USNS Private John R. Towle (T-AK-240)
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USNS Private John R. Towle (T-AK-240) underway in pack ice near Antarctica.
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 United States
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| Ordered: | as type (VC2-S-AP2) hull, MCV hull 162 |
| Builder: | Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, Portland, Oregon |
| Laid down: | 9 December 1944, as SS Appleton Victory |
| Launched: | 19 January 1945 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs. John Goodland, Jr. |
| Completed: | 23 March 1945 |
| Commissioned: | 30 August 1946, as USAT Private John R. Towle |
| Decommissioned: | date unknown |
| In service: | 1 March 1950, as USNS Private John R. Towle (T-AK-240) |
| Out of service: | date unknown |
| Struck: | 31 July 1982 |
| Identification: | Hull symbol:T-AK-240 |
| Fate: | 4 June 1982 sold to Andy Machinery Co. for scrapping in either Texas, Spain or Taiwan |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Greenville Victory-class cargo ship |
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| Length: | 455 ft (139 m) |
| Beam: | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Draft: | 29 ft 2 in (8.89 m) |
| Installed power: | 8,500 shp (6,300 kW) |
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| Speed: | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) |
| Complement: | 99 |
| Armament: | None |
USNS Private John R. Towle (T-AK-240) was a Greenville Victory-class cargo ship that served as a commercial cargo ship during the final year of World War II. Post-war she was acquired by the U.S. Army as USAT Private John R. Towle until the 1950s when she was assigned to the U.S. Navy's Military Sea Transportation Service for various duties, including runs to Antarctica's McMurdo Sound.
Private John R. Towle (AK-240) was laid down, under U.S. Maritime Commission contract, as Appleton Victory (MCV hull 162) by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, Portland, Oregon, 9 December 1944; launched 19 January 1945; sponsored by Mrs. John Goodland, Jr.
She was delivered to the Maritime Commission, thence to the American Mail Line for operation, 23 March 1945. She operated along the Pacific coast for a year, was returned to the Maritime Commission.
Appleton Victory was transferred to the Army Transportation Service (ATS) at New York City, in June 1946. Later returned to the U.S. West Coast, she was renamed Private John R. Towle, 31 October 1947, and, under that name, continued to serve ATS until returned to the Maritime Commission; transferred to the Navy, and designated AK–240 in March 1950.
Between 1950 and 1955, the Victory ship, assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) and manned by a civil service crew, continued cargo operations in the Pacific Ocean.
Then reassigned to MSTS, Atlantic, she began preparations for her first Antarctic resupply mission. During the southern summers of 1956–57, 1957–58, 1959–60, and 1960–61 she steamed south to deliver cargo to McMurdo Sound.
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