USS Menkar

SS John White launching 31 December 1943, at St. Johns River Shipbuilding Co., Jacksonville, Florida.
History
United States
Name	John White
Namesake	John White
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Ordered	as a type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MC hull 1218
Awarded	4 March 1942
Builder	St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida [1]
Cost	$1,442,577
Yard number	26
Way number	2
Laid down	17 November 1943
Launched	31 December 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. Cora E. Owens
Completed	17 January 1944
Identification	Call sign: KVLO [2]
Fate	Transferred to U.S. Navy, 17 January 1944
USS Menkar (AK-123) underway, date and location unknown. Note dazzle camouflage scheme.
United States
Name	Menkar
Namesake	The star Menkar
Operator	United States Navy (June 1944–October 1944) United States Coast Guard (October 1944–April 1946)
Acquired	17 January 1944
Commissioned	18 January 1944 (reduced commission) 2 June 1944 (full commission)
Decommissioned	22 January 1944 15 April 1946
Stricken	1 May 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: AK-123 Call sign: NHBZ [2]
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 8 May 1962, removed from fleet, 22 May 1962
Notes	Name reverted to John White when laid up in Reserve Fleet
General characteristics [3]
Class and type	Crater-class cargo ship
Displacement	4,023 long tons (4,088 t) (standard) 14,550 long tons (14,780 t) (full load)
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	2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) ,  (manufactured by Combustion Engineering) 2,500  shp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine,  (manufactured by General Machinery Corp., Hamilton, Ohio) 1 × screw propeller
Speed	12.5  kn (23.2  km/h; 14.4  mph)
Capacity	7,800 t (7,700 long tons) DWT 444,206 cu ft (12,578.5 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Complement	282
Armament	1 × 5 in (130 mm)/38 caliber dual purpose gun 4 × 40 mm (1.6 in) 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun mounts 6 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons anti-aircraft gun mounts

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.

Construction

John White was laid down on 17 November 1943, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 1218, by the St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company, Jacksonville, Florida; she was sponsored by Mrs. Cora E. Owens, a yard employee, and launched on 31 December 1943. She was acquired by the U.S. Navy, under a bareboat charter on 17 January 1944, and renamed Menkar. Placed in temporary commission the next day to be ferried to Miami, Florida, where she decommissioned 22 January, for conversion by Dade Drydock Co.; and commissioned 2 June 1944. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

Service history

Menkar sailed for Norfolk, Virginia, 20 June, and following shakedown, was temporarily assigned to NTS. In late July, she loaded on supplies at Norfolk, and got underway for the Panama Canal Zone, via Guantanamo, Cuba, arriving 11 August, for duty with the U.S. Pacific Fleet. ^[4]

In October 1944, Menkar was transferred to the United States Coast Guard for Long Range Navigation (LORAN) work. Construction of stations for LORAN, a navigational system for ships and planes based on the transmission of radio wave pulses, had only begun in the Pacific Ocean a year before; and a cargo ship was needed to transport material and equipment. ^[4]

On 31 October, Menkar reached Saipan, Marianas, to unload cargo for the first LORAN station in the Marianas chain. On 11 November, she anchored in Apra Harbor, and unloaded supplies for the Guam station. She then continued on to Ulithi, Carolines, arriving 13 December. The Marianas stations proved invaluable in the amphibious assault on Iwo Jima, in February 1945, and in the bombing attacks on Japan, begun in March of that year. ^[4]

On 5 March 1945, Menkar was off Angaur, Palaus, with materials to set up a fixed station. Four days later she was anchored at Pulo Anna, Palaus, unloading her cargo. By the end of March, she had supplied the other two stations of the Palau Mortal chain. ^[4]

The cargo ship next helped tighten the LORAN network around Japan, with the construction of the Iwo Jima–Tokyo–Okinawa chain. Menkar reached Kangoku Iwa, off Iwo Jima, 20 April, just 2 months after the U.S. Marines had first landed. Three days later she departed for Ike Shima, arriving 10 May. In the next 4 days she fought off intermittent Japanese air raids while discharging supplies at Okinawa. She continued on to Katchin Wan Harbor, Okinawa, where she again was harassed by enemy planes. On 18 May, Menkar retaliated by shooting down an "Oscar" diving directly at the ship. ^[4]

Before construction of the third station at O Shima began, Menkar steamed for the west coast, via Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, arriving Seattle, Washington, 5 August. She remained there through the Japanese surrender 15 August. ^[4]

On 14 September, she departed Seattle, for Pearl Harbor, embarking 307 passengers on arrival on 24 September. She again embarked LORAN units and got underway 9 October, for the Marianas, stopping in the Gilberts and the Marshalls before anchoring at Guam, 26 October. ^[4]

With the construction of a China Sea LORAN chain planned soon after the cessation of hostilities, she continued on to the East China Sea for LORAN duty into the next year. When the project was abandoned, Menkar returned to San Francisco, California, 3 March 1946. ^[4]

Decommissioning

On 15 April 1946, she decommissioned and was delivered to the War Shipping Administration for service under MARCOM as John White. She was struck from the Navy List 1 May 1946. She was sold for scrapping to Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation, on 7 July 1947, for $48,789.99. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 22 May 1962. ^{[4] [5]}

Military awards and honors

Menkar's crew was eligible for the following medals:

• American Campaign Medal
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
• World War II Victory Medal
• Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

^[3]

References

1. St. John's River SBC 2010.
2. MARCOM.
3. Navsource.
4. DANFS.
5. MARAD.

Bibliography

• "St. John's River Shipbuilding, Jacksonville FL". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 16 October 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
• Maritime Administration. "John White". Ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
• "USS Menkar (AK-123)". Navsource.org. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
• "Menkar". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Naval History and Heritage Command. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• "SS John White" . Retrieved 13 January 2020.

External links

• Photo gallery of Menkar at NavSource Naval History