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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive

USAT St. Olaf
ex
 USAHS St Olaf (1944 - 1945)

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, 6 January 1942 as SS St. Olaf, a type EC2-S-C1 "Liberty Ship", under Maritime Commission Contract (MCE-33) at Bethlehem-Fairfield, Baltimore MD.
  • Launched, 12 April 1942
  • Delivered, 20 May 1942, to the War Shipping Administration upon completion
  • Operated under a General Agency Agreement for the War Shipping Administration by Union Sulphur Co.
  • Purchased, 22 November 1943, by the War Department for conversion to a hospital ship
  • Converted at Simpson Yard Bethlehem Steel Co. Boston between 23 November 1943 and late-July 1944
  • Commissioned USAHS St. Olaf in July 1944
  • During World War II USAHS St. Olaf operated in both the European-Africa-Middle East and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters
  • Decommissioned as a hospital ship in November 1945 at Los Angeles
  • Altered at Standard Shipbuilding Co., San Pedro for transporting military dependents between Alaska and Seattle
  • Re-commissioned as USAT St. Olaf in 1946
  • Decommissioned in June 1947
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission for lay up, 24 June 1947, in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group Astoria, OR.
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 1 April 1963, to Zidell Explorations Inc. (PD-X-630, dated 14 March 1963) for $52,023.26, Withdrawn, 12 April 1963
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,940 gross tons
    Length 441'6"
    Beam 56'10"
    Draft 24'
    Speed 11 kts.
    Complement
    Officers unknown
    Enlisted, unknown
    Hospital Ship - Patient Capacity 591
    Passenger/Transport - 1,067 troops and 147 dependents
    Fuel Capacities unknown
    Cruise Radius 17,688 nm
    Propulsion
    two boilers
    one triple expansion steam engine, 2,500hp Ship's Service Generators
     three recip-drive 20Kw 120V D.C.
     one turbo-drive 60Kw 120V D.C.
    single propeller
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    USAHS St. Olaf
    St. Olaf
    30081305    		 40k
    Namesake
    St. Olaf - Olaf II Haraldsson (c. 995 – 29 July 1030), also Olav Haraldsson, later known as Saint Olaf and Olaf the Holy, was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was canonised at Nidaros (Trondheim) by Bishop Grimketel, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. His remains were enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral, built over his burial site. His sainthood encouraged the widespread adoption of Christianity by Scandinavia's Vikings/Norsemen. (Wikipedia)    		 Tommy Trampp
    St. Olaf 33k USAHS St. Olaf under way, date and location unknown.  
    St, Olaf
    30081303    		 73k USAHS St. Olaf moored pierside, 3 March 1946, at Seattle, WA.
    Photo from FLICKR by Richard     		John Spivey
    St, Olaf
    30081304    		 37k Stern view of USAHS St. Olaf moored pierside in a British port, date unknown.
    WW2 US Medical Research Centere     		 
    St, Olaf 85k Model of USAHS St. Olaf by John Konda. ModelShipGallery.com
    USAT St. Olaf and USAHS St. Olaf 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
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The US Army Ship Index Back To The US Army Transport Photo Index Back To The US Army Hospital Ship Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 12 May 2024