Artemis-class attack cargo ship

{{Short description|US Navy class during World War II}}

{{one source|date=April 2020}}

{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox ship begin}} {{Infobox ship image |Ship image=USS Zenobia (AKA-52) underway at sea, in August 1945.jpg |Ship caption={{USS|Zenobia|AKA-52|6}} – a typical Artemis-class AKA }} {{Infobox ship class overview |Name= |Builders= Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc. |Operators={{navy|United States}} |Class before= |Class after= |Subclasses= |Cost= |Built range=1944–1945 |In service range= |In commission range= |Total ships building= |Total ships planned= |Total ships completed=32 |Total ships cancelled= |Total ships active= |Total ships laid up= |Total ships lost= |Total ships retired= |Total ships preserved= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= |Ship type=S4-SE2-BE1 |Ship displacement= 4,087 tons |Ship length= {{convert|426|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} |Ship beam= {{convert|58|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship draft={{convert|16|ft|m|0|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion= |Ship speed= {{convert|16.9|kn|km/h|0|abbr=on}} |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship boats= |Ship complement= 303 (varies) |Ship sensors= |Ship armament=*1 × 5-inch 38 caliber dual-purpose gun mount 4 × twin 40 mm gun mounts 10 × 20 mm guns gun mounts |Ship armor= |Ship notes= }}

The Artemis-class attack cargo ships were a series of attack cargo ships (AKAs) built by Walsh-Kaiser Company of Cranston and Providence, Rhode Island, during World War II.

Like all AKAs, they were designed to carry combat loaded military cargo and landing craft, and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies, and troops on enemy shores during amphibious operations. Compared to other classes of AKAs, the Artemis class had a much shallower draft, and a lower main deck aft. All these ships were built on the same standard hull design, but there were some differences from ship to ship: The hull was a S-Type Special-Purpose Ships, same as S3-M2-K2 Landing Ship, Tank.[http://shipbuildinghistory.com/merchantships/2stypeships.htm shipbuildinghistory.com S Type ships]

{{see also|Walsh-Kaiser Company#Artemis|label 1=List of Artemis-class attack cargo ships}}

The armament varied, as did that of the other ships of the day. During 1944–1945, the 5"/38-caliber gun was recognized as the best gun for the dual role of antiaircraft and naval gunfire support, and the 40 mm gun was seen as the best antiaircraft gun. The older 20 mm and .50 caliber guns had been recognized to be of limited value, and were being phased out, though they appeared on some of these ships. The 20 mm guns were later removed from all of them, but it is not clear just when this happened.

The complement varied as well, but the DANFS figures sometimes seem to confuse ship's company with embarked troops in determining a ship's complement.