USS Proton (AG 147) on 7 May 1951.
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.
Class: ELECTRON (AKS 27, ex LST)
Design: Navy LST
Displacement (tons): 1,780 light, 3,640 full
Dimensions (feet): 328' oa, 316' wl x 50' e/wl x 13'
Armament: (1956) 2 40mmT, 6 40mmS (4 in AKS 29)
Accommodations: 12-17 officers, 116-160 enlisted
Speed (kts.): 12
Propulsion (HP): 1,800
Machinery: Geared diesel, 2 screws
Construction:
| AKS | Name | Reclas (AG) | Builder | Keel | Launch | Comm |
| 27 | ELECTRON | 1 Feb 1949 | Bethlehem, Hingham | 8 Feb 1945 | 9 Mar 1945 | 5 Apr 1945 |
| 28 | PROTON | 1 Feb 1949 | Bethlehem, Hingham | 27 Mar 1945 | 25 Apr 1945 | 15 May 1945 |
| 29 | COLINGTON | 1 Feb 1949 | American Bridge, Pa. | 1 Dec 1944 | 24 Jan 1945 | 21 Feb 1945 |
| 30 | LEAGUE ISLAND | 1 Feb 1949 | Jeffersonville Boat | 22 Nov 1944 | 16 Jan 1945 | 9 Feb 1945 |
| 31 | CHIMON | 1 Feb 1949 | Missouri Valley Bridge | 23 Nov 1944 | 10 Jan 1945 | 29 Jan 1945 |
Disposition:
| AKS | Name | T | Decomm | Strike | Disposal | Fate | MA Sale |
| 27 | ELECTRON | Jul 1956 | 1 Apr 1960 | 19 Oct 1960 | Navy sale | -- | |
| 28 | PROTON | Oct 1957 | 1 Jan 1959 | 13 Jul 1959 | Navy sale | -- | |
| 29 | COLINGTON | 21 Nov 1947 | 1 Apr 1960 | 2 Jun 1961 | Navy sale | -- | |
| 30 | LEAGUE ISLAND | Aug 1956 | 1 Apr 1960 | 17 Mar 1961 | Navy sale | -- | |
| 31 | CHIMON | Oct 1957 | 1 Jan 1959 | 9 Jul 1959 | Navy sale | -- |
Class Notes:
On 9 Dec 1948 CNO asked the Chief of Naval Personnel to assign names for five LSTs in which alterations had changed their characteristics to those of Spare Parts Issue Ships and which were to be reclassified AG's, and on 3 Jan 1949 Buships recommended the names ELECTRON and PROTON for AG 146 and AG 147 because they were Electronic Parts Issue Ships. On 10 Jan 1949 the Chief of Naval Personnel proposed the names of islands in the US for the other three, and the names were approved on 1 Feb 1949. They were reclassified to AKS 27-31 on 18 August 1951 at the same time that AG 73-78 (World War II Liberty ship conversions) were reclassified AKS 21-26. PROTON and CHIMON were inspected in September 1957 while still active and found fit for future service. However subsequently they were stripped of their General Stores Issue facilities which were used for the modernization of POLLUX (AKS 4), resulting in seriously impairing their mobilization potential as AKS and in their early disposal.
Approved characteristics for a Technical Stores Issue Ship (AKST), SCB Project 81, were promulgated on 26 November 1952 with a single change on 26 July 1954 but this project was not proceeded with. It may have been for proposed replacements for the AKS 27-type LST conversions and may have been merged into the proposed new construction AKS (Project 115).
Ship Notes:
| AKS | Name | MA | Notes |
| 27 | ELECTRON | (ex AG 146, ex LST 1070) Reassigned to ComServPac effective 1 Jan 1946. Arrived NSY Pearl 3 Jan 1946 for conversion to mobile spare parts issue ship, completed conversion ca. Apr 1946. Designated for inactivation 28 Aug 1946. Placed in inactive status (OCIR) 3 Dec 1946 in the Columbia Group (Astoria) of the Navy's Pacific Reserve Fleet, inactivation being nearly complete. To AG 146 and named 1 Feb 1949. Reactivation ordered 7 Aug 1950. Recom. 6 Oct 1950. To AKS 27 18 Aug 1951. Homeport shifted from Mare Island to Sasebo, Japan, 1 Oct 1954. Inactivation overhaul at Astoria 16 Jul - 15 Nov 1956, in Columbia Group to 1960. Offered for sale 21 Sep 1960 with a bid opening date of 13 Oct 1960. | |
| 28 | PROTON | (ex AG 147, ex LST 1078) Reassigned to ComServPac effective 1 Jan 1946. Arrived NSY Pearl 2 Jan 1946 and converted to mobile spare parts issue ship, completed conversion ca. Apr 1946. At Tsingtao, China, Jan-Oct 1947 as electronics spare parts issuing vessel with ARL 31 and LST 1102. Designated 26 Aug 1947 for inactivation, to report 1 Nov 1947 to the San Diego Group. Decom. in advance on 3 Dec 1947 "in the interests of the inactivation program," placed in inactive status, OCIR, 29 Apr 1948 in the San Diego Group, on completion of inactivation. To AG 147 and named 1 Feb 1949. Reactivation ordered 31 Aug 1950, begun 15 Feb 1951 at NAS Alameda and recomm. 7 Apr 1951. To AKS 28 18 Aug 1951. Homeport shifted from Mare Island to Sasebo, Japan, 1 Nov 1954. Arrived San Francisco 22 Dec 1957, inactivated in the San Francisco Group and towed to San Diego Group. On sale list Dec 1958. | |
| 29 | COLINGTON | (ex AG 148, ex LST 1085) Reassigned to ComServPac effective 1 Jan 1946. Conv. to mobile spare parts issue ship at Pearl Dec 1945 to Apr 1946, then modified as ordnance spare parts distribution ship. At Guam 10 July to 20 Nov 1946. On 20 Nov 1946 CinCPac reported that she could no longer be employed full time in the 1st Fleet as an ordnance spare parts ship and recommended replacement by an unmodified LST. CNO noted that the conversion as ordnance spare issue ship contemplated ready reconversion to normal characteristics. Designated for inactivation 6 Dec 1946, left Pearl Harbor 10 Jan 1947 for San Francisco but then used as a temporary ferry at Bremerton for the duration of a ferry strike. This duty completed 21 Mar 1947, ship placed OCIR (Out of commission in reserve) 26 Jun 47 in the Bremerton group, then towed by ATA 195 to the Columbia Group on 2 Jul 1947 and completed inactivation. To AG 148 and named 1 Feb 1949. Not reactivated for Korean War. To AKS 29 18 Aug 1951. Offered for sale 21 Sep 1960 with a bid opening date of 13 Oct 1960 and again offered on 8 Feb 1961 with bids to be opened on 3 Mar 1961. | |
| 30 | LEAGUE ISLAND | (ex AG 149, ex LST 1097) Reassigned to ComServPac effective 1 Jan 1946. Converted to mobile spare parts issue ship at Pearl 29 Dec 1945 to 16 Mar 1946. Designated for inactivation 28 Aug 1946. Reported to Columbia Group and placed in inactive status without pre-inactivation overhaul 7 Oct 1946. Placed in inactive status "Out of Commission, in Reserve (OCIR)" there 19 Dec 1946. To AG 149 and named 1 Feb 1949. Reactivation ordered 31 Aug 1950, recom. 3 Jan 1951, converted to a cargo stores ship 17 January to 2 March by Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corp., Oakland, California. To AKS 30 18 Aug 1951. Homeport shifted from Mare Island to Sasebo, Japan, 1 Nov 1954. Arrived at San Francisco from Sasebo 28 May 1956, reported for inactivation 16 Aug 1956 in the Columbia Group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet, scheduled to complete inactivation 15 Dec 1956. In Columbia Group to 1960. Offered for sale 21 Sep 1960 with a bid opening date of 13 Oct 1960 and again offered on 8 Feb 1961 with bids to be opened on 3 Mar 1961. To buyer 24 Apr 1961. Reported by Bahrain newspapers as bought at Singapore in early 1970s, renamed AL RASHIDIYA, used in 1975 to carry bagged cement to Bahrain, and then beached and abandoned there. Raised by Smit Salvage and D.M.S., cut down to barge 1981, sank at Sitra, Bahrain, 21 Sep 1981, and BU at Gadani Beach. | |
| 31 | CHIMON | (ex AG 150, ex LST 1102) Reassigned to ComServPac effective 1 Jan 1946. Converted to mobile spare parts issue ship at Pearl Harbor Dec 1945 to Mar 1946. ICE & H & M spare parts issuing vessel at Tsingtao Jun 1947. Designated for inactivation 26 Aug 1947. Reported to Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group, 15 Nov 1947 for inactivation. Decommissioned in advance on 21 Nov 1947: 0% inactivated, not drydocked, not dehumidified, not packaged, and personnel transferred to SubGrp3. Placed OCIR 19 Mar 1948. To AG 150 and named 1 Feb 1949. Reactivation ordered 31 Aug 1950. Recommissioned 27 Dec 1950. To AKS 31 18 Aug 1951. Homeport shifted from Mare Island to Sasebo, Japan, late 1954. Scheduled for inactivation Oct 1957, on sale list Dec 1958. To buyer 2 Nov 1959. |
Page Notes:
Compiled: 18 Aug 2021
© Stephen S. Roberts, 2021