Clancey, Patrick. “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.” HyperWar Foundation. 20 April 2006. < http://ftp.metalab.unc.edu/hyperwar//USN/ships/dafs/AKA/aka1.html>.
Fleck, James. Personal Interview. 20 April 2006.

• Enlisted in the Navy June 1944
• Stationed in the Pacific Theater
• Aboard the AKA-1 also known as the USS Arcturus
• Cargo Ship
• Delivered food to Iwojima and Gasoline to the Philippines
• His job was a Diesel Machinist
• His boat was called the captain’s gig because they transported the captain and anything special he needed to different areas. His ship was always the first out and the last to come in.
• His ship was attacked once by Japanese planes but no damage was done.
• Took the 12th Air Force which was an occupying army from the Philippines to Korea.
• Visited Solomon and Marshal Islands, Okinawa, and Hiroshima

Priolo, Gary P. “Attack Cargo Ship (AKA) Amphibious Cargo Ship (LKA) Index.” © 1996 - 2006 NavSource Naval History. 20 April 2006. < http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/02001.htm>.

•          S-Bottom

• Laid down, 26 July 1938, as MV Mormachawk, a Maritime Commission type (C2) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC Hull 19) at Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Chester, PA. for Moore-McCormack Lines
• Launched, 18 May 1938
• Acquired by the Navy, 20 September 1940
• Converted for Naval Service at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA  Commissioned USS Arcturus (AK-18), 26 October 1940, Cdr. Russell C. Bartman in command
• Reclassified Attack Cargo Ship (AKA-1), 1 February 1943
• Decommissioned, 3 April 1946, at Portsmouth, VA.
• Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946
• Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal
• Sold, 17 March 1947, by the Maritime Commission for commercial service to Johnson Line (Sweden), registered in Panama with Compania Naviera Puerta del Sur, renamed MV Star Arcturus and placed in service on Johnson Line's Far East route
• Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 1969, arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 17 May 1969 for dismantling. Arcturus was awarded five battle stars for her World War II service
• Displacement: 7,480 t. (lt) 14,225 t. (fl.)
  Length: 459' 1"
  Beam: 63'
  Draft: 26' 5"
  Speed: 16.5 kts.
  Complement: 267
  Armament:
• one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
• eight 40mm guns
• eighteen 20mm guns
• Propulsion
• one 2-stroke
• 4 cylinder single-acting Doxford Diesel
• single propeller, 6,000shp

Steinberg, Rafael. Island Fighting. New Jersey: Time Life Books, 1978
Zich, Arthur. The Rising Sun. New Jersey: Time Life Books, 1977

WII Pacific Theater
• Navy
James Fleck
• USS Arcturus or AKA-1
• Western Naval Task Force (Task Force (TF) 34)
• TF 85
• TF 81
• Transport Group "Baker" of the Northern Attack Force
• 12th Air Force
• Island Hopping
• Solomon Islands
• Guadalcanal
• Florida
• Tulagi
• Gavutu
• General Douglas MacArthur
• Admiral Chester Nimitz

Students Annotated Bibliographies Index Page