History | |
---|---|
United States | |
Name | USS Sagittarius |
Namesake | Sagittarius |
Builder | Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland |
Laid down | 8 November 1943 |
Launched | 30 November 1943 |
Acquired | 8 December 1943 |
Commissioned | 18 March 1944 |
Decommissioned | 16 January 1946 |
Stricken | 7 February 1946 |
Honors and awards | 2 battle stars (World War II) |
Fate | Scrapped, 1972 |
General characteristics | |
Type | Indus-class net cargo ship |
Displacement | 14,500 long tons (14,733 t) full |
Length | 441 ft 6 in (134.57 m) |
Beam | 56 ft 11 in (17.35 m) |
Draft | 28 ft 4 in (8.64 m) |
Speed | 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) |
Complement | 228 officers and enlisted |
Armament |
|
USS Sagittarius (AKN-2) was an S-class Indus net cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. Named after the constellation Sagittarius, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.
Sagittarius was laid down on 8 November 1943 as liberty ship SS J. Fred Essary (MCE hull 1835) by Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, under a Maritime Commission contract; launched on 30 November 1943, sponsored by Mrs. J. Fred Essary; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on a bare-boat charter on 8 December 1943; converted to a net cargo ship; and commissioned as Sagittarius (AKN-2) on 18 March 1944.
Following shakedown in Chesapeake Bay, Sagittarius departed Norfolk on 1 May; transited the Panama Canal on 9 May; and arrived at San Diego on 21 May. Ten days later, she put into Pearl Harbor; and, on 8 June, she sailed for the Marianas. Arriving at Saipan on 1 August, she installed harbor defense nets there and at Tinian until early September. On 4 September, she sailed for Nouméa, New Caledonia; took on nets as cargo; and steamed for Ulithi, where she laid nets from mid-October to mid-November. She then got underway for Pearl Harbor, arriving on 29 November.
In December, Sagittarius continued on to San Francisco for repairs and alterations at Mare Island. At the end of January 1945, she headed back to Hawaii; and, in March, she steamed for Ulithi. Arriving on 2 April, she became flagship of TU 52.8.3; then waited for further routing to the Ryukyus.
Ten days later, the AKN sailed for Okinawa. She arrived in the Hagushi anchorage on 18 April; joined TF 51; and, within hours, underwent her first enemy air attack. On 28 April, she splashed her first kamikaze. On 2 May, she shifted to Nakagusuku Wan, where, as at Hagushi, the almost daily air raids continued. Despite the interruptions, however, Sagittarius conducted net laying operations until 26 May. On 27 May, having downed her second kamikaze and assisted in destroying a third, she headed for Pearl Harbor.
Steaming via the Marianas, she exploded a drifting Japanese mine one day out of Saipan, on 4 June. On 17 June, she arrived at Pearl Harbor only to depart again, laden with nets, on 8 July. From 24 July to 9 August, she conducted net operations at Ulithi, then returned to Pearl Harbor.
Arriving after the cessation of hostilities in the Pacific, Sagittarius steamed west again in mid-September; took on reclaimed nets at Ulithi; transported them to Saipan; then headed back to Pearl Harbor and San Francisco. She arrived at the latter on 19 November; and, in December, continued on to the east coast for inactivation. Sagittarius was decommissioned at Norfolk on 16 January 1946 and returned to the Maritime Commission three days later. Her name was struck from the Navy List on 7 February 1946. Sagittarius was scrapped in 1972.
Sagittarius earned two battle stars during World War II.
USS Goldsborough (DD-188/AVP-18/AVD-5/APD-32) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the United States Navy during World War II. She was the second Navy ship named for Rear Admiral Louis M. Goldsborough (1805–1877). Entering service in 1920, the ship had a brief active life before being placed in reserve in 1922. Goldsborough was reactivated for World War II and was used as an aircraft tender, destroyer and high speed transport in both Atlantic and Pacific theaters. Following the war, the ship was sold for scrapping in 1946.
USS Indus (AKN-1) was the lead ship of the Indus-class of converted Liberty ship net cargo ships in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. Named after the constellation Indus, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.
USS Tuscana (AKN-3) was an Indus-class net cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. Probably named after a variant spelling of the constellation Tucana, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.
USS Zebra (AKN-5) was an Indus-class net cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy in World War II. The ship was originally the Matthew Lyon, an EC2-S-C1 Liberty ship, operated for the War Shipping Administration (WSA) as a cargo vessel by an agent until severely damaged by torpedo in August 1943. While at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides awaiting likely scrapping the Navy acquired the vessel under bareboat charter to be used as a net cargo ship transporting reclaimed anti-submarine netting.
USS Ottawa (AKA-101) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1947. She was sold into commercial service and was lost in 1951.
USS Montauk (LSV-6/AN-2/AP-161/AKN-6) was an Osage-class vehicle landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after USS Montauk (1862) and was the fourth U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
USS Salem (CM-11) was a commercial cargo ship, that served as a minelayer and then net laying ship of the United States Navy during World War II.
USS Keokuk (AN-5/CM-8/CMc-6/AKN-4) was a mine and net laying ship of the United States Navy during World War II.
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 Matar (AK-119) 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 Napoleon B. Broward, an American river pilot, captain, and politician; he was elected as the 19th Governor of the US state of Florida. She was renamed and commissioned after Matar, a binary star in the constellation of Pegasus. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
USS Ara (AK-136) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II. Ara is named after the constellation Ara. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater.
USS Pavo (AK-139) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II, named after the constellation Pavo. 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 Beckham (APA-133) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.
USS Bowie (APA-137) was a Haskell-class attack transport ship in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.
USS Latimer (APA-152) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947 and from 1950 to 1956. She was scrapped in 1972.
USS Lauderdale (APA-179/LPA-179) was a Haskell-class attack transport acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.
USS Lancewood (AN-48/YN-67) was an Ailanthus-class net laying ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. In service in the Pacific during the war, she earned one battle star. After her February 1946 decommissioning, she was sold to France as Commandant Charcot. Her fate is not reported in secondary sources.
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.
The third USS Supply (IX-147/AVS-1) was a freighter and aviation supply ship of the United States Navy during World War II.