USS Charlevoix (AK-168)

History
United States
Name	Charlevoix
Namesake	Charlevoix County, Michigan
Ordered	as type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2141
Builder	Froemming Brothers, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Yard number	13
Laid down	date unknown
Launched	20 April 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. E. Buchanan
Commissioned	1 February 1945
Decommissioned	18 January 1946
Stricken	17 April 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: AK-168; Code letters: NEGU; ;
Fate	Sold, 7 February 1947, D/S A/S Imica
Norway
Name	Benny (1947–1959, 1963); Benny Viking (1959–1963); Stella Oceanica (1963–1965);
Acquired	26 February 1947
Fate	Sold 1965
Panama
Name	Jasolinan
Acquired	1965
Fate	Sold 1965
Panama
Name	Paraskevi
Acquired	1965
Fate	scrapped in Spain in 1970
General characteristics
Class and type	cargo ship
Type	C1-M-AV1
Tonnage	5,032 long tons deadweight (DWT)
Displacement	2,382 long tons (2,420 t) (standard); 7,450 long tons (7,570 t) (full load);
Length	388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Installed power	1 × Nordberg, TSM 6 diesel engine ; 1,750 shp (1,300 kW);
Propulsion	1 × propeller
Speed	11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	3,945 t (3,883 long tons) DWT; 9,830 cu ft (278 m3) (refrigerated); 227,730 cu ft (6,449 m3) (non-refrigerated);
Complement	15 Officers; 70 Enlisted;
Armament	1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber dual purpose gun (DP); 6 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons;

USS Charlevoix (AK-168) was an cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

Construction[]

Charlevoix, was launched 20 April 1944. by , Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, under a Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 2141; sponsored by Mrs. E. Buchanan; and commissioned 1 February 1945.^[3]

Service history[]

World War II Pacific Theatre operations[]

Charlevoix, cargo laden, cleared Gulfport, Mississippi, 24 February 1945 for Manus, arriving 5 April. Here she was assigned to a convoy bound for the Philippines, and after a passage marked by one possible submarine contact depth charged by the convoy's escorts, reached Subic Bay 24 April to discharge her cargo. Returning to Manus 1 June, she quickly reloaded, and took departure 7 June, for Samar, Philippine Islands, where she unloaded on 28 June, returning to Manus 5 July.^[3]

Next underway 11 July 1945, Charlevoix loaded aviation gas at Lae for the New Zealand Air Force based on New Britain. She delivered her flammable cargo safely 20 July, supporting our Allies in their twice-daily raids on the Japanese at by-passed Rabaul. She made one more voyage from Manus, to deliver cargo to Hollandia, returning with rolling stock for repair at Manus in August, then sailed north to Samar and Subic Bay, where she was briefly overhauled in October.^[3]

Post-war decommissioning[]

She then proceeded to Norfolk, Virginia, which she reached 23 December, decommissioned there 18 January 1946, and was returned to the Maritime Commission 25 January 1946.^[3]

Merchant service[]

Charlevoix was purchased for a Norwegian shipper 7 February 1947, by D/S A/S Imica. She was transferred 26 February 1947 and renamed Benny. In 1959 her name was changed to Benny Viking before changing back to Benny and then Stella Oceanica in 1963.^[2]

In 1965 she was sold and reflagged in Panama, being renamed Jasolinan. However, she was sold later that year and this time renamed Paraskevi.^[2]

She was finally scrapped in Spain in 1970.^[2]

Notes[]

Citations

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c C1 Cargo Ships 2009.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d Navsource 2015.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d DANFS 1999.

Bibliography[]

Online resources

"charlevoix". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 14 February 1999. Retrieved 15 November 2016. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"C1 Cargo Ships". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
"USS Charlevoix (AK-168)". Navsource.org. 5 April 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2016.

External links[]

Photo gallery of USS Charlevoix (AK-168) at NavSource Naval History

[FOOTNOTEC1_Cargo_Ships2009-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c C1 Cargo Ships 2009.

[FOOTNOTENavsource2015-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d Navsource 2015.

[FOOTNOTEDANFS1999-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d DANFS 1999.

[1]

[2]

[3]

show v t
Alamosa Alcona Amador Antrim Autauga Beaverhead Beltrami Blount Brevard Bullock Cabell Caledonia Charlevoix Chatham Chicot Claiborne Clarion Codington Colquitt Craighead Doddridge^* Duval^* Fairfield Faribault Fentress Flagler Gadsden Glacier Grainger Gwinnett Habersham Hennepin Herkimer Hidalgo Kenosha Lebanon Lehigh Lancaster Marengo Midland Minidoka Muscatine Muskingum Nicollet Pembina Pemiscot Pinellas Pipestone Pitkin Poinsett Pontotoc Richland Rockdale Schuyler Screven Sebastian Somerset / Coastal Sentry Sussex Tarrant Tipton Traverse^* Tulare^* Washtenaw^** / Sgt. George Peterson Westchester^* Wexford^† / Coastal Crusader Maiden's Eye / Colonel William J. O'Brien Becket Bend / Private John F. Thorson Short Splice Long Splice / Private Frank J. Petrarca
* = Canceled August 1945 ** = Canceled August 1945, but completed as Coastal Guide † = Canceled August 1945, but completed as Coastal Crusader
List of auxiliaries of the United States Navy

show v t Type C1-M ships
Type C1-M-AV1	Alamosa Alcona Acorn Knot / Sgt. George D Keathley Amador Antrim Autauga Beaverhead Becket Bend / Private John F. Thorson Bell Ringer / Captain Arlo L. Olson Beltrami Blount Brevard Bullock Cabell Caledonia Charlevoix Chatham Check Knot / Sgt. Joseph E. Muller Chicot Claiborne Clarion Coastal Crusader Coastal Guide / Sgt. George Peterson Codington Colquitt Craighead Fairfield Faribault Fentress Flagler Gadsden Glacier Grainger Gwinnett Habersham Hennepin Herkimer Hidalgo Kenneth E. Gruennert / Grommet Reefer Kenosha Lancaster Lebanon Lehigh Link Splice / Sgt. Jonah E. Kelley Long Splice / Private Frank J. Petrarca Maiden's Eye / Colonel William J. O'Brien Marengo Marline Hitch Midland Muscatine Muskingum Nicollet Pembina Pemiscot Poinsett Pontotoc Richland Rockdale Rose Knot Round Splice / Private Jose F. Valdez Sampan Hitch Schuyler Screven Sebastian Short Splice Somerset / Coastal Sentry Spindle Eye / Sgt. Curtis F. Shoup Sussex Sword Knot Tarrant Timber Hitch Tipton
Type C1-M-AV7
Type C1-M-AV8
Type C1-MT-BU1

History

United States
Name	Charlevoix
Namesake	Charlevoix County, Michigan
Ordered	as type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2141^[1]
Builder	Froemming Brothers, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Yard number	13^[1]
Laid down	date unknown
Launched	20 April 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. E. Buchanan
Commissioned	1 February 1945
Decommissioned	18 January 1946
Stricken	17 April 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: AK-168 Code letters: NEGU
Fate	Sold, 7 February 1947, D/S A/S Imica
Norway
Name	Benny (1947–1959, 1963) Benny Viking (1959–1963) Stella Oceanica (1963–1965)
Acquired	26 February 1947
Fate	Sold 1965
Panama
Name	Jasolinan
Acquired	1965
Fate	Sold 1965
Panama
Name	Paraskevi
Acquired	1965
Fate	scrapped in Spain in 1970
General characteristics ^[2]
Class and type	cargo ship
Type	C1-M-AV1
Tonnage	5,032 long tons deadweight (DWT)^[1]
Displacement	2,382 long tons (2,420 t) (standard) 7,450 long tons (7,570 t) (full load)
Length	388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Installed power	1 × Nordberg, TSM 6 diesel engine 1,750 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × propeller
Speed	11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	3,945 t (3,883 long tons) DWT 9,830 cu ft (278 m³) (refrigerated) 227,730 cu ft (6,449 m³) (non-refrigerated)
Complement	15 Officers 70 Enlisted
Armament	1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber dual purpose gun (DP) 6 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons