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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Southampton (AKA-66)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - India - Bravo
 NHIB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) -World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Personnel Awards

Purple Hearts (2-WIA, 19 February 1945 Iwo Jima, J.M. Fischer Cox'n, Q.M. Culbertson S1/c)
Tolland Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 26 May 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1390) at North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp, Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 28 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS Southampton (AKA-66), 16 September 1944, at North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, N.C., CDR. Elias M. Doar Jr., in command
  • Decommissioned, 18 September 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C., for fitting out
  • Recommissioned, 8 October 1944, at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C., LCDR. Lester V. Cooke, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Southampton was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater;
    TransRon Fifteen, CAPT. W. S. Popham USN (14);
    TransDiv Forty-four, CAPT. J. H. Seyfried USN and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 1 March 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 11 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS Southampton was assigned to Occupation service from 3 September to 12 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 21 June 1946, at Portsmouth VA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 22 June 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • USS Southampton earned two battle stars during World War II
  • Merchant Service
    Sold to Isbrandtsen Co. Inc, at Baltimore, MD. 15 August 1947, renamed SS Flying Clipper
    Sold to American Export Lines, Inc., 16 July 1962
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 29 July 1971, to Chen Nan Steel and Iron Co., Taiwan
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,635 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl), 14,160 (lim)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 62
    Enlisted 333
    Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boats
    fourteen LCVPs
    eight LCMs
    Cargo Capacity 5,275 DWT
    non-refrigerated 380,000 Cu ft
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 10,425 Bbls
    Diesel 805 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine
    two Foster Wheeler boilers, 450psi 750°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    three Ship's Service Generators 300Kw, 120V/240V D.C.
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Southampton (AKA-66)
    Southampton 167k Launch of Southampton (AKA-66), 28 July 1944, at North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, N.C.  
    Southampton 93k USS Southampton (AKA-66) under way, date and location unknown. Terry Sanders, Webmaster. USS Suffolk (AKA-69) History and Photos web site
    Southampton
    1-0206605    		 127k USS Southampton (AKA-66) At anchor with accommodation ladder rigged, circa 1945-1946.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo NH 78595, courtesy of James Russell    		  
    Merchant Service American Export - Isbrandtsen Steamship Co.
    Southampton 106k Ex-USS Southampton (AKA-66) in merchant service as the Isbrandtsen Co. freighter SS Flying Clipper moored pierside, date and location unknown. Photo source nautilia.gr Robert Hurst
    Southampton 281k Ex-USS Southampton (AKA-66) in merchant service as the Isbrandtsen Co. freighter SS Flying Clipper moored pierside, date and location unknown. Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    USS Southampton (AKA-66)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Doar Jr., Elias M.16 September 1944 - 18 September 1944
     Decommissioned18 September 1944 - 8 October 1944
    02LCDR. Cooke, Lester Vincent USNR8 October 1944 - 21 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 Southampton (AKA-66) War Diary and History October 1944 to November 1945
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Cargo (AKA) Ship Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 24 April 2020