USS Selinur (AKA-41)

USS "Selinur" (AKA-41) was an "Artemis" class attack cargo ship named after the minor planet "500 Selinur," which in turn was named for a character in Friedrich Theodor Vischer's 1879 novel "Auch Einer". She served as a commissioned ship for 12 months.

Construction and commisssioning

"Selinur" (AKA-41) was laid down on 18 January 1945 under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1902) by the Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc., Providence, R.I.; launched on 28 March 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Wilton Carter; and commissioned on 21 April 1945, Lt. Comdr. W.F. Babcock in command.

The List of Officers attached to the U.S.S. Selinur (AKA-41)
Lieutenant Commander W.F.Babcock, USN- Commanding Officer
Lieutenant J.F. GibLIN, USNR- Executive Officer
Lieutenant H. L. Lyon, USNR- Gunnery Officer
Lieutenant (jg) R. A. CLark, USN- First Lieutenant
Lieutenant(jg) E.A. Parish, USNR- Engineering Officer
Lieutenant (jg) R. H. Sabin, USNR- Communications Officer
Lieutenant(jg) R. W. Power, USNR- Navigation Officer
Lieutenant Commander S. A. Grantham, MC, USN- Medical Officer
Lieutenant(jg) S. B. Gray, SC, USNR- Supply Officer

After shakedown, "Selinur" departed Norfolk, Va., on 27 May 1945 with cargo and personnel for Hawaii, arriving at Honolulu on 18 June. After making cargo voyages to Midway, Hilo, Majuro, and Kwajalein, "Selinur" sailed from Pearl Harbor on 1 September with occupation troops for Japan and arrived at Sasebo on 22 September. She next sailed for Manila, whence she returned to Sasebo and reported for "Magic Carpet" duty on 20 October. The cargo vessel made two voyages bringing troops home, one from Sasebo and Okinawa and the other from Tacloban, P.I., before being released from "Magic Carpet" duty at San Francisco on 24 January 1946. She arrived at Philadelphia on 16 April for inactivation.

Decommissioning

"Selinur" was decommissioned on 30 April, transferred to the Maritime Commission and simultaneously loaned to the Pennsylvania Maritime Academy as "Keystone State". She was struck from the Navy list on 8 May 1946. John Gage helped as one of th great assets to the ship and its history. The ship was returned to the Maritime Commission in 1947 and laid up in the James River as a unit of the National Defense Reserve Fleet. She was sold by the Maritime Administration on 15 July 1968 to the Northern Metals Co., Philadelphia, for scrapping.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s9/selinur.htm Naval Historical Center: USS "Selinur"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/02041.htm NavSource Online: AKA-41 "Selinur"]
* [http://ussrankin.org/id352.htm 51 Years of AKAs]