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U.S.S. RANKIN
(AKA-103)READY NOW
Click to view crew list
USS RANKIN (AKA-103 ) - a Tolland-class attack cargo ship
In Commission 1945 to 1971AKA-103 Deployments - Major Events
Add a AKA-103 Shellback Initiation | Add a AKA-103 Deployment - Major Event | ||||
Month | Year | to | Month | Year | Deployment / Event |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
OCT | 1944 | - | Keel Date: 31 OCT 1944 at Norfolk Navy Yard Portsmouth Virginia | ||
DEC | 1944 | - | Launch Date: 22 DEC 1944 | ||
FEB | 1945 | - | Commissioned: 25 FEB 1945 | ||
MAR | 1956 | - | OCT | 1956 | Mediterranean |
OCT | 1962 | - | OCT | 1962 | Cuban Missle Blockade |
AUG | 1964 | - | NOV | 1964 | Mediterranean |
JAN | 1966 | - | FEB | 1966 | Caribbean |
JAN | 1968 | - | JUL | 1968 | Mediterranean |
JAN | 1968 | - | APR | 1968 | Caribbean |
FEB | 1968 | - | FEB | 1968 | Mediterranean |
JUL | 1969 | - | DEC | 1969 | Mediterranean |
JUL | 1970 | - | DEC | 1970 | Mediterranean |
MAY | 1971 | - | Decommissioned: 11 MAY 1971 |
AKA-103 General Specifications
Class: Tolland-class attack cargo ship
Named for: Rankin County
Displacement: 8635 tons
Length: 459 feet 2 inches
Beam: 63 feet
Draft: 26 feet 4 in
Range: 17 000 miles
Final Disposition: Sunk as a fishing & diving reef off Stuart Florida 24 July 1988
USS RANKIN (AKA-103)
Rankin (AKA-103)
an attack cargo ship
was laid down on 31 October
1944 as MC hull 1702 by North Carolina Shipbuilding Co.
Wilmington
N.
C.
Launched 22 December 1944 acquired by the Navy 25 January 1945
ferried
to the Charleston Navy Yard for conversion to an AKA
and commissioned 25
February 1945
Lt. Comdr. Thomas D. Price in command.
Following an Atlantic shakedown
Rankin steamed 26 March 1945 in
company with Tolberg (APD-103) for the Canal Zone. Joining the Pacific
Fleet 1 April
she loaded Marine Corps replacement equipment at San Francisco
and steamed independently for Hawaii 17 April. Intensive training in shipboard
procedures and amphibious techniques followed. She then took on 5
000 tons
of Army ammunition at Honolulu and
in company with Tolovana (AO-64)
steamed on 25 May for Ulithi. Escorted by Enright (APD-66)
the two
ships immediately went on to deliver their vital cargoes at Okinawa. All
ammunition was discharged between air raids.
Rankin departed Okinawa 28 June in convoy for Saipan. There she offloaded
her boat group and then steamed independently for San Francisco
arriving
20 July. After taking on her allowance of landing craft
she put in at Seattle
Wash.
for repairs.
Hostilities ended during loading operations
her ammunition was discharged
and the ship sailed for the Philippines
arriving Manila on 9 September.
Assigned to TransRon 20
Rankin steamed for Lingayen Gulf. En route
she touched at Subic Bay
contributed landing craft to the boat pool there
and then commenced taking on equipment of the 25th Army Division from the
San Fabian beaches.
The squadron got underway for Japan 1 October. After riding at anchor for
nearly 3 weeks while the approaches to Nagoya
southern Honshu
were cleared
of mines
the squadron entered that port 27 October. Rankin embarked
Navy personnel there
took on inoperable landing craft at Samar
P.I.and
sailed for home
arriving San Francisco 25 November.
Rankin decommissioned 21 May 1947 at San Francisco and entered the
Pacific Reserve Fleet. She recommissioned 22 March 1952 at the Todd Shipyard
Alameda
Calif.; and following shakedown
transited the Panama Canal to
join the Amphibious Force
Atlantic Fleet. Operating out of Norfolk she
commenced a lengthy second career of support for amphibious training operations
along the east coast as well as in the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas
On 18 July 1958
Rankin was part of the amphibious force which landed
5
000 U.S. Marines at Beirut
Lebanon
in response to a request from the
Lebanese Government for assistance in averting civil war.
Since 1959
Rankin has deployed periodically to the Caribbean with
Amphibious Squadron 10
a fast amphibious squadron with vertical envelopment
capabilities. Operating regularly in the Caribbean
she has repeatedly called
at Puerto Rico
the Virgin Islands
Haiti
Jamaica
and Cuba. During the
crisis of October and November 1962
occasioned by the discovery of Russian
intermediate-range ballistic missiles in Cuba
Rankin operated in
the force which was marshalled in Cuban waters
prepared for any eventuality.
In January 1963
Rankin departed Norfolk with PhibRon 10 and various
components of the 2d Marine Battalion. In late February
she visited Santo
Domingo
Dominican Republie
in company with Boxer (LPH-4) for the
inauguration of President Juan Bosch. From April through June
she again
deployed for training operations and a yard period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
Refresher training at Guantanamo Bay followed early in January 1964. Rankin
next participated in exercise "Steel Pike I" off the Spanish coast
28 September through 3 December. Upon returning to Norfolk
she underwent
a tender availability with Amphion (AR-13)
after which she resumed
coastal training and readiness operations
and deployments with the Caribbean
Amphibious Ready Squadron.
Effective 1 January 1969
Rankin was reclassified LKA-103. In late
July
she took on Marines and equipment and deployed to the Mediterranean
returning to Norfolk 13 December. The new year
1970
brought with it a
period of operations off the eastern seaboard and another July-to-December
deployment with the Sixth Fleet. Rankin returned to Little Creek
Va.
for the last time
14 December 1971.
After five months of preparation
Rankin was decommissioned 11 May
1971
at Little Creek
Va.
Rankin received one battle star for World War II operations.
[Note: The above USS RANKIN (AKA-103) history may or may not contain text provided by crew members of the USS RANKIN (AKA-103) or by other non-crew members and text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]