_underway_at_sea,_circa_in_the_1960s.jpg) | |
| Career | 
|
|---|---|
| Ordered: | |
| Laid down: | 31 October 1944 |
| Launched: | 22 December 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 25 February 1945 |
| Decommissioned: | 21 May 1947 |
| Recommissioned: | 22 March 1952 |
| Decommissioned: | 11 May 1971 |
| Struck: | 1 January 1977 |
| Fate: | Sunk as a fishing & diving reef off Stuart, Florida 24 July 1988 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 8,635 tons light, 13,910 tons full |
| Length: | 459 ft 2 in (140 m) |
| Beam: | 63 ft (19.2 m) |
| Draft: | 26 ft 4 in (8.0 m) |
| Propulsion: | GE geared turbine drive, single propeller, 6,000 shp (4.5 MW) |
| Speed: | 16.5 knots (31 km/h) |
| Boats: | 14 LCVP, 8 LCM |
| Cargo Capacity: | 380,000 ft3 (11.000 m3), 5,275 tons |
| Range: | 17,000 miles |
| Complement: | 62 officers, 333 men |
| Armament: | 1 × 5 in (127 mm)/.38 cal dual purpose gun mount, 4 × twin 40mm gun mounts, 16 × 20 mm gun mounts |
| Motto: | "Ready Now" |
USS Rankin (AKA-103/LKA-103) was a Tolland class (later Rankin class) attack cargo ship (later amphibious cargo ship) named after Rankin County, Mississippi. Like all AKAs, Rankin was designed to carry both cargo and landing craft, and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies, and Marines on enemy shores during amphibious operations.
She was the 103rd of 114 ships eventually constructed for this purpose, and served as a commissioned warship for a total of 21 years and five months. Launched near the end of World War II, she was put in mothballs after the war, then recommissioned during the Korean War in 1952. In 1969, the Navy changed the AKA designation to LKA, and renamed Attack Cargo Ships as Amphibious Cargo Ships. Other amphibious ships were also redesignated at that time, so that all amphibious designators began with the letter L. Rankin was decommissioned in 1971, and was sunk in 1988 as a fishing and diving reef off the coast of Stuart, Florida.
She was a very special ship during her time in commission, always characterized by high morale and high performance. At one time, she held every award available to a ship of her type. Later, she was the first Atlantic Fleet ship to wear the Gold E, signifying five straight victories in the annual Battle Efficiency competition. Her captains included a Medal of Honor winner, a winner of the Navy Cross, and a member of the Navy's Blue Angels flight team. Many of her officers later earned flag rank as Navy admirals.
Rankin (AKA-103) was laid down on 31 October 1944 as MC hull 1702 by North Carolina Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, North Carolina; launched 22 December 1944; acquired by the Navy 25 January 1945; ferried to the Charleston Navy Yard for conversion to an AKA; and commissioned 25 February 1945, less than four months after her keel was laid. Lieutenant Commander Thomas D. Price was her first commanding officer.
Following an Atlantic shakedown, Rankin steamed 26 March 1945 in company with Tollberg (APD-103) for the Panama Canal Zone. Joining the Pacific Fleet 1 April, she loaded Marine Corps replacement equipment at San Francisco and steamed independently for Hawaii 17 April. Intensive training in shipboard procedures and amphibious techniques followed. She then took on 5,000 tons of Army ammunition at Honolulu and, in company with Tolovana (AO-64), steamed on 25 May for Ulithi. Escorted by Enright (APD-66), the two ships immediately went on to deliver their vital cargoes at Okinawa. During her 17 days at the Battle of Okinawa, the ship faced more than 100 air raids by kamikaze. All ammunition was discharged between air raids.
Rankin departed Okinawa 28 June in convoy for Saipan. There she offloaded her boat group and then steamed independently for San Francisco, arriving 20 July. After taking on her allowance of landing craft, she put in at Seattle, Washington, for repairs.
Hostilities ended during loading operations, her ammunition was discharged, and the ship sailed for the Philippines, arriving Manila on 9 September.
Assigned to TransRon 20, Rankin steamed for Lingayen Gulf. En route, she touched at Subic Bay, contributed landing craft to the boat pool there, and then commenced taking on equipment of the 25th Army Division from the San Fabian beaches.
The squadron got underway for Japan 1 October. After riding at anchor for nearly three weeks while the approaches to Nagoya, southern Honshu, were cleared of mines, the squadron entered that port 27 October. Rankin embarked Navy personnel there, took on inoperable landing craft at Samar (island) in the Philippines, and sailed for home, arriving San Francisco 25 November.
Rankin was decommissioned 21 May 1947 at San Francisco and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was recommissioned 22 March 1952 at the Todd Pacific Shipyard, Alameda, California; and, following shakedown, transited the Panama Canal to join the Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet. Operating out of Norfolk, Virginia, she commenced a lengthy second career of support for amphibious training operations along the East coast as well as in the Caribbean Sea and the Mediterranean.
On 18 July 1958, Rankin was among the amphibious forces which landed 5,000 U.S. Marines at Beirut, Lebanon, in response to a request from the Lebanese Government for assistance in averting civil war.
From 1959-1968, Rankin deployed periodically to the Caribbean with Amphibious Squadron 10, a fast amphibious squadron with Vertical Envelopment capabilities. Operating regularly in the Caribbean, she has repeatedly called at Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba. During the Cuban missile crisis of October and November 1962, occasioned by the discovery of Russian intermediate-range ballistic missiles in Cuba, Rankin operated in the force which was marshaled in Cuban waters, prepared for any eventuality.
In January 1963, Rankin departed Norfolk with PHIBRON 10 and various components of the 2nd Marine Battalion. In late February, she visited Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in company with USS ''Boxer''(LPH-4) for the inauguration of President Juan Bosch. From April through June, she again deployed for training operations and a yard period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
Refresher training at Guantanamo Bay followed early in January 1964. Rankin next participated in exercise "Steel Pike I" off the Spanish coast 28 September through 3 December. Upon returning to Norfolk, she underwent a tender availability with Amphion (AR-13), after which she resumed coastal training and readiness operations, and deployments with the Caribbean Amphibious Ready Squadron.
Effective 1 January 1969, Rankin was reclassified LKA-103 and redesignated Amphibious Cargo Ship. In late July, she took on Marines and equipment and deployed to the Mediterranean, returning to Norfolk 13 December. The new year, 1970, brought with it a period of operations off the eastern seaboard and another July-to-December deployment with the Sixth Fleet. Rankin returned to Little Creek, for the last time, 14 December 1971.
After five months of preparation, Rankin was decommissioned 11 May 1971, at Little Creek.
On 24 July, 1988, the ship was sunk as an artificial fishing and diving reef, six miles off the coast of Stuart, Florida. She rests on her starboard side at a depth of 130 feet. The site is popular among fisherman and advanced SCUBA divers.
In February, 2003, The USS Rankin Association, a reunion and reconnection organization for all people ever connected with the ship, was established. The group has located over 1,500 former Rankin shipmates, including every one of the 437 officers who served aboard the ship.
As a result of her service during World War II, Rankin was entitled to wear the ribbons associated with the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one star, the World War II Victory Medal, the Navy Occupation Service Medal with an Asian Clasp, the National Defense Service Medal, and the China Service Medal.
During the eight years after her 1952 recommissioning, Rankin won the Battle Efficiency Plaque six times, including an unprecedented five straight from 1956-1960. By special order of Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet, Rankin sailors were authorized to wear a Gold E on their arms, and the ship wore a Gold E on her stack.
In 1958, Rankin simultaneously held every award available to a ship of her class: the Battle Efficiency Plaque (the White E), the Engineering Red E, the communications Green E, gunnery awards for both her 40MM batteries and her 5-inch mount, the Assault Boat Coxswain Award, and the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Award.
She was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for her service in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
References
This article incorporates text from the public ___domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.