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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Artemis (AKA-21)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Mike - Echo
 NHME
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal
Artemis Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 23 November 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BE1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract, (MC hull 1882), at Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc. Providence, R.I.
  • Launched, 20 May 1944
  • Commissioned USS Artemis (AKA-21), 29 August 1944, LCDR. Thomas J. Rattray USN in command
  • During World War II USS Artemis was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater;
    TransRon Fifteen, CAPT. W. S. Popham USN (14)
     TransDiv Forty-Three, CAPT. W. S. Popham USN (14) and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 to 27 February 1945

  • Following World War II USS Artemis was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 4 October to 24 November 1945
  • USS Artemis (AKA-21) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.2.6 (Target Vessel Group - Merchant Type Units - Transport Division 94 (TRANSDIV 94) for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946
  • Decommissioned, 10 January 1947, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register 25 February 1947
  • USS Artemis earned one battle star for her World War II service
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 1 April 1948, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, during 1960s to Union Minerals and Alloys Corp., New York City, N.Y.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,025 long tons (lt) 6,800 long tons (fl)
    Length 426'
    Beam 58'
    Draft 16' 6", loaded
    Speed 16.9 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 27
    Enlisted 276
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Armament
    one single stern mounted 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 980 DWT non-refrigerated 110,000 Cu ft
    Boats
    one LCP(L)
    twelve LCVP
    two LCMs
    Troop Accommodations 267
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 9,540 Bbls
    Diesel 365 Bbls
    Propulsion
    twin screws, 3300 SHP each, Max. 2210 AC
    two Westinghouse Turbo-electric engines
    two Wickes boilers, 2-Drum, D-Type Superheaters, 44,000 lb/hr. ea, 450 psi at 750 ° F.
    two Desuperheaters
    two Economizers
    Mechanical Ventilation, 213,135 CFM
    Ship's Service Generators
    two turbo-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    one turbo-drive 150Kw 450V A.C.
    two turbo-drive 250Kw 450V A.C.
    twin propellers, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Artemis 108k Artemis (AKA-21) underway during sea trials, 23 August 1944.
    US National Archives RG-19-LCM, photo # 19-N-107279 a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Artemis
    100202101    		 617k USS Artemis (AKA-21) underway, 8 September, 1944, off Boston, MA. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 32, Design 4T.
    U.S. National Archives and Records Administration photo # 80-G-382856, a U.S. Navy photo now in the collections of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.    		 Robert Hurst
    Artemis 82k USS Artemis (AKA-21) at anchor, date and location unknown. Gerald I. Williams ETM2 USS Artemis Feb-Jun 1946
    Artemis 92k USS Artemis (AKA-21) at anchor, date and location unknown. Gerald I. Williams ETM2 USS Artemis Feb-Jun 1946
    Artemis 112k USS Artemis (AKA-21) underway, date and location unknown. Gerald I. Williams ETM2 USS Artemis Feb-Jun 1946
    Artemis 141k USS Artemis (AKA-21) underway, date and location unknown. Gerald I. Williams ETM2 USS Artemis Feb-Jun 1946
    Artemis 58k USS Artemis (AKA-21) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "ONI 222-US, United States Naval Vessels, Official United States Navy Reference Manual, Prepared by Division of Naval Intelligence, 1 September 1945."    		 Lou Sander
    Artemis 17k USS Artemis (AKA-21) underway, date and location unknown. Gunter Krebs
    USS Artemis (AKA-21)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Rattray, Thomas J. USN28 August 1944 - 3 March 1945
    02LCDR. Lair, Harold Patrick3 March 1945 - 1946
    03LCDR. Robinson, Leslie Somers 1946 - 10 January 1947
    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
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Cargo Ship (AKA) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 15 December 2023