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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Hydrus (AKA-28)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Oscar - Echo
 NTOE
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
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Artemis Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, date unknown, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BE1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1889( at Welsh-Kaiser Co., Providence, R.I.
  • Launched, 28 October 1944
  • Commissioned USS Hydrus (AKA-28), 9 December 1944, LCDR. Richard J. Wissinger in command
  • During World War II USS Hydrus was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Twenty, COMO. H. W. Graf USN (15);
     TransDiv Fifty-Eight and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 15 April 1945

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

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    7 to 29 September 194514 October to 12 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, 26 March 1946, at Fort Schulyer N.Y.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 12 April 1946
  • USS Hydrus earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Selected by Maritime Commission to become the New York State Maritime Academy training ship, TS Empire State II
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration in June 1956 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, April 1964, to Union Minerals and Alloys Corp., N.Y.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,087 t.(lt) 7,080 t(fl)
    Length 426'
    Beam 58'
    Draft 16' (lim)
    Speed 16.9 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 27
    Enlisted 276
    Armament
    one single 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 LCVPs
    two LCMs
    Troop Capacity 264
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 9,540 Bbls
    Diesel 365 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Westinghouse turbo-electric engines
    two Wickes boilers, 450psi 750°
    twin propellers, 6,000shp
    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.
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    USS Hydrus (AKA-28)
    Hydrus 58k USS Hydrus (AKA-28) under way in New York harbor, possibly circa 26 March 1946, when she was decommissioned and transferred to the University of New York State Maritime Academy to begin a decade of service as the training ship Empire State II.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # 90277 by Lucien Studio, Fort Schuyler, New York. Collection of Vice Admiral Thomas T. Craven, USN. Courtesy of Lieutenant Rodman DeKay, Jr., USNR (Retired), 1979.    		 Mike Green
    University of New York Maritime College
    Hydrus 43k Ex-USS Hydrus (AKA-28), in service as the State University of New York Maritime College training ship TS Empire State II, circa 1946-1956 SUNY Maritime College Museum
    Hydrus 198k State University of New York Maritime College training ship TS Empire State II moored pierside at Ft. Schuyler, New York, 1951.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 54373    		 Mike Green
    Hydrus 128k TS Empire State II under way in 1951, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 54375    		 Mike Green
    Hydrus 189k TS Empire State II moored pierside at Valencia Spain, August, 7-14, 1952
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 54374    		 Mike Green
    Hydrus 130k TS Empire State II at anchor in the lagoon off Venice, Italy during her 1952 training cruise.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 54372    		 Mike Green
    USS Hydrus (AKA-28)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Wissinger, Richard J.9 December 1944 - 11 January 1946
    02CAPT. Marshall, Henry Morris11 January 1946 - 26 March 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Data Base
    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 26 May 2017