View source for ACHERNAR AKA 53

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<h3>Ship Name and Designation History</h3>
This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. 
The list is in chronological order.
<ol>
Andromeda Class Attack Cargo Ship<br/> 
Keel Laid 6 September 1943 - Launched 3 December 1943<br/><br/>
<li>'''USS ACHERNAR AKA-53'''<br/>
Commissioned 31 January 1944<br/>
Assigned to Naval Transportation Service (NTS) 1946<br/>
Transferred to Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) 1 October 1949<br/>
Decommissioned 18 May 1956<br/>
Recommissioned 1 September 1961 - Decommissioned 1 July 1963<br/><br/>
Struck from Naval Register 2 February 1965<br/><br/>
<li>'''CASTILLA TA-21''' (Spanish Naval Service)<br/>
Sold to Spain 2 February 1965 and renamed<br/>
Decommissioned by Spain to reserves 1980<br/><br/>
Struck from the Spanish Navy List 1 January 1982<br/>
Scrapped 1987  
</ol>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Naval Covers</h3>
This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the 
ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, 
for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should 
be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't 
take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date 
range for covers on that page.
<ol>
<li>[[USS ACHERNAR AKA-53_Covers_Page_1 | USS Achernar AKA-53 Covers Page 1 ]] &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(1943-1955)</li>
</ol>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h3>Postmarks</h3>
This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a 
separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry 
in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks 
should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark 
has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest 
known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an 
image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN 
THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
<br/>&nbsp;<br/>
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the
existing example.
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<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><th align="center" valign="center" width="140">
Postmark Type<br/>---<br/>Killer Bar Text
</th><th align="center" valign="center" width="100">
Postmark<br/>Date</th>
<th align="center" width="350">Thumbnail Link<br/>To<br/>Postmark Image</th>
<th align="center" width="120">Thumbnail Link<br/>To<br/>Cover Image</th>
</tr></table>
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<!--    Postmarks from 1st Post Office Period       -->
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<br/><hr/>
<h4>Post Office Established 31 January 1944 - Disestablished 9 December 1946</h4>
<!-- ============== -->
<!--    9efu    -->
<!-- ============== -->
<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="center" valign="center" width="140">
Locy Type<br/>9efu
</td><td align="center" valign="center" width="100">
1946-12-03
</td><td align="center" width="350">
[[Image:JonBurdett achernar aka53 19461203 pm9.jpg|thumb|center|200px]]
</td><td align="center" width="120">
[[Image:JonBurdett achernar aka53 19461203.jpg|thumb|center|100px]]
</td></tr></table>
Note:
<!-- === End of Postmark Entry === -->
<!-- ============== -->
<!--    P (A-5)    -->
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<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="center" valign="center" width="140">
Locy Type P<br/><br/>USCS Postmark<br/>Catalog Illus. A-5
</td><td align="center" valign="center" width="100">
1946-01-14
</td><td align="center" width="350">
[[Image:GregCiesielski_Achernar_AKA53_19460114_1_Postmark.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]
</td><td align="center" width="120">
[[Image:GregCiesielski_Achernar_AKA53_19460114_1_Front.jpg|thumb|center|100px]]
</td></tr></table>
Cacheted. From the Bob Govern collection.
<!-- === End of Postmark Entry === -->
<!-- ============== -->
<!--    P (A-5a)    -->
<!-- ============== -->
<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="center" valign="center" width="140">
Locy Type P<br/><br/>USCS Postmark<br/>Catalog Illus. A-5a
</td><td align="center" valign="center" width="100">
1946-07-25
</td><td align="center" width="350">
[[Image:GregCiesielski_Achernar_AKA53_19460725_1_Postmark.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]
</td><td align="center" width="120">
[[Image:GregCiesielski_Achernar_AKA53_19460725_1_Front.jpg|thumb|center|100px]]
</td></tr></table>
Cachet by [[Cachet_Maker_Winfred_M_Grandy_ | Winfred M. Grandy]]
<!-- === End of Postmark Entry === -->
<!-- ============== -->
<!--    P (A-5a)    -->
<!-- ============== -->
<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="center" valign="center" width="140">
Locy Type P<br/><br/>USCS Postmark<br/>Catalog Illus. A-5a
</td><td align="center" valign="center" width="100">
1946-12-03
</td><td align="center" width="350">
[[Image:JonBurdett achernar aka53 19461203 pm.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]
</td><td align="center" width="120">
[[Image:JonBurdett achernar aka53 19461203.jpg|thumb|center|100px]]
</td></tr></table>
Ship name repositioned.
<!-- === End of Postmark Entry === -->
<br/><hr>
<h4>In 1950, no post office aboard</h4>
<!-- ============== -->
<!--   Pearl Harbor    -->
<!-- ============== -->
<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="center" valign="center" width="140">
USPO Slogan<br/>Machine Cancel<br/><br/>"Fleet Post Office<br/>Navy 128<br/>Pearl Harbor Br."<br/><br/>Honolulu HI
</td><td align="center" valign="center" width="100">
1950-03-20
</td><td align="center" width="350">
[[Image:JonBurdett achernar aka53 19500320.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]
</td><td align="center" width="120">
[[Image:JonBurdett achernar aka53 19500320 cach.jpg|thumb|center|100px]]
</td></tr></table>
Note:
<!-- === End of Postmark Entry === -->
<!-- ============== -->
<!--    POSTMARK    -->
<!-- ============== -->
<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="center" valign="center" width="140">
USPO Slogan<br/>Machine Cancel<br/><br/>"Fleet Post Office<br/>Navy 128<br/>Pearl Harbor Br."<br/><br/>Honolulu HI
</td><td align="center" valign="center" width="100">
1950-03-20 
</td><td align="center" width="350">
[[Image:GregCiesielski_Achernar_AKA53_19500320_1_Postmark.jpg|thumb|center|250px]]
</td><td align="center" width="120">
[[Image:GregCiesielski_Achernar_AKA53_19500320_1_Front.jpg|thumb|center|100px]]
</td></tr></table>
"In 1950 with no post office aboard, the yeoman used a cachet as if it were a cancel" USCS Postmark Catalog
<!-- === End of Postmark Entry === -->
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<!-- Postmarks from 2nd Post Office Period        -->
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<br/><hr/>
<h4>Post Office Reestablished 20 March 1951 to 19 December 1955</h4>
<!-- ============== -->
<!--   Type 2    -->
<!-- ============== -->
<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="center" valign="center" width="140">
Locy Type<br/>FDPS 2 
</td><td align="center" valign="center" width="100">
1951-04-02
</td><td align="center" width="350">
[[Image:JonBurdett achernar aka53 19510402 pm.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]
</td><td align="center" width="120">
[[Image:JonBurdett achernar aka53 19510402.jpg|thumb|center|100px]]
</td></tr></table>
First Day Postal Service
<!-- === End of Postmark Entry === -->
<!-- ============== -->
<!--   Type 2    -->
<!-- ============== -->
<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="center" valign="center" width="140">
Locy Type 2
</td><td align="center" valign="center" width="100">
1954-07-19
</td><td align="center" width="350">
[[Image:JonBurdett achernar aka53 19540719 pm.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]
</td><td align="center" width="120">
[[Image:JonBurdett achernar aka53 19540719.jpg|thumb|center|100px]]
</td></tr></table>
Note:
<!-- === End of Postmark Entry === -->
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<!--    Postmarks from 3rd Post Office Period       -->
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<br/><hr/>
<h4>Post Office Reestablished 1961 - Disestablished 1 July 1963</h4>
<!-- ============== -->
<!--    2(n)    -->
<!-- ============== -->
<br/>&nbsp;<br/><table width="95%" border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0">
<tr><td align="center" valign="center" width="140">
Locy Type 2(n)
</td><td align="center" valign="center" width="100">
1961-12-09
</td><td align="center" width="350">
[[Image:GregCiesielski_Achernar_AKA53_19611209_1_Postmark.jpg|thumb|center|300px]]
</td><td align="center" width="120">
[[Image:GregCiesielski_Achernar_AKA53_19611209_1_Front.jpg|thumb|center|100px]]
</td></tr></table>
Note:
<!-- === End of Postmark Entry === -->

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Other Information</h3>
USS ACHERNAR earned the Combat Action Ribbon, the China Service Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal w/ 2 Battle stars, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal w/ 1 Battle star, the World War II Victory Medal, the Navy Occupation Service Medal w/ Asia clasp, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korea Service Medal w/ 3 Campaign stars, the United Nations Service Medal and the Republic of Korea War Memorial Medal during her Naval career.<br/><br/>
'''NAMESAKE''' - Named for the brightest star in the southern constellation Eridanus with a magnitude of .6. It is at least 200 times more luminous than the sun and one of the 10 brightest stars in the sky. It is about 118 light-years from the Earth.<br/><br/>
The ships sponsor was Mrs. Adela Rogers St. John.
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr/>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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[[Contact_Us | contact the Curator]] or edit this page yourself and add it. 
See [[Editing_Ship_Pages | Editing Ship Pages]] for detailed information on 
editing this page.
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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<font size="-2">Copyright {{CURRENTYEAR}} Naval Cover Museum</font>