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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Alcyone (AKA-7)
ex
 USS Alcyone (AK-24) (1941 - 1942)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Foxtrot - Alpha - Romeo
 NFAR
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Defense Service Medal (with "A" device) - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7) - World War II Victory Medal
Fourth Row - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia Clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)
Arcturus Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 12 January 1939, as MV Mormacgull, a Maritime Commission type (C2) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 30), at Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, PA.
  • Launched, 28 August 1939
  • Purchased by the Navy, 31 May 1941, from Moore-McCormack Lines
  • Converted for naval service at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.
  • Commissioned USS Alcyone (AK-24), 15 June 1941, CDR. D. M. McGurl in command
  • Reclassified Attack Cargo Ship (AKA-7), 26 November 1942
  • During World War II USS Alcyone was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater, and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Thirteen, COMO. M.O. Carson USN (16);
    TransDiv Thirty-Seven and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Sicilian occupation, 5 to 15 July 1943 Gilbert Islands operation
    Makin Island landing, 13 November to 2 December 1943
      Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944
      Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 to 22 June 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 22 to 29 July 1944
      Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October and 18 November 1944
      Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945
      Manila Bay - Bicol operations
    Zambales - Subic Bay, 29 to 31 January 1945
      3rd Fleet operations against Japan, 17 July to 3 August 1945

  • Following World War II USS Alcyone was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September 1945 to 11 March 1946
  • Decommissioned, 23 July 1946, at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA.
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal, 24 July 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 August 1946
  • USS Alcyone earned eight battle stars for her World War II service
  • Sold, 17 March 1947, by the Maritime Commission for merchant service to Johnson Line (Sweden), registered in Panama with Compania Naviera Puerta del Sur, renamed MS Star Alcyone placed in service on Johnson Line's Far East route
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 1969, arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 17 May 1969, for dismantling
    Specifications:
    Displacement 14,225 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 1"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 5"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 31
    Enlisted 368
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Cargo Capacity 4,865 dWT
    non-refrigerated 331,138 Cu ft
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose 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
    four Diesel-drive 230Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source/
    Contributed By
    Pre WWII Merchant Service Moore-McCormack Lines
    Alcyone
    100200717    		 118k Moore-McCormack Lines freighter MV Mormacgull underway, circa 1940, location unknown.
    U.S. Navy photo    		 MARAD
    USS Alcyone (AK-24)
    Alcyone 87k USS Alcyone (AK-24) off Boston Navy Yard, 18 June 1941, three days after commissioning. Note the lack of armament. The kingpost pair right forward was soon removed from all units of this class.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # 19-N-24202, a US Navy Bureau of Ships, now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command, courtesy Shipscribe.com    		 Robert Hurst
    Alcyone 84k Starboard forward quarter view of USS Alcyone (AK-24) off Mare Island, 2 October 1942, as she enters the shipyard. Alcyone was under repair at Mare Island from 2 October until 4 November 1942. Her camouflage is Measure 12(modified).
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6080-10-42, 10/2/42    		 Darryl Baker
    Alcyone 71k Broadside view of USS Alcyone (AK-24) off Mare Island, 2 October 1942, as she enters the shipyard for repair. Camouflage is Measure 12(modified).
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6086-10-42, 10/2/42    		 Darryl Baker
    Alcyone
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6850-11-42, 11/4/42    		 89k USS Alcyone (AK-24) under way in San Francisco Bay, 4 November 1942
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo #'s 6850-11-42, 11/4/42 and 6849-11-42, 11/4/42    		 Warren Henrikson QM1/c and
    Ron Reeves
    Alcyone
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6849-11-42, 11/4/42    		 232k
    Alcyone
    100200718     		58k USS Alcyone (AK-24) underway at sea, circa 1942.
    U. S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 83228, courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1975     		Robert Hurst
    USS Alcyone (AKA-7)
    Alcyone 52k USS Alcyone (AKA-7) off Norfolk Navy Yard, 15 May 1943, with most of her boats on board. This class did not carry landing craft in davits outboard of the bridge.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # 19-N-47655, a US Navy Bureau of Ships, now in the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Alcyone 23k USS Alcyone (AKA-7), date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Alcyone
    100200714    		 96k USS Alcyone (AKA-7) anchored, circa April 1944, near U.S. Navy Yard Long Beach, CA., after overhaul.
    U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photos    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    Alcyone
    100200715    		 154k
    Alcyone
    100200716    		 489k
    Alcyone 51k USS Alcyone (AKA-7) at Lahaina Roads, Territory of Hawaii, May 1944. Her camouflage is Measure 32 Design 8T.
    US Navy Photo    		 Warren Henrikson QM1/c
    Alcyone 17k USS Alcyone (AKA-7), date and location unknown. .
    Alcyone 25k USS Alcyone (AKA-7) underway, 15 May 1943, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Lou Sander
    Alcyone 56k USS Alcyone (AKA-7) photographed circa 1945-46 in the final configuration of the class.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 82142, courtesy Shipscribe.com    		 Robert Hurst
    I boats 610k I-203 as seen from USS Euryale (AS-22), 31 January 1946
    USS Alcyone (AKA-7) is in the background as the two ships are about to pass port to starboard.
    US Navy photo # 80-G-264376, from collections of the US National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, MD.    		 Courtesy of Sean Hert, Webmaster & Editor ModelWarships.com
    Post WWII Merchant Service Johnson Line
    Alcyone 38k Ex-USS Alcyone (AKA-7) in merchant service as the Johnson Line's SS Star Alcyone Ragnar de Sharengrad
    Alcyone 27k SS Star Alcyone underway, date and location unknown. Johnson Line web site
    USS Alcyone (AK-24 / AKA-7)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. McGurl, Daniel Michael, USN (USNA 1918) :RADM15 June 1941 - 3 August 1943
    02CDR. McVey, James Bertrand, USN (USNA 1922)3 August 1943 - 5 April 1944
    03CDR. Knickerbocker, Hermann Pierce, USN 5 April 1944 - 10 August 1945
    04CDR. Howe, Harry C.10 August 1945 - December 1945
    05LT. Toy Walter Frederick, USNRDecember 1945 - 23 July 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
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    USS Alcyone (AK-24) War Diary 1 May 1942 to 31 January 1943
    USS Alcyone (AKA-7) War Diary 1 March 1943 to 5 February 1945
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 16 February 2024