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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Centaurus (AK-264)

Alchiba Class Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down as, Northern Explorer, a Maritime Commission type (N3-S-A2) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2516), at McCloskey & Company, Tampa, FL.
  • Launched in June 1945
  • Delivered the Maritime Commission in June 1945
  • Acquired by the US Navy in 1951
  • Renamed Centaurus (AK-264), and leased to South Korea the same day
  • Returned to US Naval custody, January 1960
  • Struck from the Naval Register, February 1960
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 2,905 t.(lt), 5,202 t.(fl)
    Length 258' 9"
    Beam 42' 1"
    Draft 20' 9" (max.)
    Speed 10.5kts
    Complement 23
    Cargo Capacity 2,243 t.
    Cruising radius (nautical miles) 4,500
    Propulsion reciprocating steam engine, single propeller
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    Centaurus 136k Centaurus (AK-264) under way while in South Korean service, circa 1951, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 84176. Courtesy of D.M. McPherson, 1976.    		 Mike Green
    Centaurus (AK-264)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
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    Last Updated 16 December 2016