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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Beltrami (AK-162)

International Radio Call Sign:
November (Nan) - Echo (Easy) - Foxtrot (Fox) - Uniform (Uncle)
 NEFU
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Ribbon (with Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal
Alamosa Class Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 18 July 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C1-M-AV1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2107) at Kaiser Cargo Inc., Richmond, CA.
  • Launched, 26 September 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy 4 January 1945
  • Commissioned USS Beltrami (AK-162), 4 January 1945, LT. Gerald W. Rahill, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Beltrami was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Following World War II USS Beltrami was assigned to Occupation duty in Europe and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    3 to 29 March 194917 November 1945 to 27 June 1946
    27 October to 18 November 194914 October 1946 to 3 March 1947

  • Decommissioned, 10 November 1955, at Savannah, GA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 April 1960
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration, 21 June1960, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Savannah
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 28 July 1960, (PD-X-582) to Hugo Neu Steel Products, removed 29 August 1960
    Specifications:
    Displacement 2,382 t.(lt) 7,450 t.(fl)
    Length 338' 8"
    Beam 50'
    Draft 21' 1"
    Speed 11.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 15
    Enlisted 70
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Cargo Capacity 3,945 DWT
    refrigerated 9,830 Cu ft
    non-refrigerated 227,730 Cu ft
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount
    six single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 6,300 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one Nordberg Diesel, TSM 6 engine
    two Diesel-drive 250Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 1,700shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Beltrami 78k USS Beltrami (AK-162) at anchor, on the Whangpoo River, off Shanghai, China, circa 18 November to 26 January 1946. Alice Volkert for her father
    Arden Keith Colby, SC USNR USS Beltrami July 1944 to January 1945
    Beltrami 109k USS Beltrami (AK-162) underway off the Massachusetts coast during a shakedown following overhaul at the Boston Navy Yard, May to July 1949. Gerald J. Smith, ET2 USN, USS Beltrami, September 1948 to June 1950
    Beltrami 102k
    Beltrami
    0913016206    		 48k USS Beltrami (AK-162) at anchor, circa 1952, location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Beltrami 48k USS Beltrami (AK-162) underway in an unknown harbor in circa 1950s. Possibly off Boston Navy Yard. Robert Hurst
    USS Beltrami (AK-162)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Rahill, Gerald Wells, USNR4 January 1945 - 5 July 1945
    02LT. Woodard, Daniel James, USNR6 July 1945 - 27 July 1945
    03LT. Lyden, John Robert, USNR27 July 1945 - 26 January 1946
    04LT. Drost, Willis John, USN26 January 1946 - 31 May 1946
    05CDR. Ketchum, Gerald Lyle, USN (USNA 1931)31 May 1946 - 1 October 1946
    06LCDR. Anderson, Norman Ward, USN1 October 1946 - 1 February 1947
    07LT. Jensen, Andy Fred, USN1 February 1947 - 3 June 1947
    08LT. Kohman, Robert Nichols, USN3 June 1947 - 1 May 1948
    09CDR. Zink, William Talbott, USN (USNA 1932)1 May 1948 - 10 August 1948
    10LT. White, Jesse Lee, USN10 August 1948 - ?
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 14 June 2024