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USS Castor (AKS-1)

USS Castor

Specifications
Displacement 7,350 t.(lt) 14,440 t.(fl)

Length 459' 2"

Beam 63'

Draft 26' 5"

Speed 16.5 kts.
Complement
Officers 17
Enlisted 190
Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
Cargo Capacity 4,660 DWT
refrigerated 452,537 Cu ft.
non-refrigerated none
Armament
one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
Fuel Capacities
NSFO 9,040 Bbls
Diesel Bbls
Propulsion
one General Electric steam turbine
two Foster-Wheeler "D" type boilers, 465psi 765°
double General Electric Main Reduction Gears?Ship's Service Generators two turbo-drive 250Kw 120V/240V D.C. two Diesel-drive 250Kw 120V/240V D.C.
single propeller, 6,000shp

Shipname: USS Castor (AKS-1)
Hull Number Designation: aks-1
Ship Type:
Ship Class:
Commissioned:
Displacement:

The USS Castor (AKS-1) was at Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941.

U.S.S. Castor   

Pearl Harbor, T.H.

December 11, 1941. 

1. In accordance with reference (a) the following report on the enemy raid of December 7, 1941 is submitted:
   1. Offensive Measures Taken:

      0755 Executive Officer, Lt-Comdr. H.B. HERTY, USN, after ordering general quarters informed Commanding Officer that Fleet was being bombed. This vessel was berthed at Merry Point.

      0800 3"/23 caliber AA battery and .30 caliber machine guns in action against enemy planes flying low and close aboard presumably torpedo planes, and against dive bombers. Ready ammunition boxes kept full and fuzes set. Fire maintained as targets present themselves. Topside personnel not in guns crews, armed with springfields.

      0845 Steam up ready to get underway.

      0930 (Approximate) Detailed men to handle Neosho's lines, berthing astern of Castor. During this operation enemy plane strafed Castor and Neosho.

      1030 Transferred 284 rounds 3"/23 caliber ammunition to Neosho. Remained at general quarters throughout day. Observed several flights high level bombers over head but they were well out of range of ship's battery.

      1930 Set condition II.

   2. Damage to Enemy:

      Number 3 (after) 3"/23 caliber gun in action against enemy torpedo plane, at range of about 500–700 yards altitude about 500 feet bearing due aft heading across toward Ford Island observed tail assembly and about two feet of fuselage shot away. The Commanding Officer observed this damage to the plane. Cannot definitely state damage caused by Castor, due to number of guns in action. Plane was observed to lose altitude and appeared to ground either on Ford Island or beyond.

   3. Own Losses:
      1. Personnel - None.
      2. Material -- Several machine gun bullet hits on #3 AA gun, which gouged out recoil cylinder nut and barrel of gun. Gun in commission.
   4. The majority of the crew and all officers except the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer are reservists. Their steadiness and fortitude in their first action, their fine discipline and battle spirit were superb. In addition to the credit which they well deserve for this the Commanding Officer wishes particularly to state that the careful and thorough program of training laid out by the Executive Officer in addition to his steadiness, resourcefulness and cheerfulness in action contributed greatly to a performance of which veterans might well be proud.
   5. The presence of mind shown by the Gunnery Officer, Ensign J.E. Kendall, D-M, USNR, is in the opinion of the Commanding Officer noteworthy. A covered lighter loaded with 450 aerial depth charges was secured alongside the Castor. Ensign Kendall, upon going to his station on the bridge as the attack commenced, directed the removal of the powder flag which identified the nature of the lighter's cargo. Schwerdtfeger, R.A., S1c, USN, climbed over the ship's side and removed the powder flag. The lighter was removed from ship's side to a location across the slip by ship's personnel and ship's boat.

[signed]
H.J. WRIGHT

Source: Enclosure (E) to CINCPAC action report Serial 0479 of 15 February 1942, World War II action reports,
Modern Military Branch, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740.

Sources of this information on the USS Castor (AKS-1) comes from a variety of sources ranging from Jane's Fighting Ships to official US Naval (Department of the Navy) documents, navsource and US National Archives along with materials from sailors and donors to our collection. We wish to obtain material including but not limited to deck logs, cruise books, roster-muster rolls, photos, citations and technical operation and training materials. We are also looking for volunteers to help transribe roster muster rolls so that we can get this material into our searchable database.

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