USNS Sgt. Archer T. Gammon (T-AK-243)

USNS Archer T. Gammon (T-AK-243) moored pierside.
History
United States
Name	Yale Victory Sgt. Archer T. Gammon
Namesake	Yale University Archer T. Gammon awarded the Medal of Honor
Ordered	as type (VC2-S-AP2) hull, MCV hull 725
Builder	Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Laid down	13 December 1944, as SS Yale Victory
Launched	31 January 1945
Sponsored by	Mrs. Richard W. Owens
Completed	24 February 1945
Acquired	18 June 1946
Commissioned	31 October 1947 as USAT Sgt. Archer T. Gammon
Decommissioned	1 March 1950
In service	1 March 1950 as USNS Sgt. Archer T. Gammon (T-AK-243)
Out of service	spring of 1973
Stricken	1 May 1973
Identification	Hull symbol:T-AK-243
Honours and awards	National Defense Service Medal
Fate	sold for scrapping, 9 November 1973, to Chi Shun Hua Steel Co., Ltd., of Kaohsiung, Taiwan
General characteristics [1]
Class and type	Boulder Victory-class cargo ship
Displacement	4,480 long tons (4,550 t) (standard) 15,580 long tons (15,830 t) (full load)
Length	455 ft (139 m)
Beam	62 ft (19 m)
Draft	29 ft 2 in (8.89 m)
Installed power	8,500 shp (6,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × steam turbine 1 × shaft
Speed	15.5 kn (17.8 mph; 28.7 km/h)
Complement	51 officers and enlisted
Armament	none

USNS Sgt. Archer T. Gammon (T-AK-243) was a Boulder Victory-class cargo ship built at the end of World War II and served the war and its demilitarization as a commercial cargo vessel. From 1946 to 1950 she served the U.S. Army as a transport named USAT Sgt. Archer T. Gammon. In 1950 she was acquired by the United States Navy and assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service. In 1973 she ended her career and was struck and scrapped.

Victory ship built in California[]

Sgt. Archer T. Gammon was laid down under U.S. Maritime Commission contract as Yale Victory (MCV hull 725) on 13 December 1944 by the Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California; launched on 31 January 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Richard W. Owens; and delivered to the U.S. Maritime Commission's War Shipping Administration (WSA) on 24 February for operation by the Olympic Steamship Company.

U.S. Army service[]

On 18 June 1946, Yale Victory was transferred to the U.S. Army and commenced operations between San Francisco, California, and the Far East. Six months later, she changed her home port to Seattle, Washington; and, 31 October 1947, she was renamed Sgt. Archer T. Gammon. Two years later, the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) was established; and, in March 1950, the cargo ship was transferred to the Navy for use in that organization and was placed in service as USNS Sgt. Archer T. Gammon (T-AK-243).

Service with the MSTS[]

During the early 1950s, she operated out of Seattle to Japan, Korea and Alaska. After the end of the Korean War, her range was extended. In the mid and late 1950s, she operated out of San Francisco to central and western Pacific Ocean ports and, during the periods of conflict in the Middle East, to Caribbean and western and eastern Atlantic Ocean areas.

In 1961, administrative control of the ship was transferred to MSTS, Atlantic, at New York City; and, since that time, Sgt. Archer T. Gammon continued to carry cargo for the Navy's transportation service, since renamed the Military Sealift Command, until the spring of 1973 when she was transferred to the U.S. Maritime Administration for disposal

Decommissioning[]

Her name was struck from the Navy List on 1 May 1973, and her hulk was sold to Chi Shun Hua Steel Co., Ltd., of Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on 19 November 1973.

Honors and awards[]

Qualified vessel personnel were eligible for the following:

• National Defense Service Medal
• Korean Service Medal
• United Nations Service Medal
• Republic of Korea War Service Medal

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 - USNS Sgt Archer T. Gammon (T-AK-243) – ex - USAT Sgt Archer T. Gammon (1946 - 1950)