USS Adhara

Last updated

USS Adhara (AK-71) off the Mare Island Navy Yard on 20 August 1943.jpg
USS Adhara (AK-71) off the Mare Island Navy Yard, 20 August 1943
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameG. H. Corliss
Namesake George Henry Corliss
Owner War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator J.H. Winchester & Co., Inc. [1]
Orderedas a Type EC2-S-C1 hull, MCE hull 425 [2]
Builder Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Cost$1,142,406 [3]
Yard number425 [2]
Way number8 [2]
Laid down16 September 1942
Launched27 October 1942
Sponsored by Ginny Sims
Identification
FateTransferred to US Navy, 6 November 1942 [1]
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameAdhara
NamesakeThe star Adhara
Acquired6 November 1942
Commissioned16 November 1942
Decommissioned7 December 1945
Stricken3 January 1946
Identification
FateSold for scrapping, 26 October 1971
NotesName reverted to G. H. Corliss when laid up in Reserve Fleet
General characteristics [4]
Class and type Crater-class cargo ship
Type Type EC2-S-C1
Displacement
  • 4,023 long tons (4,088 t) (standard)
  • 14,550 long tons (14,780 t) (full load)
Length441 ft 6 in (134.57 m)
Beam56 ft 11 in (17.35 m)
Draft28 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 Babcock & Wilcox)
  • 2,500  shp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion
Speed12.5  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)
Complement205
Armament

USS Adhara (AK-71) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy in the Pacific theater in World War II. Named after the star Adhara in the constellation Canis Major, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.

Contents

Construction

Adhara was laid down 16 September 1942 as liberty ship SS G. H. Corliss under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 425, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2, Richmond, California; launched on 27 October 1942; sponsored by Miss Ginny Simms, the lead vocalist for Kay Kyser's orchestra; acquired by the Navy on 6 November 1942; renamed Adhara (AK-71); and commissioned on 16 November 1942. [5] [3]

Service history

Adhara sailed from San Francisco, on 27 November bound for the South Pacific. For the next eight months, she served as a member of Service Squadron (ServRon) 8 transporting cargo and passengers between the ports of Tutuila, Samoa; Efate, New Hebrides; Espiritu Santo; Guadalcanal; Tulagi; Nouméa, New Caledonia; and Wellington, New Zealand. [5]

While at Guadalcanal on 7 April 1943, Adhara was among several ships subjected to a Japanese air attack. Five bombs exploded close aboard Adhara and punctured her hull in three places. The ship received jury patching at Espiritu Santo and then steamed to Australia for repairs. [5]

After emerging from dry dock at Wellington, Adhara got underway for the west coast of the United States and on 10 July entered the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California. When again ready for action, she sailed on 6 September for the South Pacific. Upon arrival at Nouméa, the cargo ship rejoined ServRon 8 and once more served as an inter-island transport. Her labors took her to the Treasury Islands; the Russell Islands; Emirau, Green Islands; and to various ports in New Guinea, New Hebrides, New Georgia, the Admiralty Islands, Guam, Tinian, Saipan, and Eniwetok. The ship served at Okinawa from 8 to 27 May during the fighting for that island. [5]

Decommissioning

Following Japan's capitulation in mid-August, Adhara arrived at Seattle, Washington, on 30 August and remained in availability there through 27 September. She then got underway for the east coast of the United States. The ship paused in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard to have her naval equipment removed and then continued on to Baltimore, Maryland, where she arrived on 21 November. Adhara was decommissioned on 7 December 1945, [5] and returned to MARCOM on 11 December 1945. [4] Her name was struck from the Navy list on 3 January 1946. [5]

Final disposition

Adhara was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Virginia. [4]

The ship resumed her former name, G. H. Corliss, and carried it until she was sold for scrap on 26 October 1971, to Hierros Ardes, S.A., a Spanish firm, for $71,520. [1] They took delivery of the vessel almost a month later, on 23 November 1971. [5]

Awards

Adhara won two battle stars for her World War II service. [5]

Related Research Articles

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

USS Arided (AK-73), a Crater-class cargo ship, is the only ship of the US Navy to have this name. She was named after Arided, the other name of Deneb, the alpha star of constellation Cygnus.

USS Hyperion (AK-107) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy in World War II. Named after Saturn's moon Hyperion, she is the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.

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

USS Carina (AK-74) was a Crater-class cargo ship, and the only ship of the US Navy to have this name. She was named for the southern constellation Carina, with most of her sister ships being named for constellations or stars.

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

USS Cassiopeia (AK-75) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy in World War II. She was the only ship of to bear this name. She is named after the Northern Hemisphere constellation Cassiopeia.

USS <i>Deimos</i> (AK-78) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Deimos (AK-78) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of US Navy in World War II. It was the first ship of the Navy to have borne the name Deimos, after one of the moons of Mars.

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

The USS Albireo (AK-90) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy in World War II and manned by a US Coast Guard crew. She was the only ship of the Navy to have borne this name. She is named after Albireo, a star in the constellation of Cygnus.

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

USS Lyra (AK-101) 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 the constellation Lyra.

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

USS Crater (AK-70) was the lead ship of her class of converted liberty ship cargo ships in the service of the US Navy in World War II. She was first named after John James Audubon, an American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. She was renamed and commissioned after the constellation Crater, she was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.

USS <i>Aludra</i> (AK-72) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Aludra (AK-72) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy in World War II. Named after the star Aludra in the constellation Canis Major, it was the first ship of the Navy to bear this name.

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

USS Celeno (AK-76) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy in World War II. Named with a variant spelling of the star Celaeno in the constellation Pleiades, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.

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

USS Cetus (AK-77) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy in World War II. Named after the equatorial constellation Cetus, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.

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

The USS Alnitah (AK-127) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of the US Navy in World War II. Named a spelling variation of the star Alnitak in the constellation Orion, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.

USS <i>Navajo</i> (AT-64) Tugboat of the United States Navy

USS Navajo (AT-64) was an oceangoing tugboat in the United States Navy, and the lead ship of her class. She was named for the Navajo people. Originally called the Navajo-class of fleet tugs, they were later renamed the Cherokee-class after loss of the first two ships of the class.

USS <i>Wharton</i>

USS Wharton (AP-7) was a troop transport in the service of the United States Navy during World War II. The ship was originally an Emergency Fleet Corporation Design 1029 type built for the United States Shipping Board. The ship was laid down as Manmasco but renamed and launched as Sea Girt then completed September 1921 as Southern Cross. The ship was first allocated by the United States Shipping Board to the Munson Steamship Line until purchased by the line in 1925. Munson operated the Southern Cross in the South American trade from 1921 until 1938 when the ship was sold at a Marshall's sale and taken over by the United States Maritime Commission which paid the full mortgage claim.

USS <i>Kopara</i> New Zealand cargo motor ship

USS Kopara (AK-62/AG-50) was a cargo motor ship that was built in Scotland in 1938, spent much of its five-decade career in New Zealand ownership, and seems to have been scrapped in the 1980s. Between 1942 and 1945, Kopara served in the United States Navy, delivering supplies in the Pacific War. After the war, the US Navy returned her to her New Zealand owners, with whom she traded until 1966. From then until the late 1980s she passed through a series of owners in Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, who changed her name to Sarang, Cherry Chepat and finally See Hai Hong I.

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

USS Draco (AK-79) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II. Named after the constellation Draco. She was responsible for delivering goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

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

USS Cor Caroli (AK-91) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II and manned by a US Coast Guard crew. She was named after Cor Caroli, the brightest star in constellation Canes Venatici. She was responsible for delivering goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

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

USS Rotanin (AK-108) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the United States Navy for service in World War II. Rotanin, which is a misspelling of the name "Rotanen", was named after the star Beta Delphini, a star located in the constellation Delphinus. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

USS Alkaid (AK-114) 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 William G. Sumner, a classical liberal American social scientist. She was renamed and commissioned after Alkaid, a star in the Big Dipper asterism or constellation Ursa Major. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

USS Alderamin (AK-116) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II, named after Alderamin, the alpha star in constellation Cepheus. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

References

  1. 1 2 3 MARAD.
  2. 1 2 3 Kaiser No. 2 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 MARCOM.
  4. 1 2 3 Priolo 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 DANFS 2016.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.