USS Lacerta (AKA-29)

USS Lacerta (AKA-29)
History
Laid down:	5 July 1944
Launched:	10 November 1944
Commissioned:	19 December 1944
Decommissioned:	25 March 1946
Struck:	Unknown
Fate:	Unknown
General Characteristics
Builder:	Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc.
Hull type:	S4-SE2-BE1
Displacement:	4,087 tons light, 7,080 tons loaded
Length:	426 ft (129.8 m)
Beam:	58 ft (17.7 m)
Draft:	16 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion:	Steam turbo-electric drive; two boilers, two propellers, 6,000 shp (4.5 MW)
Speed:	16.9 knots (31.3 km/h)
Complement:	321 (20 officers, 301 men), plus 255 embarked troops
Armament:	1 × 5"/38 caliber DP gun, 4 × twin 40 mm AA guns, 16 × 20 mm AA guns
Boats:	14 LCVP, 8 LCM

USS Lacerta (AKA-29) was an Artemis class attack cargo ship named after the constellation Lacerta. She served as a commissioned ship for 15 months, receiving one battle star for World War II service.

History

Lacerta (AKA-29) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract 5 July 1944 by Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc., Providence, R.I.; launched 10 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Frank Bratley; acquired by the Navy 19 December 1944; and commissioned the same day, LCDR Louis Funkenstein in command.

After shakedown, Lacerta cleared Norfolk 18 January 1945 for Pearl Harbor where she loaded hosspital crew and cargo for the Solomon Islands. Arriving Guadalcanal 27 February, Lacerta discharged cargo and embarked troops for the Okinawa invasion. She departed Saipan 27 March for the operation that would advance American troops to a strategic position almost next door to Japan. Arriving in the transport area 1 April under heavy enemy air raids, the cargo ship remained off the southeast coast of Okinawa unloading supplies, 150 mm Howitzers, and Marines from Guadalcanal for Marines fighting ashore.

Lacerta departed Okinawa 9 April for Saipan, where she remained until 3 June. In the months prior to Japan’s surrender, she ferried cargo among the Solomon and Mariana Islands before arriving at Manila on 22 August. Loading troops and equipment there, Lacerta participated in the movement of occupation forces to Japan, arriving Yokohama 13 September. She then went to Haiphong (French Indo China) took on 6,000 Chinese Nationalist troops (1,000 each in 6 ships) carrying them to Changwataeo (sp?) at the Northern tip of the Yellow sea China, remaining in the Far Fast until 19 November when she cleared Tsingtao, China, for Seattle.

After a short stay at Seattle, she left on 1 January 1946. Lacerta arrived Norfolk 12 February 1946 and decommissioned. 25 March. She was anchored in the Saint James River and returned to the Maritime Commission for disposal.

References

• Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (Primary source for this article)

External links

• Naval Historical Center: USS Lacerta
• NavSource Online: AKA-29 Lacerta
• 51 Years of AKAs