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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Clarion (AK-172)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - India - November
NEIN
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Alamosa Class Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down in 1944 as a Maritime Commission type (C1-M-AV1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2145) at Froemming Brothers, Inc., Milwaukee, WI.
  • Launched, 22 October 1944
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 10 May 1945
  • Commissioned USS Clarion (AK-172), 27 May 1945, LT. Frank L. Johnson, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Clarion was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Following World War II USS Clarion was assigned to Occupation duty and China Service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    29 October 1945 to 15 November 1945 16 November 1945 to 22 January 1946

  • Decommissioned, 13 May 1946, at Baltimore, MD.
  • Transferred to the War Shipping Administration, 18 May 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 21 May 1946
  • Removed from the Reserve Fleet, 25 February 1947 under GAA contract by Dickman, Wright and Pugh
  • Merchant Service
    Sold to A/S Sunde (Samuelsens Rederi, Mgrs.) Farsund, Norway, 7 March 1947, for $693,862.00, reflagged Norwegian, renamed MV Lovdal
    Sold to Corporacion Peruana de Vapores, Callo, Peru, in 1956, reflagged Peru, renamed MV Urubamba
    Sold to Naviera Panamar S.A in 1969, reflagged Panama, renamed Cebu
  • Final Disposition, wrecked off Peru, 26 April 1970
    Specifications:
    Displacement 2,382 t.(lt) 7,450 t.(fl)
    Length 338' 6"
    Beam 50'
    Draft 29' 2" (limiting)
    Speed 11.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 15
    Enlisted 70
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Cargo Capacity 3,945 DWT
    non-refrigerated 227,730 Cu ft
    refrigerated 9,830 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 TSM6 engine
    two Diesel-drive 250Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 1,750shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Clarion
    0913017201    		 47k M/V Lovdal (ex-USS Clarion (AK-172) entering the port of Oslo, Norway, circa 1954.
    Bowling Green State University, Historical Collections of the Great Lakes    		 John Spivey
    Clarion
    0913017202    		 280k M/V Lovdal underway, date and location unknown.
    ©Skyfotos    		 Gerhard Muller-Debus
    USS Clarion (AK-172)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Johnson, Frank Lewis, USNR27 May 1945 - March 1946
    02LT. Harris, Andrew Richard, USNRMarch 1946 - 13 May 1946
    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
    USS Clarion (AK-173) War Diary May to November 1945
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 11 June 2021