USNS David C. Shanks (T-AP-180)

"David C. Shanks" was a troop transport that served with the US Army during World War II as USAT "David C. Shanks", and during the Korean War with the US Navy's Military Sea Transportation Service as the USNS "David C. Shanks" (T-AP-180).

ervice history

The ship was originally laid down under the name SS "American Farmer" as a Maritime Commission Type C3 ship (specifically, a Type C3-1N-P&C, or Passenger & Cargo type) by Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi. She was delivered on 24 April 1943 and turned over to the US Army Transportation Service, who renamed her USAT "David C . Shanks".

On 15 March 1950 the ship was transferred to the MSTS and became the USNS "David C. Shanks" (T-AP-180). The ship participated in operations to contain the Communist Chinese advance in Korea during the conflict there between December 1950-January 1951, and earned a battle star for her service.

"David C. Shanks" was inactivated and returned to the Maritime Administration in October 1958, after which she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet. She was scrapped in 1973.

References

* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/auxil/ap180.htm "David C. Shanks"] - DANFS Online.
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22180.htm T-AP-180 "David C. Shanks"] , Navsource Online.