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| USN Liberty Ship Crater Class Cargo Ship 4,023 Tons (standard) 14,550 Tons (full load) 441' 6" x 56' 11" x 28' 4" 1 x 5" 38 cal DP gun 1 x 3" 5o cal DP gun 2 x 40mm AA guns 6 x 20mm AA guns |
Ship History Built by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2 in Richmond, California. Laid down November 3, 1942 as EC2 class Liberty Ship under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 439). Launched December 12, 1942 as SS Redfield Proctor named for American politician and Secretary of War Redfield Proctor (1831-1908). Acquired by the Navy as a Crater-class cargo ship renamed USS Celaeno (AK-76) for the star Celaeno in the constellation Pleiades. Commissioned January 2, 1943 in the U.S. Navy (USN) with Lieutenant Commander N. E. Lanphere, USNR in command. Wartime History On January 10, 1943 departs San Francisco with cargo across the Pacific to Nouméa arriving February 1, 1943. Afterwards, transports cargo from New Zealand to Nouméa, Tulagi and Guadalcanal. On June 16, 1943 while unloading cargo off Guadalcanal caught by a Japanese air raid. D3A Val dive bombers scored three near misses and a single bomb hit on the stern disabling her stern 5" gun out of operation. Her men stood to the remaining guns, and aided in downing at least three enemy planes and damaging several others. A second direct hit set two of Celeno’s holds on fire, and another near miss sent her deck cargo of diesel oil and gasoline flaming. With her rudder jammed from the first hit, Celeno circled, as her crew determined to save her. Skillful damage control and superb seamanship beached her safely on Lunga Point after the attack. Fifteen of her crew were killed and 19 wounded in the attack. Repairs Afterwards, towed to Purvis Bay off Florida Island for immediate repairs. Afterward, proceeded to Espiritu Santo for further repairs then across the Pacific to San Francisco for full repairs. Afterwards, returned to the South Pacific by January 1944. As the seizure of bases in the Admiralty Islands began, Celeno brought troops and cargo to Manus through the spring of 1944, and continued to operate in the Solomon Islands, Bismarck Sea and Marianas Islands. She departed for Australia and New Zealand, then made a cargo run Iwo Jima. Returning to Nouméa, then made voyages to Eniwetok, Ulithi and finally Okinawa arriving June 18, 1945 then returns to Ulithi on July 3, 1945 and afterwards resumes cargo operations in the South Pacific until the end of the Pacific War. Awards Celeno earned three battle stars for her World War II service. Postwar During November 1945, Celeno departs for Iwo Jima to embark troops for Saipan, then embarks another group of men to be transported to the west coast of the United States. On March 1, 1946 decommissioned at San Francisco and transferred to the Maritime Commission and became part of the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet in Suisun Bay. Fate On March 14, 1961 sold to Union Minerals & Alloys Corporation for $65,139.89. On June 6, 1961 and broken up for scrap completed by August 4, 1961. References USS-Serpens.org via Wayback Machine January 19, 2012 Liberty Ships built by the United States Maritime Commission in World War II - 0439 - Redfield Proctor - AK 76 Celeno Contribute
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