Cargo ship of the United States Navy
History
United States
Name Gwinnett
Namesake Gwinnett County, Georgia
Ordered as type (C1-M-AV1 ) hull, MC hull 2116
Builder Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc. , Superior, Wisconsin
Yard number 34
Laid down 21 December 1943
Launched 14 May 1944
Sponsored by Mrs. Oliva Dionne
Acquired 13 March 1945
Commissioned 10 April 1945
Decommissioned 11 February 1946
Reclassified
prior to launch, Miscellaneous Auxiliary
25 May 1945, Aviation Stores Issue Ship
Refit prior to 13 March 1945, converted to Gwinnett -class Aviation Stores Issue Ship
Stricken 26 February 1946
Identification
Fate Sold, 14 August 1947
History
Republic of France
Name Sainte Helene
Acquired 14 August 1947
Fate Scrapped 1970
General characteristics
Class and type
Type C1-M-AV1
Tonnage 5,010 long tons deadweight (DWT)
Displacement
2,382 long tons (2,420 t) (standard)
7,450 long tons (7,570 t) (full load)
Length 388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam 50 ft (15 m)
Draft 21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Installed power
Propulsion 1 × propeller
Speed 11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity
3,945 t (3,883 long tons) DWT
9,830 cu ft (278 m3 ) (refrigerated )
227,730 cu ft (6,449 m3 ) (non-refrigerated)
Complement
Armament
USS Gwinnett (AK-185/AG-92/AVS-5) was originally an Alamosa -class cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy shortly before the end of World War II and converted into a Gwinnett -class aviation stores issue ship . She was found to be excess-to-needs and was placed into reserve in 1946.
Constructed
Gwinnett was originally designated AK-185 and was launched as AG-92 under U.S. Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 2116, by Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin , 14 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Oliva Dionne , mother of the Dionne quintuplets . After being taken down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, Louisiana , the ship was outfitted at Port Houston Iron Works, Houston, Texas , and commissioned there 10 April 1945.
Service history
Soon after commissioning, Gwinnett was redesigned AVS-5 on 25 May 1945. After shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico she was ordered to the Pacific coast for disposal.
Inactivation
Gwinnett arrived San Francisco, 25 January 1946. She decommissioned and was simultaneously redelivered to the U.S. Maritime Commission 11 February 1946.
Merchant service
Gwinnett was initially leased to the General Steamship Corporation , on 11 July 1947, but then sold to the Republic of France on 14 August 1947. She was reflagged for France and renamed Sainte Helene . She was scrapped in January 1970.
Notes
Citations
Bibliography
External links
Photo gallery of USS Gwinnett (AK-185) at NavSource Naval History
* = Canceled August 1945
** = Canceled August 1945, but completed as Coastal Guide
† = Canceled August 1945, but completed as Coastal Crusader
Type C1-M-AV1 Type C1-M-AV7 Type C1-M-AV8 Type C1-MT-BU1