USS Tipton (AK-215)
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Name: | Tipton |
| Namesake: | Tipton County, Indiana or Tipton County, Tennessee |
| Operator: |
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| Ordered: | MC hull 2169 |
| Builder: | Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin |
| Laid down: | 28 December 1944 |
| Launched: | 13 March 1945 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs. W. F. Maister |
| Acquired: | 7 September 1945 |
| Commissioned: | 9 October 1945 |
| Decommissioned: | 4 March 1946 |
| Struck: | 20 March 1946 |
| Identification: | Hull symbol:AK-215 |
| Fate: | transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard on 4 March 1946 |
| Name: | Unalga |
| Namesake: | Unalga Island |
| Operator: |
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| Commissioned: | 4 March 1946 |
| Decommissioned: | 1 June 1950 |
| Identification: | Hull symbol:WAK-185 |
| Fate: | sold for scrapping, 6 January 1971, to Marine Power & Equipment Co., Inc., delivered 1 February 1971 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class and type: | Alamosa-class cargo ship |
| Type: | C1-M-AV1 |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 388 ft 8 in (118.47 m) |
| Beam: | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Draft: | 21 ft 1 in (6.43 m) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) |
| Capacity: |
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| Complement: |
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| Armament: |
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USS Tipton (AK-215) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship that was constructed for the U.S. Navy during the closing period of World War II. She was commissioned; however, the war ended and she was declared "excess to needs." She was then transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard in 1946.
Built in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Tipton (AKA-215) was laid down under U.S. Maritime Commission Contract (MC hull 2169) on 28 December 1944 at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, by the Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company; launched on 13 March 1945; sponsored by Mrs. W. F. Maister; transferred to the Navy Department on 7 September 1945; and commissioned on 9 October 1945, Lt. Comdr. H. E. Gray, USCGR, in command.
World War II-related service
Upon commissioning, the cargo ship was transferred to the custody of the U.S. Coast Guard for maintenance and operation and was manned by a Coast Guard crew.
Post-war inactivation
Tipton was decommissioned and permanently transferred to the Coast Guard on 4 March 1946. She was struck from the Navy list on 20 March 1946.
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive – AK-215 Tipton