View source for Crater-class cargo ship

{{Short description|World War II U.S. Navy cargo ship class}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= USS Livingston AK-222.jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Livingston'' (AK-222)
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=
|Builders=
|Operators={{navy|United States}}
|Class before=
|Class after=
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=1942&ndash;1944
|In service range=
|In commission range=1942&ndash;1948
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=65
|Total ships cancelled=
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost=
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Cargo ship]]
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement={{Crater cargo displacement}}
|Ship length= {{Crater cargo length}}
|Ship beam= {{Crater cargo beam}}
|Ship draft={{Crater cargo draft}}
|Ship power={{Crater cargo power}}
|Ship propulsion={{Crater cargo propulsion}}
|Ship speed= {{Crater cargo speed}}
|Ship range= 
|Ship endurance=
|Ship capacity={{Crater cargo capacity}}
|Ship complement=206
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*1 × [[5-inch/50-caliber gun|{{convert|5|in|adj=on|0}}/50 caliber gun]]
*1 × [[3-inch/50-caliber gun|{{convert|3|in|adj=on|0}}/50 caliber gun]]
*2 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|{{cvt|40|mm|2}} Bofors gun]]s
*6 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|{{cvt|20|mm|2}} Oerlikon cannon]]s
*'''or'''
*1 × [[5-inch/38-caliber gun]]
*4 × 40 mm guns
*12 × 20 mm guns
|Ship armor=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The '''''Crater''-class cargo ship''' were converted EC2-S-C1 type, [[Liberty ship|Liberty]] [[cargo ship]]s, constructed by the [[United States Maritime Commission]] (USMC) for use by the [[United States Navy|US Navy]] during [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/C/r/Crater_class.htm |title=Crater Class, U.S. Cargo Ships |publisher=The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia |access-date=15 April 2014}}</ref> The designation 'EC2-S-C1': 'EC' for Emergency Cargo, '2' for a ship between {{cvt|400|and|450|ft}} long ([[Waterline length|Load Waterline Length]]), 'S' for steam engines, and 'C1' for design C1.
<ref>{{cite web |last=Colton |first=Tim |url=http://shipbuildinghistory.com/merchantships/2designcodes.htm |title=Ship Design Codes used by the U.S. Maritime Commission |access-date= 3 August 2021}}</ref>

The class was named for the lead ship of its type, {{USS|Crater|AK-70}}, with most ships in the class being named for astronomical bodies. Its 65 hulls were among the largest US Navy cargo ship classes.

The ships were propelled by a reciprocating steam engine using a single screw with a power of {{Convert|2500|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} shaft.

==Notable incidents==
*[[USS Aludra (AK-72)|USS ''Aludra'' (AK-72)]] 	Lost in action from [[Empire of Japan|Japan]]ese torpedo on 23 June 1943 south of [[Makira island]].<ref>[http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130072.htm navsource.org USS ''Aludra'']</ref>
*[[USS Deimos (AK-78)|USS ''Deimos'' (AK-78)]] 	Damaged by torpedo, 23 June 1943, then abandoned and scuttled south of Makira island.<ref>[http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130078.htm navsource.org USS Deimos (AK-78)]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/ships-ak.html AK — Cargo Ships]—Ships of the U.S. Navy, 1940–1945.

{{Crater class cargo ship}}
{{Liberty ships}}
{{MARCOMships}}
{{WWII US ships}}

[[Category:Auxiliary ship classes of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Crater-class cargo ships| ]]
[[Category:World War II auxiliary ships of the United States| Crater class cargo ship]]
{{US-mil-ship-stub}}