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Aiken Victory (T-AP-188)

(T-AP-188: dp. 4,480; 1. 455'0"; b. 62'0"; dr. 29'2" lim.); s. 15.5 k.; T. VC2-S-AP2)

Aiken Victory was laid down on 13 October 1944 at Baltimore, Md., by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Inc., under a Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 616); launched on 30 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. E. H. Wyman; and delivered to the Maritime Commission on 30 December 1944.

During World War II, Aiken Victory was operated by the firm, Mississippi Shipping, under a contract with the Maritime Commission. Following the end of hostilities, that company continued to operate her under contract. However, by April of 1948, she was apparently inactive for the name of no operator appears below her name in the American Bureau of Shipping Record. The Navy acquired the ship on 21 July 1950 in the wake of the outbreak of hostilities in Korea the previous month. Designated T-AP-188, the ship was assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service as a troop transport. Operated by a civil service crew, USNS Aiken Victory carried troops in the Korean War combat zone for almost 30 months. Late in 1952 the transport returned to the United States and was transferred back to the Maritime Commission on 19 December 1952. She was berthed with the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Olympia, Wash. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 12 February 1953. She remained with the National Defense Reserve Fleet until 10 August 1971 at which time she was sold to American Ship Dismantlers, Inc., for scrapping.

Aiken Victory received eight battle stars for her Korean War service.

Published: Thu Jul 09 15:40:02 EDT 2015