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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Betelgeuse (AKA-11)
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USS Betelgeuse (AK-28) (1941 - 1943)

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Bravo - Alpha - Oscar
NBAO

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4) World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

Arcturus Class Cargo Ship:

Launched, 18 July 1939, as MV Mormaclark, a Maritime Commission type (C2), hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 31) at Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, PA.

Purchased by the Navy, 29 May 1941

Converted for naval service at Brewer Dry Dock Co., Staten Island, N.Y.

Commissioned USS Betelgeuse (AK-28), 14 June 1941, CDR. Harry D. Power in command

Redesignated Attack Cargo Ship , (AKA-11), 1 February 1943

During the World War II USS Betelgeuse (AK-28 / AKA-3) was assigned to both the Asiatic-Pacific and Europe-Africa-Middle East Theaters and participated in the following campaigns:

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign	Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
Guadalcanal-Tulagi landings 7 to 10 August 1942
Capture and defense of Guadalcanal 10 August to December 1942
	Sicilian occupation 10 July 1943
	Invasion of southern France 15 August 1944
Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April 1945

Decommissioned, 15 March 1946, at New York Naval Shipyard.

Struck from the Naval Register, 28 March 1946

Sold for commercial service to Compania Naviera Republica, Panama, resold , 24 July 1947 to Johnson Lines (Sweden) and registered in Panama with Compania Naviera Puerta del Sur, renamed SS Star Betelgeuse, placed in service on Johnson Line's Far East route

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 1972, arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 7 April 1972 for dismantling

USS Betelgeuse received five battle stars for her participation in World War II

Specifications:
Displacement 14,225 t.(fl)
Length 459' 1"
Beam 63'
Draft 26' 5"
Speed 16.5 kts.
Complement

Officers 34

Enlisted 524
Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
Cargo Capacity 4,785DWT

non-refrigerated 266,488 Cu ft.

refrigerated 28,300 Cu ft.
Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
Fuel Capacity Diesel 8,950 Bbls
Propulsion

one 2-stroke, 4 cylinder single-acting Sun Doxford Diesel engine

five 230Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Betelgeuse (AK-28)
	90k	MV Mormaclark at Brewer Ship Yard, Staten Island, NY, 6 June 1941, undergoing conversion to Betelgeuse (AK-28). US National Archives photo # 19-N-24240, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives.	Fred Weiss
	81k	MV Mormaclark at Brewer Ship Yard, Staten Island, NY, 6 June 1941, undergoing conversion to Betelgeuse (AK-28). US National Archives photo # 19-N-24239, a US Navy photo from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives.	Fred Weiss
	111k	*USS Betelgeuse* (AK-28)** alongside the pier at Tongatabu, Tonga Islands, 8 June 1942. Note the complex pattern camouflage, Measure 12(modified), applied to this ship. The original photo was in a report on Tongatabu held by the US Marine Corps Historical Center Library, 1980. US Navy photo # NH 91173, from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.	Fred Weiss
	93k	*USS Betelgeuse* (AK-28)** photographed circa 1942 displaying her original hull number. US National Archives RG-80-G, photo # 80-G-31906, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	Robert Hurst
	111k	*USS Betelgeuse* (AK-28), and the other ships of the invasion force steaming out of the Guadalcanal-Tulagi area during the afternoon of 9 August 1942. Photographed from USS Chicago (CA-29), the view looks eastward, with USS Betelgeuse (AK-28)** at right and Guadalcanal island in the distance. US National Archives photo # 80-G-231868, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
	111k	*USS Betelgeuse* (AK-28), and the other ships of the invasion force steaming out of the Guadalcanal-Tulagi area during the afternoon of 9 August 1942. Photographed from USS Chicago (CA-29), the view looks eastward, with USS Betelgeuse (AK-28)** at right and Guadalcanal island in the distance. US National Archives photo # 80-G-231869, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
	111k	During the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 12-15 November 1942 smoke rises from two enemy planes shot down during a Japanese air attack on US ships off Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942. Photographed from *USS President Adams* (AP-38). At right is USS Betelgeuse (AK-28), at left, barely visible beyond USS President Adams (AP-38) is USS Libra (AK-53)*. Smoke in the center distance appears to be a smoke screen. US National Archives photo # 80-G-32376*, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	US Naval Historical Center
USS Betelgeuse (AKA-11)
	27k	*USS Betelgeuse* (AKA-11)** in dry dock, date and location unknown.	Johnson Line, web site
	37k	Starboard broadside view of *USS Betelgeuse* (AKA-11)** underway on the Cooper River off Charleston, S.C., 10 April 1943. US Navy Yard Charleston, S.C. photo #600-43.	Robert Hall
	32k	*USS Betelgeuse* (AKA-11)** underway, 4 October 1943, location unknown. US Navy photo.	Lou Sander