USS Shelikof (AVP-52)

USS Shelikof (AVP-52) off Houghton, Washington, on 26 April 1944
History
United States
Name:	USS Shelikof
Namesake:	Shelikof Strait on the west coast of Alaska
Laid down:	20 September 1942
Launched:	31 January 1943
Sponsored by:	Mrs. F. D. Wagner
Commissioned:	7 April 1944
Decommissioned:	30 June 1947
Recommissioned:	3 January 1952
Decommissioned:	December 1954
Struck:	1 May 1960
Honors and awards:	Three battle stars for World War II service
Fate:	Sold 20 December 1960
Notes:	Served as commercial Greek passenger ship 1961-1981, named MV Kypros 1961-1964, MV Myconos 1964-1973, MV Artemis 1973-1974, MV Artemis K 1974-1979, and MV Golden Princess 1979-1981 Sank in storm while laid up January 1981
General characteristics
Class and type:	Barnegat-class seaplane tender
Displacement:	1,766 tons (light) 2,750 tons (full load)
Length:	311 ft 8 in (95.00 m)
Beam:	41 ft 1 in (12.52 m)
Draught:	13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
Installed power:	6,000 horsepower (4.48 megawatts)
Propulsion:	Diesel engines, two shafts
Speed:	18.6 knots (34.4 km/h)
Complement:	215 (ship's company) 367 (including aviation unit)
Armament:	1 × 5-inch (127 mm) guns 9 × 40-millimeter antiaircraft guns 2 × depth charge tracks
Aviation facilities:	Supplies, spare parts, repairs, and berthing for one seaplane squadron; 80,000 US gallons (300,000 L) aviation fuel

USS Shelikof (AVP-52) was a United States Navy Barnegat-class small seaplane tender in commission from 1944 to 1947 and from 1952 to 1954.

Shelikof was laid down on 20 September 1942 by Lake Washington Shipyard at Houghton, Washington. She was launched on 31 January 1943, sponsored by Mrs. F. D. Wagner, and commissioned on 17 April 1944 with Lieutenant Commander R. E. Stanley in command.

Upon completion of fitting out, Shelikof departed for Alameda, California, on 8 May 1944 and loaded aircraft spares. She then moved to San Diego, for shakedown and to San Pedro, California, for a yard period.

On 30 June 1944, Shelikof departed San Pedro for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On 9 July 1944, she was underway from Pearl Harbor with a convoy bound for Eniwetok. While at Eniwetok from 18 July to 1 August, Shelikof had her aviation machine shop and carpenter shop converted into combination aircraft and aircraft radar maintenance facilities.

Shelikof's next port of call was Tanapag Harbor, a former Japanese seaplane base on Saipan. Her personnel went ashore daily to clear debris from the hangars and the surrounding area in order to make the base operable, thereby relieving the congestion at aircraft tenders. When Shelikof departed on 3 December 1944, Naval Air Base Saipan, was being used as a supply depot and a major overhaul facility.