USS Castor (AKS-1) at Sasebo, Japan, April 1967 | |
History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Ordered |
|
Laid down | not known |
Launched | 20 May 1939 |
Acquired | 30 October 1940 |
Commissioned | 12 March 1941 |
Decommissioned | 30 June 1947 |
In service | 24 November 1950 |
Out of service | 31 October 1968 |
Stricken | 1 December 1968 |
Fate | Sold for scrapping in September 1969 |
General characteristics | |
Displacement | 7,350 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl) |
Length | 459 ft 2 in (139.95 m) |
Beam | 63 ft (19 m) |
Draught | 26 ft 5 in (8.05 m) |
Propulsion | steam turbine, single shaft, 6,000 shp |
Speed | 16 knots (30 km/h) |
Complement | 315 |
Armament | one 5 in (130 mm)/38 dual purpose gun mount, four 3 in (76 mm)/50 gun mounts |
USS Castor (AKS-1) was a Castor-class general stores issue ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering and disbursing goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Castor (AKS-1) was launched as SS Challenger on 20 May 1939 by Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, New Jersey, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. T. M. Woodward; acquired by the Navy 23 October 1940 and renamed Castor six days later; and commissioned 12 March 1941.
Clearing Norfolk, Virginia, 6 May 1941, Castor arrived at San Diego, California, 20 May to begin a series of cargo voyages to Pearl Harbor. In October, she carried U.S. Marine reinforcements to Johnston Island and Wake Island.
Returning to San Francisco, California, to load explosives, Castor arrived in Pearl Harbor three days before the Japanese attack of 7 December 1941. Her guns were quickly brought into action, and while she was repeatedly strafed by enemy planes, she suffered little damage and no casualties in the attack. [1]
Until 7 February 1942, Castor carried cargo from the U.S. West Coast to aid in the buildup of Pearl Harbor as the nerve center for the Pacific Ocean, then aided in the opening of operations in the critical South Pacific area with cargo runs from San Francisco to bases in New Caledonia, the New Hebrides, the Fiji Islands, and New Zealand. A cargo voyage to Funafuti and Espiritu Santo in November and December 1943 found her carrying essential supplies for the Gilbert Islands invasion.
From January 1944, her voyages from the west coast were to bases in the Marshall Islands, and after a brief overhaul at Seattle, Washington, Castor reported at Manus 18 September for duty with famed task force TF 58. Operating primarily from Manus and Ulithi, she replenished the fast carrier task force at sea thus helping to expedite the smashing series of raids which pushed the Japanese ever westward. The final phase of these operations found the cargo ship acting in support of the assault on Okinawa, off which she operated through May and June 1945. Unscathed by the inferno which kamikaze attacks made of duty off Okinawa, Castor sailed for overhaul at San Francisco on 10 July.
Between December 1945 and February 1947, Castor supplied occupation forces in the Far East, calling at Guam, Saipan, Qingdao, Hong Kong, and Japanese ports. She was decommissioned and placed in reserve at San Francisco 30 June 1947.
With the outbreak of war in Korea, Castor was recommissioned 24 November 1950, and cleared San Francisco 11 March 1951 for training at Pearl Harbor. She arrived at Sasebo 14 May and from this base supplied ships in the harbors of Inchon and Pusan, Korea, as well as replenishing ships of task force TF 77 at sea.
Leaving Yokosuka astern 18 March 1952, Castor ran into a fierce storm which damaged her engines and left her dead in the water for 22 hours until she could be towed back to Japan for emergency repairs. She arrived at San Francisco 25 April for overhaul and permanent repairs.
On 9 September 1952, Castor returned to Yokosuka, now to be her home port. Since that date and through 1962 she has operated from Yokosuka and occasionally from Subic Bay, Philippine Islands, supporting the ever more important operations of U.S. 7th Fleet, as it carries out its assignment to keep the Taiwan Patrol Force at sea, and in September 1954 took part in the Vietnamese evacuation, Operation Passage to Freedom, off Indo-China. An overhaul at San Francisco early in 1955 fitted her to carry both technical and general stores.
While bound for Subic Bay on 19 October 1956, Castor fought her way unscathed through a furious typhoon, and next day received a distress message from the Philippine merchantman SS Lepus. With the aid of search planes, Castor located and rescued 11 survivors of the stricken ship. This rescue won a citation and plaque for Castor from Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay.
Castor was homeported in Sasebo, Japan during the mid sixties. She made runs to Vietnam, picking up stores in Sasebo, Subic Bay, Philippines and Kaoshung, Taiwan. She and USS Mars (AFS-1)and Castor's sister ship USS Pollux (AKS-4) which was home ported in Yokosuka, Japan were the only commissioned U.S. Naval supply ships serving the Vietnam units until Castor's decommissioning. Pollux was also decommissioned during the Vietnam War (1968).
Castor received three battle stars for World War II service:
She received two for Korean War service:
During the Vietnam War she earned the following campaign stars:
Her crew was eligible for the following medals and campaign ribbons:
USS Abnaki (ATF-96) was the lead ship of the Abnaki class of fleet ocean tugs in the service of the United States Navy, named after the Abenaki tribe of Native Americans. She was laid down on 28 November 1942 at Charleston, South Carolina by Charleston Shipbuilding & Drydock, launched on 22 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. James Mayon Jones, and commissioned at the Charleston Navy Yard on 25 November 1943. Abnaki earned three battle stars for service during the Korean War and 10 battle stars during the Vietnam War.
USS Ajax (AR-6), in service 1943 to 1986, was the second Vulcan-class repair ship and the fourth ship in the United States Navy to bear the name. Laid down in 1941, launched in 1942 and commissioned in 1943, she was decommissioned in 1986 and finally sold for scrap. Ajax received four battle stars for Korean War service and five campaign stars for service in Vietnam.
USS Luzerne County (LST-902) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Graffias (AF-29), a Hyades-class stores ship, is the only ship of the United States Navy to have this name. The name Graffias is another name for the star Beta Scorpii in the constellation Scorpius.
USS Sedgwick County (LST-1123) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy. Unlike many of her class, which received only numbers and were disposed of after World War II, she survived long enough to be named. On 1 July 1955, all LSTs still in commission were named for US counties or parishes; LST-1123 was given the name Sedgwick County, after counties in Colorado and Kansas.
USS Jason (AR-8) was the fourth of the Vulcan class repair ship of the United States Navy in service from 1944 to 1995, serving in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. At the time of her decommissioning, Jason was the oldest ship in continual commission in the United States Navy, and the final ship in continual commission from World War II onward.
USS Caliente (AO-53) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler built during World War II for the U.S. Navy. During her career in the Pacific Ocean, Caliente participated in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. She was highly decorated for fulfilling her dangerous mission of carrying fuel into battle areas. She received ten battle stars for World War II, four for the Korean War and eight campaign stars for the Vietnam War.
USS Hickman County (LST-825) was an LST-542-class tank landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after counties in Kentucky and Tennessee, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Tolovana (AO-64) was a Cimarron-class fleet oiler acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II. She served her country primarily in the Pacific Ocean Theatre of Operations, and provided petroleum products where needed to combat ships. For performing this dangerous task in combat areas, she was awarded one battle star during World War II, two during the Korean War, and thirteen campaign stars and the Navy Unit Commendation during the Vietnam War.
USS Pollux (AKS-4) was a Castor-class general stores issue ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering and disbursing goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Deliver (ARS-23) was a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.
USS Safeguard (ARS-25) was a Diver-class rescue and salvage ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947 and from 1952 to 1979. She was then transferred to Turkey where she served as TCG Işın (A-589) until 2017.
USS Bolster (ARS-38) was a Bolster-class rescue and salvage ship acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II and remained in service during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Her task was to come to the aid of stricken vessels.
USS Karin (AF-33) was an Adria stores ship in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1958. She was into commercial service in 1969 and was scrapped in 1987.
USS Bellatrix (AF-62) was an Alstede-class stores ship in service with the United States Navy from 1961 to 1968, following commercial service from 1945 to 1961. She was scrapped in 1969.
USS Genesee (AOG-8) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the dangerous task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Kishwaukee (AOG-9) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker acquired by the U.S. Navy for the task of transporting gasoline to warships in the fleet, and to remote Navy stations.
USS Tombigbee (AOG-11) was a Patapsco-class gasoline tanker in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1972. She was then sold to Greece, where she served as Ariadni (A414) until 2003.
USS Proton (AG-147/AKS-28) -- also known as USS LST-1078 – was an LST-542-class tank landing ship launched by the U.S. Navy during the final months of World War II. Proton served as a troop ship, a cargo ship and as an electronic parts supply ship for the U.S. Pacific Fleet and was decommissioned following the Korean War.
USS Washoe County (LST-1165), previously USS LST-1165, was a United States Navy landing ship tank (LST) in commission from 1953 to 1971, and which then saw non-commissioned Military Sealift Command service as USNS Washoe County (T-LST-1165) in 1973.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.