The USNS Taurus (T-AK-273) was a unique vessel built for the United States Navy as a Landing Ship Vehicle, and she was the only ship of her class. Named after the constellation Taurus, she holds the distinction of being the second U.S. Naval vessel to bear that name. Originally laid down as the USS Fort Snelling (LSD-23) on November 8, 1944, at Chickasaw, Alabama, by Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation, her construction was interrupted by World War II’s end, which rendered her services unnecessary, leading to the cancellation of her initial contract. The unchristened hull changed ownership twice before finally being completed in 1956 as the roll-on/roll-off ship SS Carib Queen for Trailer Marine Transport, Inc. In 1957, she was chartered by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) for transatlantic cargo operations. However, propulsion system issues caused delays, preventing her from active MSTS service until after the Maritime Administration took over her in March 1958 when Trailer Marine Transport defaulted on her mortgage. She was then assigned to MSTS, renamed Taurus, and designated T-AK-273 on January 15, 1959. Her first cargo run occurred in May 1959, from New York City to St. Nazaire, and over the next nine years, she transported cargo across the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. In 1963, Taurus was re-designated as vehicle landing ship LSV-8. During the mid-1960s, she supported American military efforts in South Vietnam by delivering cargo to various ports. Additionally, she played a role in NASA's space program, transporting Saturn V rocket stages—S-IVB and S-II—from California to the Mississippi Test Facility and Kennedy Space Center. Never formally commissioned as a Navy vessel, Taurus was decommissioned in September 1968 at Yokosuka, Japan. She was transferred back to the Maritime Administration in June 1969 and sold to Union Minerals and Alloy Corporation, with her name being struck from the Naval Vessel Register in June 1971. Her ultimate fate remains unknown.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.