USNS Pvt Joe P Martinez (T-AP 187, VC2-S-AP2) Class

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USNS Sgt Sylvester Antolak (T-AP 192).
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Class: PVT JOE P MARTINEZ (T-AP 187, VC2-S-AP2)
Design: MC VC2-S-AP2
Displacement (tons): 6,055 light, 15,200 full
Dimensions (feet): 455' oa, 437' wl x 62' e/wl x 28' max nav
Armament: none
Accommodations: 148-154 officers, 1,055-1,144 others including troops
Speed (kts.): 16
Propulsion (HP): 6,000
Machinery: Geared steam turbines, 2 boilers (460-465psi/750deg), 1 screw

Construction:

AP	Name	Acq	Builder	Keel	Launch	Svc
187	PVT JOE P MARTINEZ	1 Mar 1950	Bethlehem Fairfield	13 Apr 1945	29 May 1945	1 Mar 1950
188	AIKEN VICTORY	21 Jul 1950	Bethlehem Fairfield	13 Oct 1944	30 Nov 1944	1 Aug 1950
189	LT RAYMOND O BEAUDOIN	22 Jul 1950	Bethlehem Fairfield	4 Apr 1945	21 May 1945	1 Aug 1950
190	PVT SADAO S MUNEMORI	22 Jul 1950	Bethlehem Fairfield	22 May 1945	6 Jul 1945	1 Aug 1950
191	SGT HOWARD E WOODFORD	22 Jul 1950	Bethlehem Fairfield	18 Apr 1945	2 Jun 1945	1 Aug 1950
192	SGT SYLVESTER ANTOLAK	22 Jul 1950	Bethlehem Fairfield	3 May 1945	16 Jun 1945	1 Aug 1950

Disposition:

AP	Name	T	Inact	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
187	PVT JOE P MARTINEZ	T	1 Sep 1952	6 Nov 1952	30 Sep 1952	MA/T	7 Oct 1971
188	AIKEN VICTORY	T	17 Dec 1952	12 Feb 1953	19 Dec 1952	MA	10 Aug 1971
189	LT RAYMOND O BEAUDOIN	T	5 Nov 1952	22 Dec 1952	5 Nov 1952	MA	20 Mar 1972
190	PVT SADAO S MUNEMORI	T	9 Oct 1952	6 Nov 1952	9 Oct 1952	MA	8 Dec 1969
191	SGT HOWARD E WOODFORD	T	4 Dec 1952	22 Dec 1952	4 Dec 1952	MA	20 Mar 1972
192	SGT SYLVESTER ANTOLAK	T	17 Sep 1952	6 Nov 1952	15 Sep 1952	MA	8 Dec 1971

Fates: MA (Custody to MA, misc. transfers); MA/T (Title to MA, ship sold later)

Class Notes:
These were among 97 Victory ships converted to troopships for 1,597 passengers at the end of World War II and operated by the War Shipping Administration (WSA). Three more conversions were cancelled. The first ship, CENTRAL FALLS VICTORY, was converted between 23 April and 4 June 1945. During the summer of 1945 it was decided to augment the conversion work on 74 of these vessels to fit them for Pacific service. This work was done on only 58 vessels, all at New York, Baltimore, or Norfolk. No such work was done on the other 16 of the group of 74 vessels that were assigned to shipyards at other ports. All 97 ships were of the VC2-S-A2 type. In 1946 ten of them were transferred to the War Department for its post-war permanent fleet. By mid-February 1950 the Army had returned nine of these ten to the MC for layup: ST ALBANS VICTORY in 1947, the future AP 189-192 plus LT ALEXANDER R NININGER (ex M.I.T. VICTORY), LT BERNARD J RAY (ex LEHIGH VICTORY), and PVT CHARLES N DeGLOPPER (ex ELGIN VICTORY) in 1949, and PVT FREDERICK C MURPHY (ex MARITIME VICTORY) on 10 Feb 1950. Only PVT JOE P MARTINEZ (ex-STEVENS VICTORY) was left in its fleet.

AP 187 was among the Army ships operating out of continental US ports that were to be acquired on 1 Mar 1950 for which names, classification, and hull numbers were approved on 21 Feb 1950. (This list also included most of AP 120-159 and AP 178-186.) She was acquired on 23 February 1950 effective 1 March 1950 and was assigned the status "Active, In service" in MSTS on 24 February 1950. AP 188-192 were among 18 Maritime Admiminstration ships to be transferred to the Navy for which names, classification, and hull numbers were approved on 31 Jul 1950. (These also included AP 110, 116, 119, and 154.)

The Navy apparently was no more satisfied than was the Army with the WSA Victory troopship conversions. AP-187 was designated by CNO on 21 Jun 1950 as surplus to the needs of MSTS and authority was granted to transfer her to MARAD, although the outbreak of the Korean War caused her retention and the addition of the other five. On 30 January 1952 Commander MSTS wrote to MARAD that the Navy's Program Objectives for FY 1953 included a provision for the acquisition of four C4 type transports for assignment to MSTS and conversion to full troop capacity. On 13 March 1952 SECNAV wrote to MARAD that it had been determined that four transports of the C4 type (in addition to T-AP 193-195) were needed by the Navy for transfer to MSTS as replacements for the six VC2 (Victory) type transports (T-AP 187-192) then in service. It was planned to return the six VC2 vessels to MA when replacement had been made. The Navy therefore requested transfer of MARINE CARP, MARINE JUMPER, MARINE MARLIN, and MARINE SERPENT (T-AP 199-202), which MARAD agreed to on 25 March 1952.

Ship Notes:

AP	Name	MCV	Notes
187	PVT JOE P MARTINEZ	825	(ex-STEVENS VICTORY, completed 25 Jun 1945.) Title to Army 5 Sep 1946. CNO on 22 Jun 1950 declared her surplus to the needs of MSTS and authorized her transfer to MA, but the Korean War began three days later and she began her first westbound MSTS trooping voyage on 31 Jul 1950. To MA custody 30 Sep 1952. To buyer 1 Nov 1971.
188	AIKEN VICTORY	616	(completed 30 Dec 1944.) Operated by the Mississippi Shipping Co. from 30 Dec 1944 to 20 Feb 1947 when delivered to the SBRF for layup. Never Army. Delivered by MC to MSTS under bareboat charter 21 Jul 1950. To MA custody 19 Dec 1952. To buyer 26 Aug 1971.
189	LT RAYMOND O BEAUDOIN	823	(ex-MARSHALL VICTORY, completed 15 Jun 1945.) To Army by BBC 19 Jun 1946 and trf. 30 Aug 1946, to MC reserve 21 Sep 1949. Delivered by MC to MSTS under bareboat charter 22 Jul 1950. To MA custody 5 Nov 1952. To buyer 11 May 1972.
190	PVT SADAO S MUNEMORI	836	(ex-WILSON VICTORY, completed 6 Aug 1945.) To Army 21 Aug 1946, title 30 Aug 1946, to MC reserve 15 Sep 1949. Delivered by MC to MSTS under bareboat charter 22 Jul 1950. To MA custody 9 Oct 1952. To buyer 7 Jan 1970.
191	SGT HOWARD E WOODFORD	826	(ex-GOUCHER VICTORY, completed 30 Jun 1945.) To Army 4 Jul 1946, trf. 30 Aug 1946, renamed by Army 17 May 1948, to MC reserve 7 Sep 1949. Delivered by MC to MSTS under bareboat charter 22 Jul 1950. To MA custody 4 Dec 1952. To buyer 11 May 1972.
192	SGT SYLVESTER ANTOLAK	830	(ex-STETSON VICTORY, completed 18 Jul 1945.) To Army 18 Jul 1946, trf. 30 Aug 1946, to MC reserve (Army title) 31 Oct 1949. Delivered by MC to MSTS under bareboat charter 22 Jul 1950. To MA custody 15 Sep 1952 (two days before taken out of service). To buyer 3 Jan 1972.