battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,023 t.(lt) 14,550 t.(fl)
    Length 441' 6"
    Beam 56' 11"
    Draft 28' 4"
    Speed 12.5 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 15
    Enlisted 180
    Largest Boom Capacity 50 t.
    Cargo Capacity 7,800 DWT
    non-refrigerated 421,627 Cu ft.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    six single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    NSFO 7,285 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one Hoover, Owens, Rentschler Co., vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
    two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 220psi 450°
    Ship's Service Generators
     three recip-drive 20Kw 120V D.C.
     one turbo-drive 60Kw 120V D.C.
    single propeller, 2,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Carina 59k USS Carina (AK-74) underway, date and location unknown. Note the patrol bomber overhead.
    Photo from World War II U.S. Navy Armed Guard and World War II U.S. Merchant Marine web site.    		 Robert Hurst
    Carina 60k USS Carina (AK-74) anchored after a Japanese suicide boat attack at Okinawa, 4 May 1945. USS Granville (APA-171) cruise book
    USS Carina (AK-74)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. MacPherson, James Ian1 December 1942 - 1 December 1943
    02LCDR. Koerner, Ben1 December 1943 - 30 July 1945
    03LT. Archibald, Paul Bensen30 July 1945 - 16 October 1945
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Cargo Ship (AK) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 4 April 2014