USS Castor (AKS-1) at Sasebo, Japan, April 1967
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History | |
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United States | |
Ordered |
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Laid down | not known |
Launched | 20 May 1939 |
Acquired | 30 October 1940 |
Commissioned | 12 March 1941 |
Decommissioned | 30 June 1947 |
In service | 24 November 1950 |
Out of service | 31 October 1968 |
Stricken | 1 December 1968 |
Fate | Sold for scrapping in September 1969 |
General characteristics | |
Displacement | 7,350 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl) |
Length | 459 ft 2 in (139.95 m) |
Beam | 63 ft (19 m) |
Draught | 26 ft 5 in (8.05 m) |
Propulsion | steam turbine, single shaft, 6,000 shp |
Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h) |
Complement | 315 |
Armament | one 5 in (130 mm)/38 dual purpose gun mount, four 3 in (76 mm)/50 gun mounts |
USS Castor (AKS-1) was a Castor-class general stores issue ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering and disbursing goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Castor (AKS-1) was launched as SS Challenger on 20 May 1939 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. T. M. Woodward; acquired by the Navy 23 October 1940 and renamed Castor six days later; and commissioned 12 March 1941.