![]() USS Allegan (AK-225) underway in Chesapeake Bay off her conversion yard at Baltimore, Maryland, 29 September 1944. She and the other late addition to this class, USS Appanoose (AK-226), were acquired to serve as pontoon assembly ships but initially had no distinctive external fittings for this purpose. Her camouflage is Measure 32 Design 1F. | |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Name |
|
Namesake | |
Ordered | as a type (EC2-S-C1 hull), MCE hull 2416, SS Van Lear Black |
Builder | Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland |
Laid down | 21 December 1943 |
Launched | 21 January 1944 |
Sponsored by | Mrs. Van Lear Black |
Acquired | 7 August 1944 |
Commissioned | 21 September 1944 |
Decommissioned | 15 November 1945 |
Stricken | 28 November 1945 |
Identification | Hull symbol:AK-225 |
Fate |
|
General characteristics [1] | |
Class and type | Crater-class cargo ship |
Displacement |
|
Length | 441 ft 6 in (134.57 m) |
Beam | 56 ft 11 in (17.35 m) |
Draft | 28 ft 4 in (8.64 m) |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 12.5 kn (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) |
Complement | 229 officers and enlisted |
Armament |
|
USS Allegan (AK-225) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
SS Van Lear Black was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2416) on 21 December 1943 at Baltimore, Maryland, by Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard; launched on 21 January 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Van Lear Black; acquired by the Navy under a bareboat charter on 7 August 1944; renamed Allegan and designated AK-225 on 12 August 1944; converted for naval service at Baltimore by the Maryland Drydock Co.; and commissioned on 21 September 1944. Following shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay, Allegan took on a cargo of pontoons at Davisville, Rhode Island, for transportation to the Philippines. She left Davisville on 19 October and shaped a course for the Pacific Ocean. The ship transited the Panama Canal on the 30th and continued sailing westward. She reached Eniwetok on 27 November and departed that atoll on 6 December in a convoy bound for Leyte. The vessel paused en route at Ulithi before reaching Leyte on 22 December.
Allegan operated in Philippine waters in and Samar through late January 1945, discharging cargo and assembling pontoons. She successfully carried out this assignment despite being subjected to frequent enemy air attacks. The ship left the Philippines on 23 January and shaped a course for the west coast of the United States. She paused en route at Manus, Admiralty Islands, on 30 January; then sailed on for California and reached San Pedro, Los Angeles, on 23 February. There, she took on board another cargo of pontoons and got underway again on 9 March bound for Okinawa. After making brief port calls at Eniwetok and Ulithi, the vessel arrived off Okinawa on 3 May. During the next three months, she remained in the area discharging and assembling pontoons. She was subjected to frequent air attacks throughout this period and assisted in downing three enemy planes.
Allegan departed Okinawa on 5 August, bound for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, via Saipan. She arrived in Hawaiian waters on 26 August, and stood out two days later for San Francisco, California. The vessel reached San Francisco Bay on 5 September and, after a period of voyage repairs, got underway again on 6 October bound for Hampton Roads, Virginia. After retransiting the Panama Canal, Allegan reached Norfolk, Virginia, on 27 October. She was decommissioned at Portsmouth, Virginia, on 15 November 1945; was returned to the War Shipping Administration a week later, and her name was struck from the Navy list on 28 November 1945. She had a very varied history after being released by the Navy. (See second external link below.)
Allegan received one battle star for her World War II service. Her crew was eligible for the following medals and campaign ribbons:
USS Attala (APA-130) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.
USS Aries (AK-51) (1918–1952) was a United States Navy cargo ship built as Lake Geneva under a United States Shipping Board (USSB) contract in 1918 at Duluth, Minnesota, by the McDougall Duluth Shipbuilding Company, to augment American logistics capability during World War I. The freighter was delivered to the Navy at Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on 21 September 1918 and was placed in commission the following day for service in the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. Aries was named for the constellation.
USS Appanoose (AK-226) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the United States Navy named for Appanoose County, Iowa.
USS Tate (AKA-70) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was sold into commercial service and was scrapped in 1970.
USS Alshain (AKA-55) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy. She was named after the star Alshain in the constellation Aquila, and served as a commissioned ship for 11 years and 9 months.
USS Arenac (APA-128) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.
USS Bosque (APA-135) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.
USS LST-31 was a United States Navy LST-1-class tank landing ship used exclusively in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. Like many of her class, she was not originally named and is properly referred to by her hull designation. Later she was named for Addison County, Vermont. She was the only US Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Auriga (AK-98) was an Auriga-class cargo ship, the only ship in her class, commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II, named after the constellation Auriga. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Allioth (AK-109/IX-204/AVS-4) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II, named after Alioth, a star in constellation Ursa Major. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Alkes (AK-110) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II, named after Alkes, a star in the Crater constellation. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Zaurak (AK-117) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Shaula (AK-118) was a Crater-class cargo ship, converted from a Liberty Ship, commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II. She was first named after James Screven, an American general during the American Revolutionary War. She was renamed and commissioned after Shaula, the second-brightest star system in the constellation of Scorpius. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Azimech (AK-124) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II, named after the Azimech, the other name of Spica, the brightest star in constellation Virgo. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Phobos (AK-129) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Brevard (AK-164) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Adria (AF-30) was an Adria-class stores ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1954. She was scrapped in 1977.
USS Audubon (APA-149) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.
USS Audrain (APA-59) was a Gilliam-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.
USS Bucyrus Victory (AK-234) was a Boulder Victory-class cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific Ocean theatre of operations through the end of the war, earning one battle star, and then returned to the United States for disposal.