USS Denebola (AF-56)

USS Denebola (AF-56) steaming in Hampton Roads, Virginia, March 1971.
History
United States
Name	USS Denebola, built as
Ordered	as SS Hibbing Victory VC2-S-AP3 hull, MCV 113
Launched	10 June 1944
Acquired	1 May 1952
Commissioned	20 January 1954
Decommissioned	April 1976
Stricken	30 April 1976
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 1 December 1976
General characteristics
Displacement	4,960 tons(lt) 10,850 tons(fl)
Length	455 ft 3 in (138.76 m)
Beam	62 ft (19 m)
Draught	28 ft 6 in (8.69 m)
Propulsion	geared steam turbine, single propeller, 8,500 shp (6,300 kW)
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement	250
Armament	four twin 3 in (76 mm) dual purpose gun mounts

USS Denebola (AF-56) was a Denebola-class stores ship acquired by the U.S. Navy. She was built as SS Hibbing Victory as a type VC2-S-AP2 Victory ship built by Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation of Portland, Oregon, under a Maritime Commission. The Maritime Administration cargo ship was the 113th ship built. Its keel was laid on 2 May 1944. The ship was christened on 30 June 1944. She was built at the Oregon Shipbuilding yards in just 59 days, under the Emergency Shipbuilding program for World War II. The 10,600-ton ship was constructed for the Maritime Commission. She was operated by the (Pacific-Atlantic SS Company under the United States Merchant Marine act for the War Shipping Administration. The other two ships in her class were USS Regulus and USNS Perseus.^[1] USS Denebola's task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas.

The second ship to be named Denebola by the Navy, AF-56 was launched 10 June 1944 as Hibbing Victory by Oregon Shipbuilding Co., Portland, Oregon; sponsored by Miss J. A. Bush; transferred to the Navy 1 May 1952; converted at New York Naval Shipyard; and commissioned 20 January 1954.