Mount McKinley-class command ship
The Mount McKinley-class command ship was a ship class of command ships of the United States Navy during World War II and the Cold War. All eight ships were converted from Type C2-S-AJ1 cargo ships.
USS Mount Olympus in 1944
Type C2 ships were designed by the United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) in 1937–38. They were all-purpose cargo ships with five holds, and U.S. shipyards built 328 of them from 1939 to 1945. Compared to ships built before 1939, the C2s were remarkable for their speed and fuel economy. Their design speed was 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h), but some could make 19 knots (35 km/h) on occasion. The first C2s were 459 feet (140 m) long, 63 feet (19 m) broad, and 40 feet (12 m) deep, with a 25-foot (8 m) draft. Later ships varied somewhat in size. Some, intended for specific trade routes, were built with significant modifications in length and capacity.
USS Whiteside anchored in San Francisco Bay, circa 1948, a Type C2-S-B1 ship
USS Wayne, a C2-S-E1
American Forester of type C2-S-B1 (1969
USS Polaris operating off Korea, 1953, a C2