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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive

USAHS Acadia
ex
 USAT Acadia (1942 - 1943)

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Hospital Ship:
  • Laid down, 31 August 1931, as passenger/cargo liner SS Acadia at Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News VA.
  • Launched, 13 February 1932, christened by Mrs. Calvin Austin
  • Delivered, 7 June 1932, to Eastern Steamship lines
  • In 1941 ship was operated by Alcoa Steamship Co.
  • Maritime Commission takes control of Acadia, 8 October 1941
  • Allocation and charter to US Army Transportation Service for commercial operation by American West African Lines
  • Restored to Alcoa Steamship Co. for operations, 23 November 1941
  • Returned to Eastern Steamship Co. for operations, 29 April 1942, under control of the War Shipping Administration
  • During the early part of 1942 Acadia transported diplomats from South American countries and German, Japanese and Italians from South America to internment in the United States
  • Bare bottom charter to the War Department, 16 October 1942, Commissioned USAT Acadia
  • Redesignated USAHS Acadia, 5 June 1943
  • During World War II USAT / USAHS Acadia was assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Decommissioned as hospital ship, 7 February 1946, redesignated as US Army transport Acadia
  • Acadia transported returning service personnel and their dependents from Europe to the United States
  • Returned, 15 February 1947, to the War Shipping Administration for operation under a General Service Agreement by Eastern Steamship Co.
  • SS Acadia was returned to full control of Eastern Steamship Co. 23 July 1947
  • Sold to a Belgian in May 1955
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,185 gross tons
    Length 402'11"
    Beam 61'
    Draft 22'6"
    Speed 17 kts.
    Complement
    Officers unknown
    Enlisted, unknown
    Hospital Staff
    Officers 18
    Nurses 37
    Enlisted Men 94
    Troopship Passenger Capacity 1,635
    Hospital Ship Patient Capacity 738
    Troopship Cargo Capacity 99,500 cu. ft.
    Cruise Radius 8,000 nm
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 9,985 bbls
    Diesel 102 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Newport News geared turbines
    three Foster and Wheeler header-type boilers 275psi 575°
    single Newport News Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    two 500Kw 240V D.C.
    two 150Kw 240V D.C.
    one 75Kw 240V A.C.
    twin propellers, 8,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Merchant Service Eastern Steamship Lines Alcoa Steamship Co.
    Acadia
    30080106    		 236k
    Namesake

    Acadia - A colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17th and early 18th centuries, Norridgewock on the Kennebec River and Castine at the end of the Penobscot River were the southernmost settlements of Acadia. The French government specified land bordering the Atlantic coast, roughly between the 40th and 46th parallels. It was eventually divided into British colonies. The population of Acadia included the various indigenous First Nations that comprised the Wabanaki Confederacy, the Acadian people and other French settlers. (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license, Mikmaq)
    Map Map of Acadia 1754. (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license, Wikipedia)     		Tommy Trampp
    Acadia
    30080105    		 82k Photo of a painting by marine painter Worden Wood of SS Acadia underway, while being operated by Eastern Steamship Lines, 13 February 1932.
    Digital Commonwealth - 1 commonwealth 8g84mw445. by Tichnor Brothers, c. 1931-1945     		Tommy Trampp
    Acadia
    30080107    		 245k Post card image SS Acadia underway, while being operated by Eastern Steamship Lines, date unknown.
    Ebay     		Robert Hurst
    Acadia 243k SS Acadia under way, 20 September 1941 while being operated by Alcoa Steamship Co.
    US Coast Guard photo.     		Maritime Administration
    USAT Acadia (1942-1943)
    Acadia 233k USAT Acadia underway, 29 May 1942, location unknown.
    US Coast Guard photo     		Maritime Administration
    Acadia 150k USAT Acadia moored pierside, date and location unknown.
    Photo from Troopships of World War II", by Roland W. Charles, Published by The Army Transportation Association, Washington, D.C., 1947     		 
    USAHS Acadia (1943-1946)
    Acadia 74k USAHS Acadia underway in the Mediterranean Sea, during the Italian Campaign, 1943 Commons Wikimedia
    Acadia
    30080111    		 41k Stern view of USAHS Acadia with troops aboard, date and location unknown.
    Photo from picryl.com by wikimedia.org     		John Spivey
    USAT Acadia (1946-1947)
    Acadia
    30080108     		224k USAT Acadia departing Pier 39, Honolulu, T.H., outbound to Seattle, WA., 13 May 1946. Joe Wehberg
    Acadia
    30080109     		223k
    Acadia
    30080110     		297k
    Wisteria
    30081406    		 256k USAHS Acadia and USAHS Wisteria docked at Yokohama, Japan, 1946
    US Army Signal Corps photo now in Digital collection ww2online - The National WWII Museum photo # 2011.309.28_1     		 
    USAT / USAHS Acadia histories are from "Troopships of World War II", by Roland W. Charles, Published by The Army Transportation Association, Washington, D.C., 1947
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    USAT Arcadia newspaper "Now Read This" Souvenir Edition October 20. 1946
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    Last Updated 15 November 2024