View source for Arcturus-class attack cargo ship

{{Short description|Type of American attack cargo ship}}
{{no footnotes|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= USS Arcturus (AK-18) underway in 1942.jpg
|Ship caption= {{USS|Arcturus|AKA-1|6}} - a typical ''Arcturus''-class AKA
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=
|Builders=
*[[Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.|Sun Shipbuilding]], PA (5)
*[[Tampa Shipbuilding Company|Tampa Shipbuilding]], FL (3)
*[[Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company|Federal Shipbuilding]], NJ (3)
|Operators={{navy|United States}}
|Class before=
|Class after=
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=
|In service range=
|In commission range= 1940-1955 (US Navy)
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=
|Total ships completed=11
|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 class=
|Ship type=[[Type C2 ship]]
|Ship displacement= 14,225&nbsp;tons
|Ship length= {{convert|459|ft|1|in|m|0|abbr=on}} 
|Ship beam= {{convert|63|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} 
|Ship height=
|Ship draft={{convert|26|ft|5|in|m|0|abbr=on}} 
|Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed= {{convert|16.5|kn|km/h|0|abbr=on}} 
|Ship range= 
|Ship endurance=
|Ship boats=
|Ship complement=  267 (varies)
|Ship sensors=
|Ship armament=*1 × [[5-inch/38-caliber gun|5-inch 38 caliber]] dual-purpose gun mount
*4 × twin [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40&nbsp;mm gun]] mounts
|Ship armor= 
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
The '''''Arcturus''-class''' [[attack cargo ship]]s were converted from other ship types by [[Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.]] in [[Chester, Pennsylvania]], [[Tampa Shipbuilding Company|Tampa Shipbuilding Co.]] in [[Tampa, Florida]], and [[Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.]] in [[Kearny, New Jersey]], during [[World War II]].

Like all attack cargo ships (AKAs), they were designed to carry [[combat loading|combat loaded]] military cargo and [[landing craft]], and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies, and troops on enemy shores during [[Amphibious warfare|amphibious operations]].

All these ships were built on the same standard hull design, but there were some differences from ship to ship:

The armament varied, as did that of the other ships of the day. During 1944–1945, the 5"/38-caliber gun was recognized as the best gun for the dual role of [[antiaircraft]] and [[naval gunfire support]], and the 40&nbsp;mm was seen as the best antiaircraft gun. The older 20&nbsp;mm and .50 caliber guns had been recognized to be of limited value, and were being phased out, though they appeared on some of these ships. The 20&nbsp;mm guns were later removed from all of them, but it is not clear just when this happened.

The complement varied as well, but the [[DANFS]] figures sometimes seem to confuse ship's company with embarked troops in determining a ship's complement.

==See also==
* {{sclass|Andromeda|attack cargo ship|1}}
* {{sclass|Artemis|attack cargo ship|1}}
* {{sclass|Charleston|amphibious cargo ship|1}}
* {{sclass|Tolland|attack cargo ship|1}}
* [[List of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships]]
* {{USS|Fomalhaut|AKA-5|3}} &mdash; a [[Type C1 ship|Type C1]] AKA that falls within the number range of the Arcturus class
* {{USS|Alhena|AKA-9|3}} &mdash; a [[Type C2 ship|Type C2 (C2-S)]] AKA that falls within the number range
* {{USS|Almaack|AKA-10|3}} &mdash; a [[Type C3 ship|Type C3]] AKA that falls within the number range

==References==
{{DANFS}}

==External links==
*[http://www.usmm.org/c2ships.html United States Maritime Commission C2 Type Ships]

{{Arcturus class attack cargo ship}}

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[[Category:Amphibious warfare vessel classes]]
[[Category:Arcturus-class attack cargo ships| ]]
[[Category:World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States| ]]