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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Athene (AKA-22)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Bravo - Uniform
 NTBU
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
Bottom Row- World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal
Artemis Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 20 January 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BE1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1883), at Welsh-Kaiser Co. Providence, R.I.
  • Launched 18 June 1944
  • Delivered to the War Shipping Administration, 29 September 1944
  • Commissioned USS Athene (AKA-22), 29 September 1944, CDR. Edward R. Nelson, Jr., in command
  • During World War II USS Athene was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
    TransRon Fifteen, CAPT. W. S. Popham USN (14);
    TransDiv Forty-four, CAPT. J. H. Seyfried USN and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 to 28 February 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 15 April to 11 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS Athene performed Occupation duty for the following periods, 13 September to 1 October 1945 and 25 October to 1 November 1945
  • Following Occupation duty USS Athene was assigned in January 1946 to Joint Task Force 1, the atomic bomb test unit at Bikini Atoll
  • Decommissioned 17 June 1946, at Pearl Harbor T.H.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 August 1947
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration, 23 September 1947, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Final Disposition sold for scrapping, 21 February 1966 to Union Minerals and Alloys Corp., New York N.Y.
  • USS Athene earned two battle star for her World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,025 long tons (lt) 6,800 long tons (fl)
    Length 426'
    Beam 58'
    Draft 16' 6", loaded
    Speed 16.9 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 27
    Enlisted 276
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Armament
    one single stern mounted 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 980 DWT non-refrigerated 110,000 Cu ft
    Boats
    one LCP(L)
    twelve LCVP
    two LCMs
    Troop Accommodations 267
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 9,540 Bbls
    Diesel 365 Bbls
    Propulsion
    twin screws, 3300 SHP each, Max. 2210 AC
    two Westinghouse Turbo-electric engines
    two Wickes boilers, 2-Drum, D-Type Superheaters, 44,000 lb/hr. ea, 450 psi at 750 ° F.
    two Desuperheaters
    two Economizers
    Mechanical Ventilation, 213,135 CFM
    Ship's Service Generators
    two turbo-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    one turbo-drive 150Kw 450V A.C.
    two turbo-drive 250Kw 450V A.C.
    twin propellers, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Athene 88k USS Athene (AKA-22) off Boston Navy Yard, 9 October 1944.
    US National Archives RG-19-LCM photo # unknown, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Athene 80k USS Athene (AKA-22) underway in San Francisco Bay, circa 1945-46.
    US Navy photo from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center    		 Jean Baptie Morrison for her brother Norval C. Baptie, Watertender, USS Athene
    Athene 67k USS Athene (AKA-22) at Pearl Harbor, 27 March 1946, where she was preparing to participate in the Bikini atomic bomb tests.
    US National Archives RG-19-LCM photo # 19-N-115182, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Athene (AKA-22)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Nelson Jr., Edward Robert29 September 1944 - 5 September 1945
    02CDR. Osth, Adam M.5 September 1945 - 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
    USS Athene (AKA-22) Action Report for the Iwo Jima Operation
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Cargo Ship (AKA) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 12 April 2013