USS Algol (AKA-54)

USS Algol (AKA-54), underway off the coast of southern California, 22 September 1944. US Navy photo taken from a NAS Santa Ana, based Blimp Squadron ZP-31 Airship by ENS. Borg.
History
United States
Name	James Barnes (1942–1943) Algol (1943–1977)
Namesake	The star Algol in the constellation Perseus
Ordered	as type (C2-S-B1) hull, MC hull 1153
Builder	Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland, California
Laid down	10 December 1942
Launched	17 February 1943
Commissioned	27 November 1943 (reduced commission)
Decommissioned	3 December 1943
Renamed	Algol, 30 August 1943
Recommissioned	21 July 1944 (full commission)
Decommissioned	2 January 1958
Recommissioned	17 November 1961
Decommissioned	23 July 1970
Reclassified	LKA-54, 1 January 1969
Stricken	1 January 1977
Identification	Hull symbol: AKA-54 (1944-1969) Hull symbol: LKA-54 (1969–1977) Code letters: NHHF
Honors and awards	2 battle stars (World War II) 5 battle stars (Korea)
Fate	Sunk as part of the New Jersey Shark River artificial reef, 18 November 1991
General characteristics
Class and type	Andromeda-class attack cargo ship
Tonnage	4,450 DWT
Displacement	6,556 long tons (6,661 t) light 13,910 long tons (14,130 t) full load
Length	459 ft 2 in (139.95 m)
Beam	63 ft (19 m)
Draft	26 ft 4 in (8.03 m)
Installed power	2 × Foster–Wheeler D-type 450 psi (3,100 kPa) 750 °F (399 °C) steam boilers 6,000 shp (4,500 kW)
Propulsion	1 × General Electric steam turbine General Electric double reduction main gears 1 × Propeller
Speed	16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	8 × LCMs 1 × LCPL 15 × LCVPs
Complement	247
Armament	1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber dual-purpose gun 4 × twin 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft (AA) mounts 18 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon cannons AA

USS Algol (AKA-54) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship. She was the first ship of the United States Navy by this name, after Algol, a fixed star in the constellation Perseus. Algol served as a commissioned ship for 22 years and 1 month.

She was laid down on 10 December 1942, as James Barnes, a Maritime Commission Type C2-S-B1 hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1153), at Moore Dry Dock Company, in Oakland, California. She was launched on 17 February 1943, renamed Algol on 30 August 1943, and placed in reduced commission on 27 November 1943 for transit to Willamette Shipyard, Portland, Oregon, for completion as an attack cargo ship. She was decommissioned at Portland on 3 December 1943, and recommissioned USS Algol (AKA-54), on 21 July 1944 at Willamette Shipyard.^[1]