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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Volans (AKS-9)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Zulu - Xray NAZX

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal

Acubens Class General Stores Issue Ship

Laid down, 19 October 1942, as SS Edward Preble a Maritime Commission type (EC2-S-C1) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 772) at New England Shipbuilding Corp., South Portland, ME.

Launched, 2 February 1943

Designated General Stores Issue Ship (AKS-9), 13 November 1943

Fitted out at Tampa Bay Shipbuilding Co., Inc

Commissioned USS Volans (AKS-9), 31 March 1944, CDR. Sherman P. Perie, USNR, in command

During World War II USS Volans was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater

Following World War II USS Volans was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
5 October to 29 November 1945
26 December 1945 to 16 February 1946	25 December 1945 to 16 February 1946
17 to 21 February 1946

Decommissioned, 17 June 1946, at Pearl Harbor

Struck from the Naval Register, 17 July 1946

All ships of the Acubens class were meant to be used as Bikini Assets, in 'C' test and were kept at Pearl Harbor until a decision was made in 1947 to transfer custody of these ships to the Maritime Commission

Towed to San Francisco and delivered to the Maritime Commission National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, 24 June 1947, for disposal, name reverted to SS Edward Preble

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 10 December 1964, to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. for $121,056.00 in a 2 ship sale, (PD-X-681 dated 17 November 1964), delivered 17 December 1964

Specifications:
Displacement 5,240 t.(lt) 14,550 t.(fl)
Length 441' 6"
Beam 56' 11"
Draft 28' 4"
Speed 12.5 kts.

Complement

Officers 24

Enlisted 194

Largest Boom Capacity 37 t.

Cargo Capacity 3,230 DWT

non-refrigerated 219,018 Cu ft

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 9,660 Bbls

Diesel 2,010 Bbls

Propulsion

one Iron Fireman vertical reciprocating steam engine

two Wickes header-type boilers, 220psi 450°

three turbo-drive 60Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 2,500shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Source
	33k	Volans (AKS-9) moored to a buoy in the Whangpoo River, Shanghai, China, 1946.		John Fahey

USS Volans (AKS-9)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Perie, Sherman P. USNR	31 March 1944 - 31 October 1944
02	LCDR. Scudder, Manuel	31 October 1944 - 17 June 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

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The General Stores Issue Ship (AKS) Photo Index

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 6 November 2015