USS Fentress

History
United States
Name	Fentress
Namesake	Fentress County, Tennessee
Ordered	as type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2376[1]
Builder	Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Richmond, California
Yard number	72[1]
Laid down	1944
Launched	10 March 1945
Sponsored by	Mrs. G. M. Ellis
Commissioned	4 May 1945
Decommissioned	20 February 1946
Stricken	5 June 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: AK-180 Code letters: NEKQ
Fate	assigned to Military Sea Transportation Service, 1 July 1950
United States
Name	Fentress
Operator	Military Sea Transportation Service
In service	1 July 1950
Out of service	unknown
Stricken	15 October 1973
Identification	Hull symbol: T-AK-180
Fate	transferred 21 November 1973, to Maritime Administration
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Name	Fentress
In service	20 July 1974
Out of service	4 July 1982
Fate	transferred 4 July 1982
Republic of the Marshall Islands
Name	Fentress
In service	4 July 1982
Identification	IMO number: 7619783
Fate	Scrapped 1985
General characteristics [2]
Class and type	Alamosa-class cargo ship
Type	C1-M-AV1
Tonnage	5,032 long tons deadweight (DWT)[1]
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	1 × Nordberg, TSM 6 diesel engine 1,750 shp (1,300 kW)
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	15 Officers 70 Enlisted
Armament	1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber dual-purpose gun (DP) 6 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons

USS Fentress (AK-180/T-AK-180) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship acquired by the US Navy during the final months of World War II. In 1950, she was reactivated and placed into service with the Military Sea Transportation Service as USNS Fentress. She was ultimately transferred to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Fentress was launched on 10 March 1945, by Kaiser Cargo, Inc., Richmond, California, under a Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 2376; sponsored by Mrs. G. M. Ellis; and commissioned 4 May 1945.^[3]

After shakedown and availability, Fentress engaged in local operations until 27 June 1945 when she departed San Francisco, California, to transport cargo among the Philippine Islands. On 20 February 1946 she was placed out of commission and returned to the U.S. Maritime Commission.^[3]

After the organization of the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), Fentress was reacquired on 1 July 1950 for service.^[3]

Fentress was struck from the Navy List on 15 October 1973 and transferred to the Government of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands on 20 July 1974.^[2]

On 4 July 1982, she was transferred permanently to the Republic of the Marshall Islands.^[2]

This ship was apparently still docked on the Hawaiian Islands in 1982, as it was seen on the Magnum P.I. episode, "I do".^{[citation needed]}

The ship was scrapped in 1985.

Citations

• Photo gallery of USS Fentress (AK-180) at NavSource Naval History