AKL 12/AKL 15 (FS Design 427/330) Class: Photographs

USS Mark (AKL 12, Design 427) FS Design 427 was a variant of Design 330 with the area between the forecastle and bridge filled in for use as an Army Aircraft Repair Supply Vessel. Here Mark is shown much later on 6 July 1966 on one of the rivers of the Mekong Delta filling a resupply gap in support of Navy small boat units in Vietnam. Homeported in Subic Bay, Philippines, she spent most of her time carrying ammunition, food and supplies to Navy forces in Vietnam. Photo No. USN 1117682 B Source: Shipscribe
USS Mark (AKL 12, Design 427) Shown while supplying forces in Vietnam. Design 427 retained the cargo mast stepped just before the bridge of Design 330, here rigged with one long boom serving both hatches. Photo No. Unknown Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (Vietnam)
USNS AKL 15 (T-AKL 15, Design 330DC) Shown in MSTS service between 1950 and her inactivation in August 1953. The most evident difference between Design 330 (built by Higgins) and the more common Design 381 (by other builders) was the cargo mast stepped before the bridge with one or two long booms instead of between the two forward hatches with four shorter booms. Ships of Design 330DA had Enterprise diesels while Design 330DC had Cleveland diesels. Photo No. None Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (MSC)
USNS AKL 16 (T-AKL 16, Design 330DC) Shown in MSTS service between 1950 and her inactivation in August 1953. Design 330 ships could be rigged with either two long cargo booms as here or with just one. Photo No. None Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (MSC)
USNS AKL 18 (T-AKL 18, Design 330DA) Shown in MSTS service between 1950 and her inactivation in July 1954. She was one of the early Design 330DA ships that were built with Enterprise diesels instead of the Cleveland diesels that later became standard for FS vessels. Externally the two Design 330 types were indistinguishable. Photo No. None Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (MSC)
USNS AKL 19 (T-AKL 19, Design 330DA) Another Design 330DA ship with Enterprise diesels. She remained in MSTS service until May 1959. Photo No. None Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (MSC)
USNS AKL 20 (T-AKL 20, Design 330DC) At Pier 34, Mare Island, on 2 July 1959 with other ships of the Navy's reserve fleet there. She began inactivation in November 1952. AKL 22 is astern and AKL 18 is the third ship back in the nest. The other two are of Design 381. The large ship behind the nest is Pelias (AS 14), which was serving as a reserve fleet accomodation ship. Photo No. Unknown Source: Courtesy Joe Lewis from NARA San Bruno, Calif.
USS Alcyone (AKL 37, Design 330DC) In Japan after being returned circa 1959 from South Korean civilian service with Korean markings. This halftone photo is from the brochure dated 23 May 1960 offering her for sale at Sasebo, Japan. The ghost mirror image is of Cepheus (AK 265) on the back of the same page in the brochure. Photo No. None (also NH 84179) Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (Ships Histories)
USNS AKL 43 (T-AKL 43, Design 427) Acquired by the Navy in January 1962. Design 427 was a modification of Design 330DC for the Army Air Corps as a "Vessel, Supply, Aircraft Repair," its most conspicuous feature being the filled-in well deck between the bridge and forecastle. Like Design 330, Design 427 had her cargo mast stepped just before the bridge, here with two long booms. Photo No. None Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (MSC)
USNS AKL 43 (T-AKL 43, Design 427) Note the ship's two cargo hatches with the single cargo mast and its two long booms behind them. These ships could be rigged with either one or two booms. Photo No. None Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (MSC)
USNS AKL 43 (T-AKL 43, Design 427) Approaching one of the Texas Towers in February 1962 a month after being acquired by the Navy. Two towers were then still in service, one on Georges Bank off Cape Cod and one on the Nantucket Shoals, but they were soon closed. A third, south of Long Island, had collapsed in a storm in January 1961. Photo No. None Source: U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command (MSC)