Appalachian-class command ship

The Appalachian-class command ship was a ship class of command ships of the United States Navy during World War II. All 4 ships were converted from the Type C2-S-B1 cargo ships.^[1]

USS Catoctin in 1944
Class overview
Name	Appalachian class
Builders	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. Moore Dry Dock Co.
Operators	United States Navy
Succeeded by	Mount McKinley class
Built	1942–1943
In service	1943–1947
Planned	4
Completed	4
Retired	4
General characteristics
Type	Command ship type C2-S-B1
Displacement	7,431 t (7,314 long tons), light load 13,910 t (13,690 long tons), full load
Length	459 ft 3 in (139.98 m)
Beam	63 ft (19 m)
Draft	24 ft 0 in (7.32 m)
Installed power	6,000 shp (4,474 kW)
Propulsion	1 × General Electric geared Steam turbine 2 × Combustion Engineering D-type 465 psi (3,206 kPa) boilers 1 × propeller
Speed	16.4 knots (30.4 km/h; 18.9 mph)
Capacity	104,136 L (27,510 US gal) diesel 3,735,883 L (986,916 US gal) NSFO
Troops	128 officers 334 enlisted
Complement	36 officers 442 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	1 × SK-1 air-search radar
Armament	2 × single 5"/38 caliber guns 18 × single Oerlikon 20 mm cannons 4 × twin Bofors 40 mm guns

Development

Four type C2 cargo ships were converted into command ships for the United States Navy throughout the middle stages of World War II. After the war, all were slightly modernized and decommissioned in 1947 to later scrapped.

The ship's hull remained nearly the same but with new equipment to carry out her purpose now placed on deck alongside several cranes. The ships' armaments had been slightly changed and relocated in order for the ships to carry out their new roles.^[1] All ships served in the Pacific Theater until the end of the war with no ships lost in combat.

Ships in the class

Appalachian class command ship
Hull no.	Name	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Fate
AGC-1	Appalachian	Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co.	4 November 1942	29 January 1943	2 October 1943	21 May 1947	Scrapped, 1960
AGC-2	Blue Ridge		4 December 1942	7 March 1943	27 September 1943	14 March 1947	Scrapped, 18 August 1960
AGC-3	Rocky Mount		4 December 1942	7 March 1943	16 October 1943	22 March 1947	Scrapped, 1 March 1973
AGC-5	Catoctin	Moore Dry Dock Co.	1942	23 January 1943	24 January 1944	26 February 1947	Scrapped, 1959–1960

Footnotes

1. U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. 2002. ISBN 1-55750-250-1.

References

• Photo gallery of USS Appalachian at NavSource Naval History - lead ship of the class (other AGC ships listed as well)
• United States Navy. 1959-1991. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
• 2002. U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-250-1.