USS Polaris (AF-11)

	USS Polaris operating off Korea, 1953
History
United States
Name	SS Donald McKay
Namesake	Donald McKay
Laid down	23 July 1938
Launched	22 April 1939
Acquired	WWII: 27 January 1941; Korea: 6 October 1948;
Commissioned	WWII:4 April 1941
Recommissioned	Korea: 1 July 1949
Decommissioned	WWII: 18 January 1946; Korea: 12 January 1957;
In service	1 July 1948[clarification needed]
Out of service	12 January 1957
Stricken	WWII: 7 February 1946; Korea: 10 October 1957;
Reinstated	1 July 1949
Honors and; awards	WWII: one battle star; Korea: six battle stars:; 1st UN Counter Offensive: 12 February-22 March 1951; Communist China Spring Offensive: 30 April-6 May 1951; UN Summer-Fall Offensive:; 9-10, 24–25 July 1951; 8-12, 20–23 September 1951; 10-15, 24–27 October 1951; Second Korean Winter:; 3-6, 11-12, 20-21, 29–31 December 1951; 3-6, 13–14 January 1952; 24–30 March 1952; Korean Defense summer–fall 1952 – 2 to 3 June 1962[clarification needed]; Korea, summer–fall 1953 – 24 to 26 May 1953; 3 to 6 June 1953;
Fate	Sold to Levin Metals Corp. June 1974 for scrapping.
General characteristics
Class and type	Aldebaran-class Type C2 ship (MARCOM)
Tonnage	5,443 DWT
Displacement	13,910 tons
Length	459 ft 3 in (139.98 m)
Beam	63 ft 0 in (19.20 m)
Draft	25 ft 10 in (7.87 m) (limiting)
Installed power	6,000 shp (4,500 kW)
Propulsion	single propeller, one 2-stroke, 4-cylinder single-acting opposed-piston Doxford diesel engine
Speed	16.4 knots (30.4 km/h; 18.9 mph)
Complement	287
Armament	1 × single 5 in (130 mm) dual-purpose gun mount; 4 × single 3 in (76 mm) dual-purpose gun mounts; 10 × single 20 mm AA gun mounts;

USS Polaris (AF-11) was a Type C2 "Liberty fleet" standard freighter and an Aldebaran-class stores ship acquired from the United States Maritime Commission by the US Navy for World War II and the Korean War. She was launched in 1939 at Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, Pennsylvania.^[3]

^ ^a ^b "AF-11 Polaris". NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
^ "Commission's First C-2 Standard Cargo Vessel". Pacific Marine Review. July 1939. p. 36.
^ "USS Polaris (AF-11)". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 14 May 2020.

[navsource-1] "AF-11 Polaris". NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive. Retrieved 2008-08-06.

[2] "Commission's First C-2 Standard Cargo Vessel". Pacific Marine Review. July 1939. p. 36.

[3] "USS Polaris (AF-11)". www.navsource.org. Retrieved 14 May 2020.

[1]

[2]

[3]

History
USS Polaris operating off Korea, 1953
United States
Name	SS Donald McKay
Namesake	Donald McKay
Laid down	23 July 1938^[1]
Launched	22 April 1939
Acquired	WWII: 27 January 1941 Korea: 6 October 1948
Commissioned	WWII:4 April 1941
Recommissioned	Korea: 1 July 1949
Decommissioned	WWII: 18 January 1946 Korea: 12 January 1957
In service	1 July 1948^{[clarification needed]}
Out of service	12 January 1957
Stricken	WWII: 7 February 1946 Korea: 10 October 1957
Reinstated	1 July 1949
Honors and awards	WWII: one battle star Korea: six battle stars: 1st UN Counter Offensive: 12 February-22 March 1951 Communist China Spring Offensive: 30 April-6 May 1951 UN Summer-Fall Offensive: 9-10, 24–25 July 1951 8-12, 20–23 September 1951 10-15, 24–27 October 1951 Second Korean Winter: 3-6, 11-12, 20-21, 29–31 December 1951 3-6, 13–14 January 1952 24–30 March 1952 Korean Defense summer–fall 1952 – 2 to 3 June 1962^{[clarification needed]} Korea, summer–fall 1953 – 24 to 26 May 1953; 3 to 6 June 1953
Fate	Sold to Levin Metals Corp. June 1974 for scrapping.
General characteristics
Class and type	Aldebaran-class Type C2 ship (MARCOM)
Tonnage	5,443 DWT
Displacement	13,910 tons
Length	459 ft 3 in (139.98 m)
Beam	63 ft 0 in (19.20 m)
Draft	25 ft 10 in (7.87 m) (limiting)
Installed power	6,000 shp (4,500 kW)
Propulsion	single propeller, one 2-stroke, 4-cylinder single-acting opposed-piston^[2] Doxford diesel engine^[1]
Speed	16.4 knots (30.4 km/h; 18.9 mph)
Complement	287
Armament	1 × single 5 in (130 mm) dual-purpose gun mount 4 × single 3 in (76 mm) dual-purpose gun mounts 10 × single 20 mm AA gun mounts