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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Titania (AKA-13)
ex
USS Titania (AK-55) (1942 - 1943)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Lima - Alpha
NELA
Voice Call Sign "Kosher" (50-53)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation (7)
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Fourth Row - National Defense Service Medal - Korean Service Medal (7) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal (2) - Republic of Korea War Service Meal

Arcturus Class Cargo Ship

Laid down, 25 October 1941, as SS Harry Culbreath, a Maritime Commission type (C2-F) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 132) at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. Kearny, N.J.

Launched, date unknown

Delivered to the War Shipping Administration, 5 May 1942

Purchased by the US Navy, 5 May 1942

Commissioned USS Titania (AK-55), 30 May 1942, CAPT. Victor C. Barringer Jr. in command

Reclassified Attack Cargo Ship, (AKA-13), 1 February 1943

During World War II USS Titania was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater participating in the following campaigns:

Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
North African Occupation Algeria-Morocco landings, 8 to 11 November 1942	Consolidation of the Solomon Islands Consolidation of the southern Solomon Islands, 13 May 1943
	Treasury-Bougainville operation Occupation and defense of Cape Torokina, 1, 8 and 9 November 1943
	Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Saipan, 21 to 28 July 1944 Capture and occupation of Guam, 28 July 1944
	Leyte operation Leyte landings, 13 to 27 October and 5 to 20 November 1944
	Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945
	Borneo operation Tarakan Island operation, 27 April to 5 May 1945 Brunei Bay operation, 26 June to 4 July 1945 Balikpapan operation, 1 July1945

Following World War II USS Titania was assigned to the Naval Transportation Service (NTS) and performed Occupation and China service for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
6 to 23 September 1946	27 August to 5 September 1946
9 to 21 May 1947	16 September 1954

Transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), 1 October 1949

During the Korean War USS Titania participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
North Korean Aggression 16 to 22 July 1950 25 September to 2 November 1950	Second Korean Winter 19 to 20 December 1951 8 February 1952 18 March 1952 22 to 30 April 1952
Communist China Aggression 3 to 16 November 1950	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 31 August to 17 September 1952 24 to 28 September 1952 9 to 17 October 1952 16 to 30 November 1952 1 to 3 December 1952 6 to 18 December 1952 23 December 1952 to 6 January 1953
Communist China Spring Offensive 19 to 28 May 1951 10 to 30 June 1951	Third Korean Winter 28 January to 5 February 1953
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 14 to 30 July 1951 7 to 27 August 1951 6 to 17 September 1951 8 to 19 October 1951 30 October to 13 November 1951

Decommissioned, 19 July 1955

Struck from the Naval Register, 2 July 1961

USS Titania earned seven battle stars for World War II service and seven battle stars for Korean War service

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in Taiwan to China Trade & Development Corp. (MARAD Sale PD-X-976) for $742,512.00

Specifications:
Displacement 7,480 t. (lt) 14,225 t. (fl.)
Length 459' 2"
Beam 63'
Draft 26' 5"
Speed 16.5 kts.

Complement

Officers 39

Enlisted 227

Largest Boom Capacity 40 t.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts

two single 40mm AA gun mounts

eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts

Cargo Capacity 351,609 Cu ft

Fuel Capacity NSFO 10,670Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric geared turbine

two Foster & Wheeler D-type boilers, 465psi 765°

double General Electric Main Reduction Gear

Ship's Service Generators

two turbo-drive 250Kw 120V/240V D.C.

one Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V D.C.

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
USS Titania (AK-55)
100201316	94k	SS Harry Culbreath being towed to the fitting out dock at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. Kearny, N.J. in 1942 after launching. Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. photo # 2309	Gerhard Muller-Debus
	110k	*USS Titania* (AK-55)** underway on commissioning day, 27 May 1942. Note the heavy central kingpost added to the pair of kingposts forward of the bridge to give the ship the ability to handle heavy landing craft. Photos from US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, Photo #'s Not Assigned, US Navy Bureau of Ships Photos now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Mike Green
	79k		Mike Green
09740311	133k	Aerial Vies *USS Lakehurst* (APV-3) and USS Titania (AK-55) off-loading in Safi, Morocco harbor on 10 and 11 November 1942. Also moored in the port are USS Bernadou (DD-153)** and USS Cole (DD-155) Photos by Eliot Elisofon, Life Magazine. Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.	John Chiquoine
09740312	237k		John Chiquoine
100201317	191k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13)** off-loading in Safi, Morocco harbor on 10 and 11 November 1942. Photos by Eliot Elisofon, Life Magazine. Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.	John Chiquoine
100201318	187k		John Chiquoine
USS Titania (AKA-13)
	58k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13)** at anchor, date and location unknown.	Robert Hurst
	100k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13) and USS Aquarius (AKA-16) at Pavuvu, Russell Islands, 28 April 1944, after bringing veterans of the Cape Gloucester Campaign to a rest camp. LCPs in the foreground, are from USS Wayne (APA-54), and being used as water taxis. Note SC-2 radar antenna mounted atop Aquarius*' forward kingposts. Photographed by Fitzgerald USMC photo # 86265*	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	85k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13) outboard of USS Aquarius (AKA-16)** unload Marine veterans of the Cape Gloucester campaign at a rest camp at Pavuvu, Russell Islands, 28 April 1944. US Coast Guard photo # 2271, from the collections of the US Coast Guard Historian's Office.	Mike Green
	46k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13) at Pavuvu, Russell Islands, 28 April 1944, after bringing veterans of the Cape Gloucester Campaign to a rest camp. USS Aquarius (AKA-16) is on Titania's far side. LCVPs in the left foreground are from USS Wayne (APA-54)*. Photographed by Fitzgerald. USMC photo # 86251*	US Naval History and Heritage Command
100201320	253k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13) and the motor torpedo boat tender USS Mobjack (AGP-7)** in drydock at Navy Advanced Base Section Dock no. 2 (USS ASBD-2) at Manus, Admiralty Islands, prior to undocking, 21 March 1945. U.S. Navy photo 80-G-330641 from the holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) 148728590	Robert Hurst
100201319	278k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13)** at anchor likely in San Francisco Bay circa 1945-46.. U.S. Navy photo	Darryl Baker
	140k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13) under way off Pohang South Korea, 18 July 1950 with USS Higbee (DD-806)**. Both ships are supporting U.S. landings at Pohang early in the Korean War. LIFE Magazine Archives - Carl Mydans Photographer, shared by Peter DeForest Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.	Mike Green
	106k	*USS Cavalier* (APA-37) and USS Titania (AKA-13)** laying a smoke screen, as U.S. Forces prepare to land at Pohang South Korea, 18 July 1950. LIFE Magazine Archives - Carl Mydans Photographer, shared by Peter DeForest. Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.	Mike Green
	104k		Mike Green
	95k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13)** laying a smoke screen off Pohang South Korea, 18 July 1950, in preparation for landing U.S. Forces there. LIFE Magazine Archives - Carl Mydans Photographer, shared by Peter DeForest Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.	Mike Green
	74k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13) off Pohang South Korea, 18 July 1950, early in the Korean War. Titania** was part of the invasion fleet supporting the unopposed landings at Pohang. LIFE Magazine Archives - Carl Mydans Photographer, shared by Peter DeForest Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.	Mike Green
	53k		Mike Green
	76k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13) at Wonsan Harbor, North Korea, circa 10-13 September 1951, seen from USS Floyd B. Parks (DD-884)*, which is coming alongside to take on fuel. Photographed by AFAN E.A. McDade USN. National Archives photo # 80-G-433793*, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	57k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13)** underway, circa 1953, location unknown. US Navy photo.	Darryl Baker
	128k	Forward plan view of *USS Titania* (AKA-13) at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 16 May 1953. Titania** was under repair at Mare Island from 19 March to 19 May 1953. Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # AKA 13 17550-5-53, 5/16/53	Darryl Baker
	130k	Amidships plan view looking forward of *USS Titania* (AKA-13) at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 16 May 1953. Titania** was under repair at Mare Island from 19 March to 19 May 1953. Mare Island Naval Shipyard photo # AKA 13 17552-5-53, 5/16/53	Darryl Baker
	37k	*USS Titania* (AKA-13)** moored to a buoy, date and location unknown. Photo courtesy LCDR. G.R.G. Murray, RN, from "Jane's Fighting Ships 1956-57"	Robert Hurst

USS Titania (AK-55 / AKA-13)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Barringer Jr., Victor Cameron :RADM	30May 1942 - April 1943	AK-55/AKA-13
02	CDR. Berger, Herbert Everett	3 April 1943 - 28 September 1944	AKA-13
03	CDR. Callahan, Malcolm Whitfield USN (USNA 1914)	28 September 1944 - 13 September 1945	AKA-13
04	LCDR. Sorken, Robert Louis, LCDR	13 September 1945 19 September 1945	AKA-13
05	LT. Bannen, Frank P., LT USNR	19 September 1945 - 26 September 1945	AKA-13
06	LT. Tatterson, Richard George, LT USNR	26 September3 1945 - 6 October 1945	AKA-13
07	CDR. Callahan, Malcolm Whitfield USN (USNA 1914)	6 October 1945 - ?	AKA-13
08	CAPT. Giambattista, Frank Daniel USN (USNA 1927) :RADM	1950	AKA-13
09	CAPT. King, Robert Donovan USN (USNA 1931)	1952 - 1953	AKA-13
10	CAPT. Tucker, James Francis USN (USNA 1933)	1953 - October 1954	AKA-13
11	CAPT. Booth, Blake Buckley	October 1954 - 19 July 1955	AKA-13


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 Titania (AK-55) War Diary, 1942-1943
USS Titania (AKA-13) War Diary, Operation Reports and Action Reports, 1943-1945
MARAD Vessel History Database

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 20 October 2023

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Titania (AKA-13)ex USS Titania (AK-55) (1942 - 1943)

USS Titania (AKA-13)
ex
USS Titania (AK-55) (1942 - 1943)