USS Lakewood Victory

Last updated
USS Lakewood Victory (AK-236) at anchor San Francisco in March 1946.jpg
USS Lakewood Victory (AK-236) at anchor, probably when she returned to San Francisco, in March 1946, after a postwar voyage to the Western Pacific. Her armament had been removed, probably during repair work at Puget Sound, in October and November 1945.
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameLakewood Victory
Namesake
Orderedas type (VC2-S-AP2) hull, MCV hull 545
Builder Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Yard numberYard No.1
Laid down16 September 1944
Launched17 November 1944
Sponsored byMrs. Edward A. Fitzgerald
Commissioned11 December 1944
Decommissioned16 May 1946
Stricken5 June 1946
Identification
Honors and
awards
two battle stars during World War II
FateSold for scrapping, 9 August 1993, to California Import Export Inc., for $368,512
General characteristics [1]
Class and type Boulder Victory-class cargo ship
Displacement
  • 4,480 long tons (4,550 t) (standard)
  • 15,580 long tons (15,830 t) (full load)
Length455 ft (139 m)
Beam62 ft (19 m)
Draft29 ft 2 in (8.89 m)
Installed power6,000  shp (4,500 kW)
Propulsion
  • 1 × Westinghouse turbine
  • 2 × Foster Wheeler header-type boilers, 525psi 750°
  • double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears
  • 1 × shaft
Speed15.5  kn (17.8 mph; 28.7 km/h)
Complement99 officers and enlisted
Armament

USS Lakewood Victory (AK-236) 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 two battle stars, and then returned to the United States for disposal.

Contents

Victory built in California

Lakewood Victory (AK-236) was laid down 16 September 1944, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California, under a U.S. Maritime Commission contract; launched 17 November; sponsored by Mrs. Edward A. Fitzgerald; and commissioned 11 December.

World War II operations

After shakedown, Lakewood Victory departed San Francisco, California, 18 January 1945 loaded with a cargo of ammunition, booms, and aircraft. Steaming via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, she reached the Mariana Islands in convoy 19 February and supplied combat ships with shells and powder.

Departing Saipan the 26th, she headed for Iwo Jima with Task Group 50.8. While the battle for Iwo Jima raged, she arrived the 28th and began supplying cruisers, destroyers, and landing craft with ammunition. She continued discharging her cargo until 8 March; then she sailed for the western Caroline Islands, arriving Ulithi the 11th.

On 3 April Lakewood Victory cleared Ulithi for logistics support operations off Okinawa. After reaching Kerama Retto 13 April, she supplied waiting destroyers, LSTs, and smaller landing craft with explosive cargo. She was the target of multiple Japanese Zero kamikaze attacks which war thwarted when American Destroyers and Battleships shot them out of the sky before they reached their targets. Her crew worked under cover of protective smoke to transfer ammunition before sailing 23 April for Ulithi, where she arrived the 28th.

Lakewood Victory sailed 20 May for the New Hebrides. Steaming via Manus, Admiralty Islands, she reached Espiritu Santo 28 May; loaded ammunition and fog oil; and departed 19 June for Leyte. She arrived San Pedro Bay the 28th and operated off Leyte for more than 2 months. After the Japanese surrender, she returned to the United States via the Mariana Islands and Pearl Harbor, arriving Puget Sound, Washington, 8 October.

After unloading her cargo, she sailed for the western Pacific Ocean 18 November. From 6 December to 2 March 1946 she loaded ammunition at Guam and Saipan.

Post-war decommissioning and career

Returning to San Francisco 15 March, Lakewood Victory decommissioned 16 May and was turned over to the War Shipping Administration (WSA). Final disposition, sold for scrapping, 9 August 1993, to California Import Export Inc., for $368,512, removed from the Reserve Fleet anchorage, 25 September 1993.

Honors and awards

Lakewood Victory received two battle stars for World War II service. Lakewood Victoryalso earned the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and the Philippines Liberation Medal.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Downes</i> (DD-375) Mahan-class destroyer

USS Downes (DD-375) was a Mahan-class destroyer in the United States Navy before and during World War II. She was the second ship named for John Downes, a US Navy officer.

USS <i>Heywood L. Edwards</i> Fletcher-class destroyer

USS Heywood L. Edwards (DD-663) was a Fletcher-class destroyer of the United States Navy, named after Lieutenant Commander Heywood L. Edwards (1905–1941), captain of the destroyer USS Reuben James, the first U.S. Navy ship sunk in World War II. Following the war, the ship was transferred to Japan and renamed Ariake. The ship served with the Japanese until 1974 and was scrapped in 1976.

USS <i>Cheleb</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Cheleb (AK-138) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy in World War II. It was the only ship of the Navy to have borne this name. It is named after Cheleb, a star in the northern hemisphere constellation of Ophiuchus.

USS <i>Stokes</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Stokes (AKA-68) 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 scrapped in 1971.

USS <i>Storm King</i>

USS Storm King (AP-171) was a Storm King class auxiliary transport of the United States Navy. She was designed as a troop carrier, and named after Storm King Mountain.

USS <i>Warrick</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Warrick (AKA-89) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1957. She was sunk as a target in 1971.

USS <i>Thuban</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Thuban (AKA-19/LKA-19) was an Andromeda-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1967. The ship was scrapped in 1984.

USS <i>Hocking</i>

USS Hocking (APA-121) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy. from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS Strategy (AM-308) was a steel-hulled Admirable-class minesweeper built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. She had a courageous and adventurous life in clearing minefields in areas controlled by Japanese forces. She survived attacks by Japanese gunfire and planes, and won four battle stars for her service under battle conditions.

USS <i>Sederstrom</i>

USS Sederstrom (DE-31) was a Evarts-class destroyer escort of the United States Navy during World War II. She was promptly sent to the Pacific Ocean to escort convoys and to protect other ships from Japanese planes and submarines. Her assignments took her from one battle area to another, but she was fortunate in remaining almost unscathed by the end of the war. For her efforts in battle areas, she was awarded five battle stars by war's end.

USS <i>Hercules</i> (AK-41) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Hercules (AK-41) was an Hercules-class transport commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering necessary goods and equipment to ships and stations in the war zone.

USS <i>Jupiter</i> (AK-43) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Jupiter (AK-43) was an Aldebaran-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering necessary goods and equipment to ships and stations in the war zone.

USS <i>Mintaka</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Mintaka (AK-94) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II. She was named after Mintaka, a star in the Orion constellation. Mintaka was crewed by United States Coast Guard personnel and was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

USS <i>Auriga</i> World War II U. S. Navy cargo ship

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 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 <i>Menkar</i> Liberty ship of WWII

USS Menkar (AK-123) was a Crater-class cargo ship, converted from a Liberty Ship, commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was first named after John White, a settler among those who sailed with Richard Grenville, to present-day North Carolina, in 1585, to found the Roanoke Colony. White acted as artist and mapmaker to the expedition. He became the governor, in 1587, of the colony, and his granddaughter, Virginia Dare, was the first English child born in the Americas. She was renamed and commissioned after Menkar, the second-brightest star in the constellation of Cetus. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

USS <i>Kerstin</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Kerstin (AF-34) was an Adria class stores ship in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1950.

USS <i>Latona</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Latona (AF-35) was an Adria-class stores ship in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1949. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>Knox</i> (APA-46) US Navy transport ship

USS Knox (APA-46) was a Bayfield-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. in 1947, she was sold into commercial service and was finally scrapped in 1971.

USS <i>Las Vegas Victory</i> Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Las Vegas Victory (AK-229) 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.

References

  1. "USS Lakewood Victory (AK-236)". Navsource.org. Retrieved June 2, 2015.