USS Betelgeuse (AKA-11)
Betelgeuse alongside the pier at Tongatapu, Tonga Islands, 8 June 1942 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Name | USS Betelgeuse |
| Namesake | Betelgeuse, a star in the constellation Orion |
| Builder | Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Chester, Pennsylvania |
| Laid down | 9 March 1939 |
| Launched | 18 September 1939, as Mormaclark |
| Acquired | 29 May 1941 |
| Commissioned | 14 June 1941, as Betelgeuse (AK-28) |
| Decommissioned | 15 March 1946 |
| Reclassified | AKA-11 (attack cargo ship), 1 February 1943 |
| Stricken | 28 March 1946 |
| Honours & awards | 6 battle stars (World War II) |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Arcturus-class attack cargo ship |
| Type | Type C2 ship |
| Displacement | 5,500 long tons (5,588 t) light |
| Length | 459 ft 1 in (139.93 m) |
| Beam | 63 ft (19 m) |
| Draft | 25 ft 10 in (7.87 m) |
| Propulsion | 2-stroke, 4-cylinder single-acting Doxford diesel engine, 1 shaft, 6,000 shp (4.5 MW) |
| Speed | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) |
| Complement | 267 |
| Armament |
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USS Betelgeuse (AK-28/AKA-11) was an Arcturus-class attack cargo ship, the first United States Navy ship named for Betelgeuse, a star in the constellation Orion. She served as a commissioned ship for 4 years and 9 months.