USS Lehigh (AK-192)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Lehigh.

History
United States
Name:	Coastal Expounder Lehigh
Namesake:	Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Ordered:	MC hull 2123
Builder:	Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin
Laid down:	8 June 1944, as MV Coastal Expounder
Launched:	25 November 1944
Sponsored by:	Mrs. Stanley Butler
Acquired:	30 July 1945
Commissioned:	13 September 1945
Decommissioned:	6 November 1945, name reverted to MV Coastal Expounder
Struck:	date unknown
Identification:	Hull symbol:AK-192
Fate:	transferred to the War Shipping Administration at Galveston, Texas, 6 November 1945, name reverted to MV Coastal Expounder GAA agreement to T.J. Stevenson & Co., 6 November 1945 Chartered to New York and Cuba Mail SS Co., 18 July 1946 GAA agreement to Agwilines Inc, 7 November 1946 custody transferred to Lloyd Brasileiro, Patrimonio Nicional, 15 February 1947 sold to Lloyd Brasileiro, Patrimonio Nicional, 7 March 1947, for $693,862.00, reflagged Brazil
Status:	fate unknown
General characteristics
Class & type:	Alamosa-class cargo ship
Type:	C1-M-AV1
Displacement:	2,382 long tons (2,420 t) (standard) 7,450 long tons (7,570 t) (full load)
Length:	388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam:	50 ft (15 m)
Draft:	21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Installed power:	1,750 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion:	1 × Nordberg Diesel diesel TSM 6 engine 1 × shaft
Speed:	11.5 kn (13.2 mph; 21.3 km/h)
Capacity:	3,945 t (3,883 long tons) DWT
Complement:	15 Officers 70 Enlisted
Armament:	1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber dual purpose gun 6 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons anti-aircraft gun mounts

USS Lehigh (AK-192) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship that was constructed by the U.S. Navy during the closing period of World War II. She was declared excess-to-needs and returned to the U.S. Maritime Commission shortly after commissioning.

Built in Superior, Wisconsin

The second ship to be so named by the Navy, Lehigh (AK-192) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract by Walter Butler Shipbuilding Co., Superior, Wisconsin, 8 June 1944; launched 25 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Stanley Butler; acquired by the Navy 30 July 1945.

World War II operations

Lehigh placed in service the same day for ferrying from Beaumont, Texas, to Galveston, Texas; placed out of service on the 31st; and commissioned at New Orleans 13 September 1945, Lt. George Kotnick in command.

Post-war decommissioning

Because of the reduced need for cargo ships following World War II, Lehigh decommissioned 6 November 1945 and was turned over to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) the same day.

Her ultimate fate is not known.

References

• This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AK-192 Lehigh