USS Midland

USS Midland (AK-195) was an Template:Sclass- that was constructed by the U.S. Navy during the closing period of World War II. She was declared excess-to-needs and returned to the U.S. Maritime Commission shortly after being in commission for only a short period of time.

History
Vereinigte Staaten
Name	Coastal Harbinger Midland
Namesake	Midland County, Michigan or Midland County, Texas
Ordered	MC hull 2126
Builder	Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin
Laid down	29 July 1944, as MV Coastal Harbinger
Launched	23 December 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. William G. Mitsch
Acquired	17 August 1945
Commissioned	27 September 1945
Decommissioned	13 November 1945, name reverted to MV Coastal Harbinger
Stricken	date unknown
Identification	Hull symbol:AK-195
Fate	transferred to the Maritime Commission 13 November 1945 sold, 1 June 1946, to the government of China, without cost, reflagged Republic of China, renamed MV Union Banker
Status	fate unknown
General characteristics
Class and type	Template:Sclass-
Typ	C1-M-AV1
Displacement	2,382 long tons (2,420 t) (standard) 7,450 long tons (7,570 t) (full load)
Length	388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Installed power	1 × Nordberg, TSM 6 diesel engine 1,750 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Nordberg Diesel diesel TSM 6 engine 1 × shaft
Speed	11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	3,945 t (3,883 long tons) DWT 9,830 cu ft (278 m3) (refrigerated) 227,730 cu ft (6,449 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Complement	15 Officers 70 Enlisted
Armament	1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber dual purpose gun 6 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons anti-aircraft gun mounts

Built in Superior, Wisconsin

Midland (AK 195) was laid down under Maritime Commission contract by Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin, 29 July 1944; launched 23 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. William G. Mitsch; converted by the New Orleans Naval Station; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on loan charter 17 August 1945.

Service career

Midland was placed in service the same day to be ferried from Beaumont, Texas, to Galveston, Texas, and placed out of service upon arrival the 18th; and commissioned 27 September 1945, Lt. Lloyd K. Barry, USNR, in command.

Post-war decommissioning

Because of the reduced need for cargo ships following World War II, Midland decommissioned at New Orleans, Louisiana, 13 November 1945 and was returned to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) the same day for service under the Maritime Commission as Coastal Harbinger.

Her subsequent history and ultimate fate are not known.

References

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AK-195 Midland