Ship Information
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.Ship InformationUSS DENEBOLA was built by the Oregon Ship building Company in Portland Oregon. Launched on June 10, 1944, she was named the S.S. HIBBING VICTORY and served in the merchant fleet in both the Atlantic and the Pacific. In 1952, she was acquired by the US Navy to be converted to a refrigerated provisions stores ship. On January 20, 1954, she was commissioned USS DENEBOLA. November 11-22, 1962 Denebola served during the Cuban missile crisis. Received Armed forces expeditionary medal.
The ship is named for a star, as our other ships of type. Denebola is a second magnitude star in the constellation of Leo the Lion. In fact, the name "Denebola" comes from the Arabic for "Tail of the Lion." The USS DENEBOLA was 455' 3" long and had a beam of 62'. She carried 14 officers and 203 enlisted. Her displacement was 11,200 tons fully loaded and her top speed was 18.3 knots. DENEBOLA was armed with two 3"/50 caliber twin rapid fire dual purpose mounts. DENEBOLA carried her cargo in four holes, any or all of which may be refrigerated to -2 degrees Fahrenheit. Usually, most of one hole was refrigerated to 0 degrees Fahrenheit for frozen cargo, such as frozen beef. Most of another hole was refrigerated to 35 degrees Fahrenheit for chill cargo (lettuce, oranges, apples), and the other holes were un-refrigerated for dry provisions (flour, sugar, cocoa, canned goods) and for stores (brooms, swabs, coffee cups, paper napkins). In all, Denebola carried about 3,800 tons of cargo, consisting of over 420 different items. It was loaded in a manner that permits access to any item at any time and six vertical conveyers to bring the cargo up from the holes. The cargo can then be transferred to another ship at up to 150 tons of cargo an hour. References:
Denebola 67 Cruise Book, Editor: LTJG J. A. Thompson
The ship is named for a star, as our other ships of type. Denebola is a second magnitude star in the constellation of Leo the Lion. In fact, the name "Denebola" comes from the Arabic for "Tail of the Lion." The USS DENEBOLA was 455' 3" long and had a beam of 62'. She carried 14 officers and 203 enlisted. Her displacement was 11,200 tons fully loaded and her top speed was 18.3 knots. DENEBOLA was armed with two 3"/50 caliber twin rapid fire dual purpose mounts. DENEBOLA carried her cargo in four holes, any or all of which may be refrigerated to -2 degrees Fahrenheit. Usually, most of one hole was refrigerated to 0 degrees Fahrenheit for frozen cargo, such as frozen beef. Most of another hole was refrigerated to 35 degrees Fahrenheit for chill cargo (lettuce, oranges, apples), and the other holes were un-refrigerated for dry provisions (flour, sugar, cocoa, canned goods) and for stores (brooms, swabs, coffee cups, paper napkins). In all, Denebola carried about 3,800 tons of cargo, consisting of over 420 different items. It was loaded in a manner that permits access to any item at any time and six vertical conveyers to bring the cargo up from the holes. The cargo can then be transferred to another ship at up to 150 tons of cargo an hour. References:
Denebola 67 Cruise Book, Editor: LTJG J. A. Thompson
Below the Helo Deck there guns aft from the 1960 Cruise book.
Courtesy of Earl Simonin
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Leo
Early call of springtime
No matter where we live in the earth’s northern hemisphere, this time of year begins to present the first celestial clues that spring is in fact, on its way.
Around 9 PM or so during the next couple of weeks head outdoors and cast your gaze low in the eastern sky. Here you’ll see one of the most famous springtime indicators in the northern hemisphere, the constellation Leo. Leo is one of few constellations that, with some imagination, actually can be made to look like its namesake--- a lion crouching in a regal pose reminiscent of the enigmatic Egyptian Sphinx.
Most prominent in this constellation is the bright star Regulus, which shines brightly beneath the lions majestic head and mane, marked by a large sickle-shaped grouping of stars. More metropolitan stargazers may recognize this figure not as a sickle but as a backwards question mark, with Regulus forming the period at its base.
At the other end of the lion we find the bright star Denebola whose name originates from the Arabic “Al Dhanabal Asad.” Meaning “the lions tail.”
Excerpt from Newsday, Author :Dennis Mammana, Submitted by Don Clancy
