>From the "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships," 

(1969) Vol. 4, p.460





MUSCATINE





	A city and county in Iowa named for an Indian word 

meaning dweller in the prairie.





AK-197

Displacement:  2,382 t. (light displacement)

Length:  338'6"

Beam:  50'0"

Draft:  21'1"

Speed:  11.5 k.

Complement:  85

Armament:  1 3"; 6 20mm

Class:  ALAMOSA

Maritime Commission Standard Type:  C1-M-AV1





	MUSCATINE (AK-197) was laid down under Maritime 

Commission contract as M. C. Hull 2151 by Globe Shipbuilding 

Co., Superior, Wis., 21 December 1943; named MUSCATINE and 

classified AK-197 on 25 February 1944; launched 16 June 

1944; sponsored by Mrs. William Kennedy; floated down the 

Mississippi River in November 1944 for completion at 

Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., Beaumont, Tex.; acquired by 

the Navy on loan charter from the Maritime Commission 

3 April 1945; placed in service from 3 April to 4 April 

during transfer to Houston, Tex., for fitting out at Brown 

Shipbuilding Co.; and commissioned at Houston 19 April 1945, 

Lt. W. F. Heyer in command.



	After shakedown along the Texas coast, MUSCATINE loaded 

a full cargo of "beer, Coca Cola syrup, and a bottling unit" 

at Gulfport, Miss., before sailing 17 May for the central 

Pacific.  She touched at Eniwetok, Marshalls, 26 June, 

thence from 2 to 7 July steamed to Guam where she discharged 

her cargo.  Assigned to Service Squadron 8, she departed the 

Marianas 13 July and spent much of the final month of the 

Pacific war sailing to the west coast where she arrived San 

Francisco 2 August.  After loading refrigerated and 

"miscellaneous amphibious fleet issue" cargo, she sailed for 

the western Pacific the 18th. 



	MUSCATINE off-loaded refrigerated stores at Ulithi, 

Carolines, between 8 and 11 September; thence, from 

15 September to 23 October, she served as a stores ship in 

Leyte Gulf, Philippines.  On 30 October, she reached Sasebo, 

Japan, where she began duty as a cargo issue ship to support 

the occupation of the defeated Japanese Empire.  She 

completed her occupation service 7 December and sailed for 

the United States.  Steaming via the Marianas and the Panama 

Canal, she arrived Norfolk, Va., 6 February 1940.  She 

steamed to Baltimore, Md., 23 to 24 February and 

decommissioned there 7 March 1946.  She was returned to the 

War Shipping Administration 12 March and her name was struck 

from the Navy list 20 March.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com