USS Armadillo (IX-111) Class

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USS Porcupine (IX-126) on 17 October 1944
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        ARMADILLO (IX-111)
Design:        MC Z-ET1-S-C3
Displacement (tons):        3,665 light, 14,500 lim.
Dimensions (feet):        441.5' oa, 416.0' wl x 56.9' e x 28.3' lim.
Original Armament:        1-5"/38 1-3"/50 8-20mm
Later armaments: --
Complement        70 (1944)
Speed (kts.):        11
Propulsion (HP):        2,500
Machinery:        1 screw, vertical triple expansion

Construction:

IX	Name	Acq.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
111	ARMADILLO	18 Nov 43	California SB	24 Sep 43	26 Oct 43	18 Nov 43
112	BEAGLE	20 Nov 43	California SB	27 Sep 43	29 Oct 43	20 Nov 43
113	CAMEL	22 Nov 43	California SB	30 Sep 43	31 Oct 43	22 Nov 43
114	CARIBOU	25 Nov 43	California SB	5 Oct 43	2 Nov 43	25 Nov 43
115	ELK	26 Nov 43	California SB	9 Oct 43	6 Nov 43	26 Nov 43
116	GAZELLE	29 Nov 43	California SB	11 Oct 43	9 Nov 43	29 Nov 43
117	GEMSBOK	3 Dec 43	California SB	13 Oct 43	9 Nov 43	3 Dec 43
118	GIRAFFE	12 Dec 43	California SB	14 Oct 43	11 Nov 43	12 Dec 43
119	IBEX	13 Dec 43	California SB	16 Oct 43	15 Nov 43	13 Dec 43
120	JAGUAR	15 Dec 43	California SB	17 Oct 43	20 Nov 43	15 Dec 43
121	KANGAROO	17 Dec 43	Delta SB	28 Sep 43	6 Nov 43	20 Dec 43
122	LEOPARD	24 Dec 43	Delta SB	5 Oct 43	15 Nov 43	26 Dec 43
123	MINK	8 Jan 44	Delta SB	20 Oct 43	4 Dec 43	9 Jan 44
124	MOOSE	27 Jan 44	Delta SB	1 Nov 43	17 Dec 43	28 Jan 44
125	PANDA	5 Jan 44	Delta SB	19 Oct 43	3 Dec 43	6 Jan 44
126	PORCUPINE	29 Dec 43	Delta SB	11 Oct 43	24 Nov 43	30 Dec 43
127	RACCOON	31 Jan 44	Delta SB	7 Nov 43	23 Dec 43	1 Feb 44
129	WHIPPET	13 Jan 44	Delta SB	31 Oct 43	15 Dec 43	14 Jan 44

Disposition:

IX	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
111	ARMADILLO	29 May 46	19 Jun 46	29 May 46	MC/D	14 Apr 48
112	BEAGLE	13 Jun 46	3 Jul 46	13 Jun 46	MC/D	25 May 48
113	CAMEL	22 May 46	19 Jun 46	24 May 46	MC/D	23 Jul 48
114	CARIBOU	3 May 46	21 May 46	6 May 46	MC/D	2 Jun 48
115	ELK	17 May 46	5 Jun 46	20 May 46	MC/D	5 Apr 51
116	GAZELLE	9 May 46	21 May 46	10 May 46	MC/D	4 May 48
117	GEMSBOK	30 Apr 46	8 May 46	2 May 46	MC/D	20 May 48
118	GIRAFFE	17 Jun 46	3 Jul 46	17 Jun 46	MC/D	9 Apr 48
119	IBEX	28 Jun 46	8 Oct 46	30 Jun 46	MC/D	18 Feb 48
120	JAGUAR	10 Jun 46	3 Jul 46	10 Jun 46	MC/D	7 May 48
121	KANGAROO	13 May 46	21 May 46	14 May 46	MC/D	3 May 48
122	LEOPARD	21 Jun 46	3 Jul 46	21 Jun 46	MC/D	10 May 48
123	MINK	26 Jun 46	19 Jul 46	27 Jun 46	MC/D	13 Apr 51
124	MOOSE	19 Apr 46	8 May 46	27 Apr 46	MC/D	14 Jun 48
125	PANDA	12 Jul 46	31 Jul 46	15 Jul 46	MC/D	13 Apr 48
126	PORCUPINE	--	19 Jan 45	30 Dec 44	Lost	--
127	RACCOON	10 Jul 46	31 Jul 46	11 Jul 46	MC/D	26 Mar 48
129	WHIPPET	25 Jun 46	19 Jul 46	25 Jun 46	MC/D	27 Apr 51

Class Notes:
FY 1944. On 12 Oct 43 the Auxiliary Vessels Board reported that it had been informed that there were available to the Navy certain old WSA tankers (see IX 131-45) as well as a number of new Liberty tankers which could be used to help meet the urgent requirements which existed in the Pacific area for floating storage at advanced bases. It recommended that 20 new Liberty tankers, which it identified by MCE hull number, be acquired with no conversion of any kind to be undertaken on them. Two of these, IX-128 and 130, were later completed as distilling ships (AW 1-2, q.v.) and replaced as station tankers by two acquired ships (see IX 178-179).

Instructions issued by CNO on 15 Oct 43 stated that no conversion was authorized or necessary for these ships but that they were to be armed and that the Navy would furnish 20 lengths of 4" and 6 lengths of 6" filling hose with necessary fittings for transferring fuel to other ships. (BuShips later specified additional fittings to be provided with these hoses.) The ships were to have a shakedown and training period, but it was to be limited to the minimum required for safe passage to destination. Tentative plans were for 6 of the vessels building by California SB and four of those building by Delta SB to be "clean" tankers, i.e. they would carry gasoline and diesel oil, while the remaining vessels would probably load fuel oil and be "dirty" tankers.

Ship Notes:

IX	Name	MC	Notes
111	ARMADILLO	1900	Ex merc. SIDNEY HOWARD. Merc. SIDNEY HOWARD (MC) 1946, DEAN H 1948, CHRIS H. 1954 and converted to dry cargo ship. To NDRF 26 Dec 62, sold by MA 22 Feb 72, to buyer 10 Mar 72.
112	BEAGLE	1901	Ex merc. DAVID RITTENHOUSE. Merc. DAVID RITTENHOUSE (MC) 1946, EDISON SKIPPER 1948, GEORGE S. 1955 and converted to dry cargo ship. Scrapped 1968 as MARIA G.L.
113	CAMEL	1902	Ex merc. WILLIAM H. CARRUTH. Merc. WILLIAM H. CARRUTH (MC) 1946, sold 1948, converted to dry cargo ship with same name 1949. To NDRF 24 May 63 as HALCYON PIONEER, sold by MA 11 Sep 63, to buyer 24 Sep 63, scrapped by 9 Dec 63.
114	CARIBOU	1903	Ex merc. NATHANIEL B. PALMER. Merc. NATHANIEL B. PALMER (MC) 1946, sold 1948, converted to dry cargo ship with same name 1949. Scrapped 1961 as MANEGINA.
115	ELK	1904	Ex merc. WILLIAM WINTER. Merc. WILLIAM WINTER (MC) 1946, SEAPEARL 1951, KORTHI 1953 and converted to dry cargo ship, ANDROS COUNTY 1956 and lengthened, KALAMAS 1960. Wrecked off Oregon 3 Sep 60 and scrapped 1962.
116	GAZELLE	1905	Ex merc. CYRUS K. HOLLIDAY. Merc. CYRUS K. HOLLIDAY (MC) 1946, EVISTAR 1948. Converted to dry cargo ship RHAPSODY 1955. Scrapped 1968 as PACIFIC LOGGER.
117	GEMSBOK	1906	Ex merc. CARL R. GRAY. Merc. CARL R. GRAY (MC) 1946, ALPHA 1948, STRATHBAY 1951. Converted to dry cargo ship 1953. Sold by MA 25 Feb 66 as PILOT ROCK, to buyer 10 Mar 66, scrapped by 6 May 66.
118	GIRAFFE	1907	Ex merc. SANFORD B. DOLE. Merc. SANFORD B. DOLE (MC) 1946, EILEEN 1948 and converted to dry cargo ship. Scrapped 1967 as ORIENT LAKES.
119	IBEX	1908	Ex merc. NICHOLAS LONGWORTH. Merc. NICHOLAS LONGWORTH (MC) 1946, HELEN STEVENSON 1948 and converted to dry cargo ship. Wrecked in typhoon in Japan 9 Oct 65 as WINNER and scrapped 1966.
120	JAGUAR	1909	Ex merc. CHARLES T. YERKES. Merc. CHARLES T. YERKES (MC) 1946, HARRY PEER 1948, TINI 1949 and converted to dry cargo ship. Wrecked at Bombay 4 Jun 54 as ILLENAO and scrapped.
121	KANGAROO	1923	Ex merc. PAUL TULANE. Merc. PAUL TULANE (MC) 1946, MOSTANK 1948. Converted to dry cargo ship NIBORIO 1954. Scrapped 1968 as SAN PABLO.
122	LEOPARD	1926	Ex merc. WILLIAM B. BANKHEAD. Merc. WILLIAM B. BANKHEAD (MC) 1946, YANKEE FIGHTER 1948 and converted to dry cargo ship. Hit object 17 Jul 65 off southern Brazil as ZOE and scrapped at Porto Alegre.
123	MINK	1927	Ex merc. JUDAH TOURO (completed 31 Dec 43). Merc. JUDAH TOURO (MC) 1946, SEAVALOR 1951. Converted to dry cargo ship ELENI V. 1954, scrapped 1967.
124	MOOSE	1928	Ex merc. MASON L. WEEMS. Merc. MASON L. WEEMS (MC) 1946, YANKEE PIONEER 1948 and converted to dry cargo ship. Stranded at Hong Kong 5 Sep 64 as ANJI and scrapped 1965.
125	PANDA	1929	Ex merc. OPIE READ (completed 31 Dec 43). Merc. OPIE READ (MC) 1946, WESTPORT 1948 and converted to dry cargo ship. Scrapped 1968 as SAN ANTONIO.
126	PORCUPINE	1930	Ex merc. LEIF ERICSON. Damaged by kamikaze and burned out 30 Dec 44 off Mindoro Island, Philippines, wreck later scuttled in Mindoro Strait.
127	RACCOON	1931	Ex merc. J. C. W. BECKHAM. Merc. J. C. W. BECKHAM (MC) 1946, CHRYSANTHISTAR 1948, converted to dry cargo ship JUPITER 1949. Scrapped 1968 as ASIA MARINER.
129	WHIPPET	1933	Ex merc. EUGENE W. HILGARD. Merc. EUGENE W. HILGARD (MC) 1946, sold 1951 with same name, converted to dry cargo ship LOIDA 1955, lengthened 1956. Scrapped 1971 as NERVION.