1.
USS Hercules (AK-41)
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USS Hercules was an Hercules-class transport commissioned by the U. S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering goods and equipment to ships. Hercules, ex-SS Exporter, was launched 18 July 1939 by the Fore River Shipbuilding Co, quincy, Massachusetts, for American Export Lines Inc. Acquired by the Navy 15 July 1941, she continued to be operated by civilian crews until 30 November 1942, W. H. Turnquist, USNR, in command. Departing San Francisco 18 December, Hercules reached Noumea, New Caledonia,6 January 1943 to discharge her cargo and she returned to San Francisco 20 February and repeated the voyage from 11 March to 5 July. Hercules sailed for Pearl Harbor 6 August and reached Hawaii 6 days later, as flagship for Admiral Willis A. Lee, CTF11, she sailed for action 25 August and on 1 September was off Baker Island as the Army began occupation. Remaining off Baker Island until 16 September discharging cargo, Hercules returned to Pearl Harbor, taking on passengers and cargo, she sailed again for the Pacific war areas 13 October, reaching Funafuti, Ellice Islands,14 November after discharging cargo at Pearl Harbor. After miscellaneous cargo trips in the southern Pacific, Hercules returned to Pearl 28 January 1944 for repairs, two round-trips with cargo and passengers to San Francisco brought her into the summer and on 30 May she sailed with the initial invasion force for Saipan. Hercules reached Saipan 15 June, D-Day, and remained there discharging cargo until 24 June, although Japanese planes filled the air and attacked her several times, Hercules emerged unscathed as American forces continued to sweep across the island to Japan. Departing Saipan 24 June, she returned to Pearl Harbor and from there sailed to Guadalcanal, Hercules sailed from Guadalcanal 8 September to participate in the invasion of Peleliu, Palau Islands,15 September. After this hard fought operation she continued on to Hollandia, New Guinea, discharged her cargo, reaching Ulithi 24 January 1945, Hercules embarked troops with cargo and 17 February sailed for Iwo Jima. The invasion of that rugged island began 2 days later, and Hercules steamed in the retirement area until 27 February when she disembarked reserve troops on the beach and received wounded. After discharging her cargo, she remained in the Iwo Jima area until 20 March when, marines and their equipment, she sailed for Pearl Harbor. Reaching Pearl 4 April, Hercules carried cargo to Guam and Eniwetok before reaching San Francisco 22 June for a much-needed overhaul, the war in the Pacific ended while Hercules was still undergoing repairs, but she sailed west again 24 October 1945. Loading ammunition in the Philippines and the Admiralty Islands, she transited the Panama Canal 16 March 1946 and docked at Norfolk, Virginia,26 March. After a brief trip up the coast to New York and New Jersey, Hercules sailed to Norfolk 18 May, Hercules was transferred to the Maritime Commission 18 July. Returning to merchant service, she was renamed SS Exermont, the entry can be found here. NavSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive - AK-41 Hercules
2.
Type C2 ship
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Type C2 ships were designed by the United States Maritime Commission in 1937–38. They were all-purpose cargo ships with five holds, and U. S. shipyards built 173 of them from 1939 to 1945, compared to ships built before 1939, the C2s were remarkable for their speed and fuel economy. Their design speed was 15.5 knots, but some could make 19 knots on occasion, the first C2s were 459 feet long,63 feet broad, and 40 feet deep, with a 25-foot draft. Later ships varied somewhat in size, in 1937, MARCOM distributed tentative designs for criticism by shipbuilders, ship owners, and naval architects. The final designs incorporated many changes suggested by these constituencies, the ships were to be reasonably fast but economical cargo ships which, with some government subsidies to operators, could compete with vessels of other nations. The basic specifications called for a steel cargo ship with raked stem and cruiser stern, complete shelter and second decks. Dimensions of the hatches were 20 ft ×30 ft, except for No,2, which was 20 ft ×50 ft, allowing such cargo as locomotives, naval guns, long bars, etc. Ventilation to the holds was provided by hollow kingposts, which served as cargo masts. Cargo handling gear consisted of fourteen 5-ton cargo booms, plus two 30-ton booms at Nos.3 and 4 hatches, hot and cold running water was provided throughout. Many of the such as SS Donald McKay were converted by the U. S. Navy for service during World War II. The commercial versions were operated by the government during the war, beginning in late 1945, the commercial ships were sold to merchant shipping lines, with service until the early 1970s. C2, DWT9,758 by 5 builder, as in the USS Polaris C2-S DWT9,970 by Bethlehem Steel of Sparrows Pt, wild Rover a C2-S-B1, renamed Mormackite capsized in heavy seas and sank off Cape Henry in October 7,1954. USS Starlight a C2-S-AJ1, sank in 1970, december 26 with a full load of 8,900 bombs, rockets, shells and mines bound for Da Nang, South Vietnam a bomb went off in rough seas. On January 5,1970 she sank,29 members of her crew died. USS Towner a C2-S-AJ3, renamed SS Guam Bear wrecked and sank in 1967 and she was in a collision outside Apra Harbor, Guam. A constructive total loss, the hulk was towed 2 nautical miles off shore, Type C1 ship Type C3 ship Type C4 ship Liberty ship Victory ship U. S. Merchant Marine Academy From America to United States, The History of the long-range Merchant Shipbuilding Programme of the United States Maritime Commission, by L. A. Sawyer and W. H. Mitchell. Ships for Victory, A History of Shipbuilding under the U. S. Maritime Commission in World War II, United States Maritime Commission C2 Type Ships
3.
Type C4-class ship
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The Type C4 class ship were the largest cargo ships built by the United States Maritime Commission during World War II. The design was developed for the American-Hawaiian Lines in 1941. Eighty-one ships were built as cargo or troopships in four shipyards, Kaiser Richmond, CA, Kaiser Vancouver, WA, Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock in Chester PA, all ships were capable of 17 knots, driven by a single screw steam turbine generating 9,900 shp. Among the variations of the design were the Haven class hospital ship and they were followed post-war by thirty-seven of the larger C4-S-1 class, also known as the Mariner class. Built by Kaiser Shipyards at Permanente No.3 in Richmond, USS General G. O. Squier USS General T. H. Bliss USS General J. R. Brooke USS General O. H. Ernst USS General R. L. Howze USS General W. M. Black USS General H. L. Scott USS General S. D. Sturgis USS General C. G. Morton USS General R. E. Callan, later USNS General H. H. Langfitt USS General Omar Bundy USS General R. M. Blatchford USS General LeRoy Eltinge USS General A. W. Brewster USS General D. E. Aultman USS General C. C. Ballou USS General W. G. Haan USS General Stuart Heintzelman C4-S-B1, C4-S-B2, C4-S-B5 DWT,15,300 Built by Sun Yards of Chester, Pennsylvania. SS Mount Davis SS Mount Greylock SS Mount Mansfield SS Mount Rogers SS Mount Whitney C4-S-A3 DWT,14,863 Built by Kaiser Shipyards in Vancouver, land SS Willis Vickery SS Louis McH. Howe SS Ernie Pyle C4-S-B2 DWT,15,300 Built by Sun Yards in Chester, SS Santa Magdelena SS Santa Mariana SS Santa Maria SS Santa Mercedes C4-S-49b DWT,13,915. Built in 1965 by Bethlehem Steel of Sparrows Pt, the last two C4 ships were constructed in 1966 for the Prudential Lines. SS Prudential Seajet SS Prudential Oceanjet Marine Perch a C4-S-A3, was renamed the SS Yellowstone was in a collision, Type C1 ship Type C2 ship Type C3 ship T2 tanker Liberty ship Victory ship Hog Islander U. S. A. Sawyer and W. H. Mitchell. London,1981, World Ship Society Ships for Victory, A History of Shipbuilding under the U. S. Maritime Commission in World War II, by Frederic C. Lane ISBN 0-8018-6752-5
4.
United States Maritime Commission
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It also formed the United States Maritime Service for the training of seagoing ships officers to man the new fleet. The purpose of the Maritime Commission was multifold as described in the Merchant Marine Acts Declaration of Policy. S, Merchant Marine prior to the Act. Another function given to the Commission involved the formation of the U. S. Maritime Service for the training of seagoing ships officers to man the new fleet, the actual licensing of officers and seamen still resided with the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation. President Roosevelt nominated Joseph P. Kennedy first head of the Commission, Kennedy held that position until February 1938 when he left to become US Ambassador to Great Britain. The other four members of the Commission in the years before the beginning of World War II were a mix of retired officers and men from disciplines of law. The man most notable in the group Land brought to the Commission was Commander Howard L. Vickery, USN, as a symbol of the rebirth of the U. S. Upon the U. S. entry into World War II, America was requisitioned by the U. S. Navy and became USS West Point. Most of the C2s and C3s were converted to Navy auxiliaries, notably attack cargo ships, attack transports, the Commission also was tasked with the construction of many hundred military type vessels such as Landing Ship, Tank s and Tacoma-class frigates and large troop transports. By the end of the war, U. S. shipyards working under Maritime Commission contracts had built a total of 5,777 oceangoing merchant, in early 1942 both the training and licensing was transferred to the U. S. S. With the end of World War II, both the Emergency and Long Range shipbuilding programs were terminated as there were far too many merchant vessels now for the Nations peacetime needs. In 1946, the Merchant Ship Sales Act was passed to sell off a portion of the ships previously built during the war to commercial buyers. Although not sold outright to nations that were enemies during the war, for the next 25 years, in ports all around the world one could find dozens of ships which had been built during the war but which now were used in peace. Ships not disposed of through the Ship Sales Act were placed one of eight National Defense Reserve Fleet sites maintained on the Atlantic, Pacific. On several occasions in the postwar years ships in the fleets were activated for both military and humanitarian aid missions. The last major mobilization of the NDRF came during the Vietnam War, since then, a smaller fleet of ships called the Ready Reserve Force has been mobilized to support both humanitarian and military missions. The Maritime Commission was abolished on 24 May 1950, and its functions were divided between the U. S. S. Merchant Marine Academy which had built and opened during World War II. 1936, Merchant Marine Act abolishes Shipping Board and establishes Maritime Commission,1937, Joseph P. S. merchant shipping has been held by many agencies since 1917
5.
Type C1 ship
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Type C1 was a designation for small cargo ships built for the U. S. Maritime Commission before and during World War II. The first C1 types were the smallest of the three original Maritime Commission designs, meant for shorter routes where high speed and capacity were less important, only a handful were delivered prior to Pearl Harbor. But many C1-A and C1-B ships were already in the works and were delivered during 1942, many were converted to military purposes including troop-transports during the war. The Type C1-M ship was a design, for a significantly smaller and shallower draft vessel. This design evolved as an answer for the needs for military transport. Note any Type C1 ship in the control of the British Ministry of War Transport took an Empire name even if being built as another name e. g. Cape Turner. S, shipping Board which had existed since World War I. S. By the end of the war, U. S. shipyards working under MARCOM contracts had built a total of 5,777 oceangoing merchant, what was later known as the C1-A was among the three original cargo ship designs including the basic C2 and C3. Deliveries of the C1-B began before the models, in mid 1941. The C series of ships differed from the Liberty and Victory ships, the first C series vessels were designed prior to hostilities and were meant to be commercially viable ships to modernize the US Merchant Marine, and reduce the US reliance on foreign shipping. The C series ships were more expensive to produce, but their economic viability lasted well into the late 1960s and early 1970s in military, several ships are still in operation. The Type C1-A and C1-B ships were similar in design, All had a top speed of 14 knots. The primary difference between them was that C1-A ships were shelter deck ships, while C1-B ships were full scantling ships, there were many adaptations of the design for special purposes from hospital ships to petroleum gas carriers. With the exception of ships built for specific shipping lines before the war, forty-six Type C1-A ships were built at Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc. in Beaumont, Texas, with another 19 being built by Pusey and Jones in Wilmington, Delaware. Most were built with motors, though 19 were built with steam turbine engines. These were shelter deck ships, having a very light upper deck, the first keels were laid in 1939. Two of the Pusey and Jones ships were converted to PT boat tenders before entering service, some of the diesel vessels were powered by 2, 6-cylinder Nordberg 2-stroke engines driving the single shaft via magnetic couplings and a reduction gear-box. They were manufactured by Nordberg Manufacturing Company, the engine speed was 220 rpm and the shaft 110 rpm. The engine room was a pleasure to operate and the workmanship outstanding, the Type C1-B ships were built in six different yards, the majority at Consolidated Steel Corporation in Wilmington, California
6.
Trade route
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A trade route is a logistical network identified as a of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo. The term can also be used to refer to trade over bodies of water, among notable trade routes was the Amber Road, which served as a dependable network for long-distance trade. Maritime trade along the Spice Route became prominent during the Middle Ages, during the Middle Ages, organizations such as the Hanseatic League, aimed at protecting interests of the merchants, and trade became increasingly prominent. In modern times, commercial activity shifted from the trade routes of the Old World to newer routes between modern nation-states. Innovative transportation of modern times includes pipeline transport and the relatively well-known trade involving rail routes, automobiles, one of the vital instruments which facilitated long distance trade was portage and the domestication of beasts of burden. Organized caravans, visible by the 2nd millennium BCE, could carry goods across a distance as fodder was mostly available along the way. The domestication of camels allowed Arabian nomads to control the long distance trade in spices, caravans were useful in long-distance trade largely for carrying luxury goods, the transportation of cheaper goods across large distances was not profitable for caravan operators. With productive developments in iron and bronze technologies, newer trade routes—dispensing innovations of civilizations—began to rise, evidence of maritime trade between civilizations dates back at least 90 millennia. Navigation was known in Sumer between the 4th and the 3rd millennium BCE, and was known by the Indians. The Egyptians had trade routes through the Red Sea, importing spices from the Land of Punt, maritime trade began with safer coastal trade and evolved with the manipulation of the monsoon winds, soon resulting in trade crossing boundaries such as the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. South Asia had multiple maritime trade routes which connected it to Southeast Asia, Indian connections to various Southeast Asian states buffered it from blockages on other routes. By making use of the trade routes, bulk commodity trade became possible for the Romans in the 2nd century BCE. A Roman trading vessel could span the Mediterranean in a month at one-sixtieth the cost of over-land routes, the peninsula of Anatolia lay on the commercial land routes to Europe from Asia as well as the sea route from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. Records from the 19th century BCE attest to the existence of an Assyrian merchant colony at Kanesh in Cappadocia, trading networks of the Old World included the Grand Trunk Road of India and the Incense Road of Arabia. Parts of the Mediterranean world, Roman Britain, Tigris-Euphrates river system, beyond this was a margin which included not only temperate areas such as Europe, but the dry steppe corridor of central Asia. This was truly a world system, even though it occupied only a portion of the western Old World. Whilst each civilization emphasized its ideological autonomy, all were part of a common world of interacting components. These routes - spreading religion, trade and technology - have historically been vital to the growth of urban civilization
7.
Knot (unit)
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The knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour, approximately 1.151 mph. The ISO Standard symbol for the knot is kn, the same symbol is preferred by the IEEE, kt is also common. The knot is a unit that is accepted for use with the SI. Etymologically, the term derives from counting the number of knots in the line that unspooled from the reel of a log in a specific time. 1 international knot =1 nautical mile per hour,1.852 kilometres per hour,0.514 metres per second,1.151 miles per hour,20.254 inches per second,1852 m is the length of the internationally agreed nautical mile. The US adopted the definition in 1954, having previously used the US nautical mile. The UK adopted the international nautical mile definition in 1970, having used the UK Admiralty nautical mile. The speeds of vessels relative to the fluids in which they travel are measured in knots, for consistency, the speeds of navigational fluids are also measured in knots. Thus, speed over the ground and rate of progress towards a distant point are given in knots. Until the mid-19th century, vessel speed at sea was measured using a chip log, the chip log was cast over the stern of the moving vessel and the line allowed to pay out. Knots placed at a distance of 8 fathoms -47 feet 3 inches from each other, passed through a sailors fingers, the knot count would be reported and used in the sailing masters dead reckoning and navigation. This method gives a value for the knot of 20.25 in/s, the difference from the modern definition is less than 0. 02%. On a chart of the North Atlantic, the scale varies by a factor of two from Florida to Greenland, a single graphic scale, of the sort on many maps, would therefore be useless on such a chart. Recent British Admiralty charts have a latitude scale down the middle to make this even easier, speed is sometimes incorrectly expressed as knots per hour, which is in fact a measure of acceleration. Prior to 1969, airworthiness standards for aircraft in the United States Federal Aviation Regulations specified that distances were to be in statute miles. In 1969, these standards were amended to specify that distances were to be in nautical miles. At 11000 m, an airspeed of 300 kn may correspond to a true airspeed of 500 kn in standard conditions. Beaufort scale Hull speed, which deals with theoretical estimates of maximum speed of displacement hulls Knot count Knotted cord Metre per second Orders of magnitude Rope Kemp
8.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan
9.
Bogue-class escort carrier
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The Bogue class were a class of escort carriers built in the United States for service with the U. S. Navy and the Royal Navy during World War II. Following the war, ten Bogue-class ships were kept in service by the U. S. Navy and were used for helicopter, the ships operated by the Royal Navy were renamed and grouped as the Attacker class and the Ruler class, the latter all having names of Rulers. Following the war, those ships that served with the Royal Navy were returned to the United States and were scrapped or converted for mercantile use. The Bogue-class escort carriers were based on the Maritime Commissions Type C3 cargo ship hull and they all were named for sounds, and were equipped with derricks for retrieving seaplanes and loading and unloading aircraft. These vessels were equipped with a variety of weapons, including one or two guns of 4-inch/50 caliber, 5-inch /38 caliber, or 5-inch /51 caliber plus 40 mm Bofors and 20 mm Oerlikons. The type of gun and number of smaller guns changed over the course of the war. They could carry as many as 28 aircraft operationally, or more if operating as a transport with additional aircraft secured to the flight deck. The first group to be transferred were known by the RN as the Attacker class, in their place replacements were constructed with the same names for the American fleet. A second group of ships were built and sent almost in its entirety to the Royal Navy, known as the Ameer or Ruler class in British service, and sometimes as the Prince William class in the U. S. Navy. As delivered, these carriers required modifications to conform to Royal Naval standards and, for some ships, the consequential delays in getting these ships into active service caused critical comments from some in the U. S. Navy. General characteristics as the Attacker class, except for displacement and armament
10.
Escort carrier
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They were typically half the length and a third the displacement of larger fleet carriers. While they were slower, carried fewer planes and were well armed and armored, escort carriers were cheaper and could be built quickly. Escort carriers could be completed in greater numbers as a stop-gap when fleet carriers were scarce, however, the lack of protection made escort carriers particularly vulnerable and several were sunk with great loss of life. The light carrier was a concept to escort carriers in most respects. Most often built on a ship hull, escort carriers were too slow to keep up with the main forces consisting of fleet carriers, battleships. Instead, they were used to escort convoys, defending them from threats such as submarines and planes. In the invasions of mainland Europe and Pacific islands, escort carriers provided air support to forces during amphibious operations. Escort carriers also served as aircraft transports for fleet carriers. In the Battle of the Atlantic, escort carriers were used to protect convoys against U-boats, initially escort carriers accompanied the merchant ships and helped to fend off attacks from aircraft and submarines. As numbers increased later in the war, escort carriers formed part of hunter-killer groups that sought out submarines instead of being attached to a particular convoy. In the Pacific theater, CVEs provided air support of troops in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. They lacked the speed and weapons to enemy fleets, relying on the protection of a Fast Carrier Task Force. However, at the Battle off Samar, one U. S. task force of escort carriers managed to defend itself against a much larger Japanese force of battleships. The Japanese met a furious defense of carrier aircraft, screening destroyers, of the 151 aircraft carriers built in the U. S. during World War II,122 were escort carriers. Though no examples survive to this day, the Casablanca class was the most numerous class of aircraft carrier, second was the Bogue class, with 45 launched. In the early 1920s, the Washington Naval Treaty imposed limits on the maximum size, later treaties largely kept these provisions. As a result, construction between the World Wars had been insufficient to meet needs for aircraft carriers as World War II expanded from Europe. The foregoing mission requirements limited use of fleet carriers′ unique offensive strike capability demonstrated at the Battle of Taranto, conversion of existing ships provided additional aircraft carriers until new construction became available
11.
Windsor-class attack transport
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The Windsor-class attack transport was a class of US Navy attack transport. Ships of the class saw service in World War II, like all the attack transports, the Windsor-class was well armed with antiaircraft weaponry to protect itself and its cargo of troops from air attack in the battle zone. The Windsor class is inconsistently documented in the US Navys official Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships and its small class of nine ships were based upon three variants of the Maritime Commissions ubiquitous C3 cargo type, unusually, they appear to be of more than one subtype. This is probably reflects the class entering service in fits and starts, the other seven Windsors were built by Bethlehem Steel at its Sparrows Point Shipyard in Baltimore, Maryland where few if any Bayfields were built. Other unusual aspects in regards to class is that they are listed with a variety of different armaments. Ships of the Windsor class served exclusively in the Pacific Theatre, the first two ships of the class, the USS Windsor and USS Leedstown, were built and commissioned in mid-1943, much earlier than the later units. Consequently, they saw more action, both earning at least five battle stars. The next two were not commissioned until at least July 1944 and only saw three combat operations between them, the remaining five ships arrived too late to see combat and served out the war on transport and training missions. The class as a whole was subsequently demobilized in early 1946, most of the ships were scrapped in the early-to-mid-1970s, having enjoyed overall service lives of approximately 30 years. A notable exception was the USS Queens and she was finally decommissioned in 1995 and sunk as an artificial reef in 2007. Another Windsor class ship, USS Dauphin served as passenger-cargo ship SS Exochorda before becoming dormitory ship SS Stevens for Stevens Institute of Technology in 1967, see the individual DANFS ship entries in the DANFS Online amphibious ship index
12.
Bayfield-class attack transport
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The Bayfield-class attack transport was a class of US Navy attack transports that were built during World War II. The so-called attack transport ship type was developed to meet this need, the first attack transports began to enter service in 1942 and were built ad hoc from a host of different types. The first class to be built in numbers was the Bayfield class. The early vessels were converted from existing cargo or transport ships, Bayfield-class vessels were based on the large Type C3 passenger and cargo ship standard set by the US Maritime Commission. After the war broke out however, the need for shipping became so great that the US was forced to come up with designs that could be quickly manufactured. Thus the C3-based Bayfield class and its predecessors were eventually outnumbered by the Haskell class which was based on the simpler Victory ship design, Bayfield-class vessels were based upon the C3-S-A2 design standard. The basic design had to undergo a number of changes in order to meet the attack transport specification, in order to accommodate the troops, two cargo holds amidships had to be converted into accommodation facilities. This was achieved by dividing each hold into three decks, and then building a number of passageways along each deck. Along both walls of each passageway, bunk-beds tiered five high were installed, and since space was still at a premium, each bunk was only thirty inches wide. The troops were provided with their own galley and mess hall separate from that of the ships crew, a sick bay and dental clinic were also provided. The troop commander had his own cabin and office, which was fitted with a loudspeaker system from which he could directly address the men under his command. In order to keep the soldiers entertained during their long, crowded voyages, music, since attack transports would be conducting operations off hostile shores, they had a greater requirement for armament than ordinary transports, particularly in regards to antiaircraft defence. The Bayfield class vessels were well outfitted in this regard, each vessel was fitted with a pair of 5/38 caliber dual purpose guns, one fore and one aft. The ships were fitted with between two and four twin 40mm antiaircraft mounts, plus two single 40 mm mounts and eighteen 20mm mounts as standard. As the war progressed, the 20 mm cannon were found to be effective than the 40 mm. The later classes also had only one 5-inch gun instead of two, Bayfield-class vessels served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres of war. Some went on to see service in the Korean and Vietnam wars and she was finally struck from the Navy register on 1 July 1972. Mawdsley, Dean L. Steel Ships and Iron Pipe, Western Pipe and Steel Company of California, the Company, the Yard, the Ships, Glencannon Press, ISBN 1-889901-28-8
13.
Attack transport
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Attack transport is a United States Navy ship classification for a variant of ocean-going troopship adapted to transporting invasion forces ashore. Unlike standard troopships – often drafted from commercial shipping fleets – that rely on either a quay or tenders and they are not to be confused with landing ships, which beach themselves to bring their troops directly ashore, or their general British equivalent, the Landing ship, infantry. A total of 388 APA and AKA attack transports were built for service in World War II in at least fifteen classes, depending on class they were armed with one or two 5-inch guns and a variety of 40 mm and 20 mm anti-aircraft weapons. Some of these were outfitted with heavy boat davits and other arrangements to enable them to handle landing craft] for amphibious assault operations. In 1942, when the AP number series had extended beyond 100. Therefore, the new classification of attack transport was created and numbers assigned to fifty-eight APs then in commission or under construction, the actual reclassification of these ships was not implemented until February 1943, by which time two ships that had APA numbers assigned had been lost. Another two transports sunk in 1942, USS George F. Elliott and USS Leedstown, were configured as attack transports. In addition, as part of the 1950s modernization of the Navys amphibious force with faster ships, as a result, only attack transport ships were assigned for the assault, without support from any companion attack cargo ships. This created extreme logistics burdens for the force because it resulted in considerable overloading of the transports with both men and equipment. To compound problems, these forces were not able to assemble or train together before executing the Aleutian invasion on 11 May 1943, lack of equipment and training subsequently resulted in confusion during the landings on Attu. By the end of the 1950s, it was clear that boats would soon be superseded by amphibious tractors and helicopters for landing assault troops. These could not be supported by attack transports in the numbers required, by 1969, when the surviving attack transports were redesignated LPA, only a few remained in commissioned service. The last of these were decommissioned in 1980 and sold abroad, the APA/LPA designation may, therefore, now be safely considered extinct. Nearly identical ships used to transport vehicles, supplies and landing craft, Landing Ship Infantry This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. APA/LPA -- Attack Transports by the US Naval Historical Center
14.
USS Klondike (AD-22)
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USS Klondike was one of four destroyer tenders built at the tail end of World War II for the United States Navy. The lead ship in her class, she was named for the Klondike River in the Yukon Territory, Canada, the Klondike class destroyer tenders were a Navy adaptation of the Maritime Commissions C3 fast cargo ship design. After shakedown, Klondike loaded hundreds of tons of spares and stores in preparation for the task of supplying and maintaining destroyers and she departed San Pedro on 19 October for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii arriving the 25th. Recalled to the West Coast, she sailed from Pearl on 7 November with 500 home-bound veterans embarked and arrived in San Diego on 15 November. On 21 November she became the flagship for Commander, San Diego Group, 19th Fleet, placed on an inactive status on 30 November 1946, Klondike was placed in service in late September 1948. She served as flagship of the San Diego Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet until 11 May 1955, Klondike recommissioned 15 July 1959 at Long Beach, California with Commander Fred Ferguson Mullins, Jr. in command. Returning to San Diego on 4 December, she provided repair facilities as a unit of ServRon 1, on 20 February 1960 she was re-classified as repair ship USS Klondike and she repaired vessels at San Diego, Long Beach, and San Francisco until 15 July 1961. Klondike then departed San Diego for duty in the Far East, returning to the West Coast on 11 March, she resumed her duty out of San Diego. Departing San Diego on 17 July 1963, Klondike steamed via Pearl Harbor for the Western Pacific, while en route to Sasebo, she offered assistance 6 through 9 August 1963 to a distressed Greek freighter Cryssism during a raging typhoon. Reaching Sasebo on 11 August, she proceeded to Subic Bay 15 August for repair ship station duty, Klondike operated in the Far East until 30 November, then she returned to the United States, arriving San Diego on 14 December 1963. During the next year she continued servicing ships while operating out of San Diego, during the Vietnam War Klondike participated in the Tet Counteroffensive from 31 March 1969 to 24 April 1969. She repaired a river supply ship that collided with a destroyer and was struck in her aft section by enemy fire from river boats. For her service in Vietnam, the Klondike was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Star for the Tet Counteroffensive, Klondike was struck from the Naval Register on 15 September 1974, after which time custody was transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal. Klondike was sold by MARAD on 8 May 1975, fate unknown, list of auxiliaries of the United States Navy This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, USS Klondike USS Klondike The National Association of Destroyer Veterans
15.
Destroyer tender
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A destroyer tender, or destroyer depot ship in British English, is an auxiliary ship designed to provide maintenance support to a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships. The use of class has faded from its peak in the first half of the 20th century as the roles of small combatants have evolved. As the industrial revolution progressed, steam-powered steel ships replaced sail-powered wooden ships, the first large warship to be sunk by a torpedo was the Chilean ironclad Blanco Encalada in 1891. These torpedo boat destroyers were so full of machinery, coal, quick-firing guns, Destroyer tenders with berthing and dining accommodations for the destroyer crews joined the fleet train of colliers accompanying the battle fleet. The destroyer tenders also carried cooks, administrative and medical personnel, although individual destroyers were too small for these specialized personnel, the skills of those aboard the tender were available to the whole destroyer flotilla. The tender also carried a supply of parts for destroyer machinery. When the Great White Fleet circled the globe in 1907, it was accompanied by a tender, the USS Yankton, and a repair ship, repair ships carried a fully equipped machine shop and foundry capable of completing any repair not requiring a drydock. Destroyer displacement had increased to 1,000 tons by World War I, United States destroyer tenders of World War II carried some destroyer ammunition and depth charges, and performed torpedo maintenance and resupply, but focused on repair work. These tenders operated stills and electric generators to supply fresh water, each increment of size enabled destroyers to carry more of the personnel and equipment previously found on the tender. Destroyers reached the size of cruisers during the war. Surviving tenders became functionally indistinguishable from repair ships, some destroyer tenders were designed and built to attend a flotilla of destroyers, while others were converted from ships built for other purposes. Tabled below is a comparison of ships designed as destroyer tenders, List of United States Navy Destroyer Tenders Submarine tender Blackman, cooney, David M. Ships, Aircraft and Weapons of the United States Navy. The Ships and Aircraft of the U. S. Fleet, British and Dominion Warships of World War II. Garden City, New York, Doubleday & Company, garden City, New York, Doubleday & Company
16.
Submarine tender
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A submarine tender is a type of ship that supplies and supports submarines. The tender carries all these, and either meets up with the submarines at sea to replenish them or provides these services while docked at a port near the area where the submarines are operating. In some navies, the tenders were equipped with workshops for maintenance, unable to operate conventional surface tenders during World War II, Nazi Germanys Kriegsmarine used Type XIV submarines for replenishment at sea. With the increased size and automation of modern submarines, plus in some navies the introduction of nuclear power, in the United States Navy, submarine tenders are considered auxiliaries, with hull classification symbol AS. As of 2015, the Navy only maintains two such tenders, USS Emory S, the Russian Navy decommissioned all its Don and Ugra class tenders inherited from the Soviet Navy by 2001. The last remaining ship of class was the INS Amba. She was reportedly decommissioned from service in July 2006, destroyer tender Jonas Pleškys, a Soviet Navy captain who defected with his submarine tender
17.
Seaplane tender
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A seaplane tender is a boat or ship that supports the operation of seaplanes. In maritime parlance a tender is a vessel that is used to support the operation of other vessels, in British usage, the term tender was used for small craft, with the term depot ship being used for large sea going vessels. Flying boats and float planes even when based at home in ports, British tenders were small craft of launch to pinnace size. All those functions that on land would require wheeled ground support equipment had a need for a watercraft equivalent. e and those functions which in a land based airfield would be fulfilled by buildings. The first seaplane carrier appeared in 1911 with the French Navy La Foudre, La Foudre carried float-equipped planes under hangars on the main deck, from where they were lowered on the sea with a crane. La Foudre was further modified in November 1913 with a 10 m -long flat deck to launch her seaplanes, another early seaplane carrier was HMS Hermes, an old cruiser converted and commissioned with a flying-off deck in mid-1913. However, HMS Ark Royal was the first ship in history designed, in the Battle of Tsingtao, from 5 September 1914, the Imperial Japanese Navy seaplane carrier Wakamiya conducted the worlds first naval-launched air raids from Kiaochow Bay. The four Maurice Farman seaplanes bombarded German-held land targets and damaged a German minelayer in the Tsingtao peninsula from September to 6 November 1914, when the Germans surrendered. On Christmas Day 1914, the British carried out the Cuxhaven Raid and these carriers had hangars for storing and maintaining the aircraft, but no flight deck as in a true aircraft carrier. Instead, they used cranes to lower the aircraft into the sea for takeoff, the ships were normally converted merchant vessels rather than specially constructed for the task. As aircraft improved the problems of using seaplanes became more of a handicap, the aircraft could only be operated in a smooth sea and the ship had to stop for launching or recovery, both of which took around 20 minutes. The tender was often stationed 10 mi or so in front of the battle fleet with the cruiser screen so that it would not fall hopelessly behind when it launched its aircraft. Seaplanes also had poorer performance than other aircraft because of the drag, the British HMS Ark Royal was a seaplane tender with a flying-off deck. In the inter-war years, it was common for cruisers and battleships to be equipped with catapult-launched reconnaissance seaplanes, a few navies — especially those without true aircraft carriers — also acquired catapult-equipped seaplane carriers for fleet reconnaissance. During the Second World War, both the American and the Japanese Navies built a number of tenders to supplement their aircraft carrier fleets. However, these often had their catapults removed, and were used as support vessels that operated seaplanes from harbours rather than in a seaway. These aircraft were generally for long range reconnaissance patrols, nazi Germanys Kriegsmarine in World War II did not operate any seaplane tenders. However, the Luftwaffe had nineteen seaplane tenders and these ships were mostly converted from existing civilian seaplane tenders, and were capable of carrying 1-3 seaplanes
18.
USS Anne Arundel (AP-76)
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USS Anne Arundel was an American transport ship that was built in 1940 and scrapped in 1970. Originally laid down as the Mormacyork, she was named after Anne Arundel County. Annapolis is the county seat there, the capital. Anne Arundel earned five stars for her World War II service. Mormacyork was a type C3 ship laid down under a Maritime Commission contract on 18 July 1940 at Kearny, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding, the new transport was renamed Anne Arundel and designated AP-76. On 22 September, she proceeded to Norfolk, Virginia, to load cargo and ammunition, on 23 October, she left the east coast to rendezvous with Task Group 34.8, which had been formed to invade French Morocco in Operation Torch. Anne Arundel arrived in the area off the Moroccan coast on 8 November and began discharging Army troops. This process continued until the 15th, when the ship moored at Casablanca, unloading continued at dockside through the 17th, when she got underway in a convoy returning to the United States. Upon arriving back at Norfolk on 2 December, the vessel was assigned to the Naval Transportation Service. The next day, she sailed to Brooklyn, N. Y. to undergo extensive alterations, the yard work was completed in early January 1943, and the transport began taking on cargo and troops. On 14 January, she sailed with a convoy on the first of a series of three voyages to Oran, Algeria, in April, while engaged in this service, the ship reported for duty to Amphibious Forces, Atlantic Fleet. On the 9th, the vessel anchored off Scoglitti, Sicily, with Transport Division 5 and and she completed unloading on the 13th and reversed her course back to Oran. She paused there to take on personnel for transportation to the United States, the ship reached New York City on 3 August. Following voyage repairs, the left the east coast on 21 August. She arrived at Oran on 2 September, unloaded her cargo, Anne Arundel got underway again in early October and touched at Belfast, Northern Ireland, on the 17th before proceeding on to Gourock, Scotland, to discharge cargo. The vessel sailed on 27 October, shaped a course for Algeria and she reached New York on 11 December. The transport began the year 1944 with a voyage to England and she touched at Liverpool on 9 January, debarked some troops, and moved on to Belfast the next day. The ship sent more troops and supplies ashore there before returning to the United States and she continued her supply runs between New York City and Great Britain through early June
19.
USS President Polk (AP-103)
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USS President Polk was a President Jackson-class attack transport in the service of the United States Navy during World War II. President Polk was laid down by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia 7 October 1940, launched 28 June 1941, the ship commissioned as USS President Polk at San Diego 4 October 1943, Commander Clarence J. Ballreich in command. After the war she was returned to APL for commercial operations, shortly after delivery in 1941 the SS President Polk began operating under government charter to supply and reinforce Pacific bases. The ship was acquired by the War Shipping Administration on 5 December 1941 with American President Lines operating the ship as WSAs agent. From Brisbane Polk, making a stop at Townsville, sailed to Soerabaja arriving on 30 January with ammunition, bombs, airplanes, the other element,15 officers and 465 enlisted men, were embarked aboard USS Wharton. After acquisition 6 September 1943 and conversion by the Navy the ship was assigned to the Naval Transportation Service, USS President Polk loaded construction battalion men and cargo at Port Hueneme, California and sailed 12 October 1943 for Pearl Harbor. On 16 November 1943 she got underway for the invasion of Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, returning to Pearl Harbor 11 December, she weighed anchor again 22 January 1944 to carry troops to Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. Arriving at Milne Bay 6 November, she loaded passengers and cargo, disembarking troops on the Lingayen assault beaches,11 January 1945, she ferried reinforcements from Leyte, then sailed to Ulithi to take on Marines at Iwo Jima and return them to Hawaii. Thence she steamed to San Francisco, took on fresh troops, v-J Day found her in Apra Harbor, Guam, whence she returned to San Francisco. Next, she transported troops from Seattle to Tinian, reported for Operation Magic Carpet 13 October, in 1970 the ship was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, photo gallery of USS President Polk at NavSource Naval History Leighton, Richard M, Coakley, Robert W. The War Department — Global Logistics And Strategy 1940–1943, United States Army In World War II. Washington, DC, Center Of Military History, United States Army, ship History Database Vessel Status Card. U. S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, masterson, Dr. James R. U. S. Army Transportation In The Southwest Pacific Area 1941–1947. Transportation Unit, Historical Division, Special Staff, U. S. Army, racing the Sunrise—Reinforcing Americas Pacific Outposts 1941—1942
20.
Avenger-class escort carrier
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All three were originally American merchant ships in the process of being built at the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company Chester, Pennsylvania. The ships laid down in 1939 and 1940 were launched and delivered to the Royal Navy by 1942. The ships had a complement of 555 men and a length of 492.25 feet, a beam of 66.25 feet. Their displacement was 8,200 long tons at load and 9,000 long tons at deep load. Propulsion was provided by four diesel engines connected to one shaft giving 8,500 brake horsepower, aircraft could be housed in the 190 by 47 feet half hangar below the flight deck. Armament comprised three single mounted 4-inch dual purpose guns and fifteen 20 mm cannons on single or twin mounts. The three ships in the class were HMS Avenger, HMS Biter and HMS Dasher, a fourth ship, USS Charger was built at the same time to the same design but was commissioned in the U. S. Navy. List of ships of the Second World War List of ship classes of the Second World War
21.
HMS Tracker (D24)
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HMS Tracker was a Attacker class escort carrier that was built in the United States, but served in the Royal Navy during World War II. Tracker was constructed in the US by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding in Tacoma, she was intended to be the 2nd replacement merchant ship Mormacmail for Moore-McCormack Lines. However, before completion, the vessel was purchased by the US Navy, in 1942 she was given the designation BAVG-6 and converted into a carrier at Willamette Iron & Steel, Portland. Upon completion in early 1943, she was transferred to the Royal Navy, Tracker served as an escort during 1943-44 for North Atlantic and Arctic convoys. She originally carried Swordfish torpedo-bombers and Seafire fighters of 816 Naval Air Squadron, in January 1944 switching to the Grumman Avengers and Grumman Wildcats of 846 Naval Air Squadron. In April 1944 her aircraft, together with those from HMS Activity were responsible for the sinking of a German U-boat U-288 east of Bear Island, HMS Tracker continued operations despite stove-in bows until 12 June 1944. Thereafter she was repaired and partially refitted in Liverpool until 7 September 1944, on 8 December 1944 the ship sailed to the US to be used as an aircraft transport, and spent the remainder of the war ferrying aircraft and personnel in the Pacific. In August 1945 she made a trip to the UK. She was sold in November 1946 and entered service as the merchant ship Corrientes,1943 -44 Atlantic 1944 Arctic 1944 Normandy These ships were larger and had a greater aircraft capacity than all the preceding American built escort carriers. They were also laid down as escort carriers and not converted merchant ships, all the ships had a complement of 646 men and an overall length of 492 feet 3 inches, a beam of 69 feet 6 inches and a draught of 25 ft 6 in. Propulsion was provided by two boilers connected to a turbine, which drove one shaft giving 9,350 brake horsepower. This arrangement could propel the ship at 16.5 knots, Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge/flight control on the starboard side, two aircraft lifts 43 feet by 34 feet, one aircraft catapult and nine arrestor wires. Aircraft could be housed in the 260 feet by 62 feet hangar below the flight deck, armament comprised, two 4 inch Dual Purpose guns in single mounts, sixteen 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns in twin mounts and twenty 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons in single mounts. Aircraft-Carrying Ships of the Royal Navy, by Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN. HMS TRACKER - Attacker-class Escort Aircraft Carrier, SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR2
22.
USS DuPage (APA-41)
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USS DuPage was a Bayfield-class attack transport built for the United States Navy during World War II. The ship was named for DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage was launched on 19 December 1942 as Sea Hound by Ingalls Shipbuilding Co. DuPage reached San Diego, California, from Norfolk, Virginia on 2 November 1943 to serve as flagship for a division during training. She sailed from San Diego on 13 January 1944 carrying U. S, marines for the assault landings on Kwajalein, where she remained from 31 January to 6 February. DuPage sailed by way of Funafuti, Ellice Islands, to Guadalcanal, on 3 June she got underway for the invasion of Guam, landing her troops from 21 to 26 July. DuPage sortied from Guadalcanal on 8 September 1944 and landed her troops in the assault of Peleliu a week later, for 12 days she remained in the area providing logistics support for landing craft and small patrol vessels. Three of her own landing craft were lost and one man killed during the bitter fighting, arriving at Hollandia, New Guinea on 30 September, DuPage prepared for the invasion of the Philippines. She carried U. S. Army troops for the landings at Leyte on 20 October. On the evening of the day while DuPage was preparing to leave the area. Despite heavy anti-aircraft fire, a kamikaze crashed to port damaging her severely as well as starting fires which stubbornly recurred and were fought all through the night and she lost 35 killed and 136 wounded, five men who were blown over the side were picked up by escorting destroyers. Despite her injuries DuPage continued to fulfill her duty as guide ship, after landing troops at Zambales, Luzon on 29 January 1945, DuPage left San Pedro Bay on 11 February and embarking U. S. Marines at Manus and Pearl Harbor en route, arrived at San Francisco on 10 March for overhaul and she sailed from Alameda on 14 May to embark troops at Seattle, Washington, for Pearl Harbor. She continued to Eniwetok for amphibious exercises, then transported troops and cargo from Ulithi to Okinawa, three days later she sailed with combat-tested U. S. Marines for Guam, then continued to Eniwetok and San Francisco where she arrived on 28 July. After minor alterations she was designated as flagship for Transport Division 63 and sailed on 12 August with U. S. Army Air Force personnel whom she disembarked at San Pedro Bay, Leyte on 5 September. DuPage sailed from Lingayen Gulf on 1 October 1945 with troops for the occupation of Japan, three days later she was assigned to Magic Carpet duty and made two voyages between Guam and the west coast to return veterans until 5 January 1946 when she arrived at Portland, Oregon. Two weeks later she got underway for the east coast, arriving at New York on 7 February, DuPage was decommissioned on 28 March 1946 and transferred to the War Shipping Administration for disposal on 27 June 1946. DuPage received six battle stars for World War II service and this article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
23.
USS Frederick Funston (APA-89)
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USS Frederick Funston was a Frederick Funston-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II. Before serving as a Navy APA, she had been the US Army transport USAT Frederick Funston, after World War II, she was returned to the Army and operated as USAT Frederick Funston. Funston was among the seventy-two ships transferred to the Navys Military Sea Transportation Service in the 1 March 1950 group and placed in service as USNS Frederick Funston. She was acquired from the Army by the US Navy on 8 April 1943, reclassified an APA, the ship’s construction was based on a special design prepared by the firm of Gibbs and Cox to meet requirements of the War Department and the U. S. Army. The Funston went from Seattle to San Francisco, from where she sailed in mid-December, via Honolulu and she also visited Espiritu Santo before returning home. From San Francisco again in February 1943, she went to Brisbane, from Brisbane the ship sailed, via the Panama Canal, to New York arriving there in early April. At New York, following renovations, the Funston was transferred to. She went to Norfolk for training and was in operation in the Atlantic until she returned to New York on 30 December 1943, from then until the end of the war, she was locally operated by the Navy. The Funston left Honolulu on 9 July 1945 and went to Eniwetok and she sailed from the latter port for Manila in September and returned to Los Angeles on 31 October and then made a trip to Manus Island and returned to San Francisco in December. Her next voyage took her to Guam, the Marianna’s and Saipan, the Frederick Funston returned to Los Angeles, and from there went to San Francisco, where she was redelivered to the Army in Early April 1946. In June 1946 crew quarters on the vessel were altered for accommodating War Department peacetime civilian crew and guns, three days later she sailed to train at Oran for the assault on Salerno, off which she lay from 8 to 10 September landing soldiers. On 30 November, she cleared Oran for Northern Ireland with paratroopers on board, after loading men of naval construction battalions at Davisville, Rhode Island, Frederick Funston sailed for the Pacific, arriving at Honolulu 16 March 1944. Here she landed the Seabees and embarked Marines for the invasion of Saipan, after a week off the beaches offloading cargo and taking casualties on board, she returned to Honolulu. Here the casualties were transferred to hospitals, and soldiers taken on board with whom she reinforced Guam on 24 July. During August, the transport joined in training operations in the Hawaiian Islands, then crossed to Manus and she landed her troops and cargo on 21 October, the day after the initial assault, and the following day cleared for Aitape, New Guinea, to embark reinforcements. These were put ashore at Leyte 14 November, training off New Guinea and in Huon Gulf prepared Frederick Funston for the initial landings on Luzon of 9 January 1945. That night a watchful lookout spotted and shot a suicide swimmer only 50 yards from the ship, completing her unloading the next day, Frederick Funston sailed by way of Leyte and Ulithi to Guam to embark Marines for the assault on Iwo Jima. With her troops held in reserve, she did not land them until 27 February and she returned to Guam with casualties 8 March, then replaced her landing craft at Guadalcanal and exercised at Nouméa through April
24.
HMS Chaser (D32)
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The USS Breton was a Bogue-class escort aircraft carrier that served during World War II as the British Attacker-class escort carrier HMS Chaser. She was laid down on 28 June 1941 under Maritime Commission contract at Pascagoula, the ship was commissioned by the United States Navy on 9 April 1943 and simultaneously transferred via the Lend-Lease program to the United Kingdom. That same day, the ship was renamed HMS Chaser and commissioned by the Royal Navy, Chaser was assigned to convoy escort on Arctic routes, assisting in the sinking of U-472 on 4 March 1944 and U-366 and U-973 in the next two days. The carrier was returned to United States custody 12 May 1946, the ship was renamed E Yung in 1967. The ship had a fire in #2 hold on 3 December 1972 and was scrapped at Kaohsiung. There were eight Attacker class escort carriers in service with the Royal Navy during the Second World War and they were built between 1941 and 1942 by Ingalls Shipbuilding and Western Pipe & Steel shipyards in the United States, both building four ships each. The ships had a complement of 646 men and crew accommodation was different from the normal Royal Navys arrangements, the separate messes no longer had to prepare their own food, as everything was cooked in the galley and served cafeteria style in a central dining area. They were also equipped with a laundry and a barber shop. The traditional hammocks were replaced by three tier bunk beds, eighteen to a cabin which were hinged and could be tied up to provide extra space when not in use. The ships dimensions were, a length of 492.25 feet, a beam of 69.5 feet. They had a displacement of 11,420 long tons at deep load, propulsion was provided by four diesel engines connected to one shaft giving 8,500 brake horsepower, which could propel the ship at 17 knots. Aircraft facilities were a small combined bridge–flight control on the side and above the 450 feet x 120 feet flight deck. Aircraft could be housed in the 260 feet by 62 feet hangar below the flight deck, armament comprised two 4 inch DP, AA guns in single mounts, eight 40 mm anti-aircraft gun in twin mounts and twenty-one 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons in single or twin mounts. Aircraft-Carrying Ships of the Royal Navy
25.
USS Euryale (AS-22)
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USS Euryale was built as the Hawaiian Merchant by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Kearny, New Jersey for the Matson Navigation Company. Hawaiian Merchant was launched 12 April 1941, minutes after sister ship Hawaiian Shipper, Matson intended the ship to join Hawaiian Planter and Hawaiian Shipper in the U. S. Hawaiian Merchant was one of four Maritime Commission Type C3 hulls ordered by Matson with custom variants for interior and structure fitted for the intended route and service. In particular, passenger accommodations were eliminated shortening the deck house, there was no raised forecastle, two 300 kilowatt 120/240 volt direct current generators driven by steam turbines provided electric power. A diesel 12 kilowatt generator on the deck level provided emergency power. The ships fuel capacity was 1,672 tons for a radius of 12,000 miles at 16.5 knots. Water capacities were 68 tons of fresh,18 tons of distilled and 314 tons of feed water. The ship arrived in Los Angeles on her voyage on 22 May 1941 leaving the next day for Honolulu. On 14 August 1942 3d Battalion, 7th Marines and Battery C, 1st Battalion, 11th Marines were transported from the Wallis Islands, to Apia, Hawaiian Merchant was purchased by the Navy on 15 April 1943 at New York. The ship commissioned 2 December 1943 as USS Euryale with Captain H. A. Guthrie in command, Euryale reached Brisbane, Australia, from New York City 5 March 1944, and after loading provisions and supplies, sailed for Milne Bay, New Guinea. There between 14 March and 26 May, Euryale refitted submarines and repaired surface ships, at Manus from 28 May to 11 August, she established a forward base and rest camp for submariners, clearing the island, constructing buildings and at the same time refitting 26 submarines. The submarine tender returned to Brisbane on 16 August 1944 to load passengers, torpedoes, ammunition, and general cargo and she tended submarines there until 11 April 1945, then at Pearl Harbor until 16 August. On 28 August, Euryale arrived at Guam to develop a base and rest camp. Until 12 January 1946, Euryale worked with Japanese submarines, maintaining them, Euryale was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 7 October 1946. Photo of Hawaiian Merchant 1941 General Arrangement Deck Plans and Profile S. S. Hawaiian Merchant Official Website NavSource, USS Euryale Euryale, Photographs
26.
Long Island-class escort carrier
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The Long Island-class escort carrier was a two-ship class, originally listed as AVG. They were converted merchant ships. The first ship of the class—USS Long Island, originally AVG-1, later ACV-1 then CVE-1—was launched on 11 January 1940, the second and last ship of the class—HMS Archer —was launched on 14 December 1939, and served in the Royal Navy through World War II. It is also listed in U. S. Navy records as BAVG-1, List of ships of the Second World War List of ship classes of the Second World War The Ships and Aircraft of the U. S. Fleet, James C. Fahey, Associate, United States Naval Institute, Victory Edition, copyright 1945, published by Ships and Aircraft,1265 Broadway, NY1, ford, Roger, Gibbons, Tony, Hewson, Rob, Jackson, Bob, Ross, David. London, Amber Books, Ltd. p.392
27.
USS Long Island (CVE-1)
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USS Long Island was lead ship of her class and the first escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was also the ship to be named after Long Island. Holt, acquired by the Navy on 6 March 1941, and commissioned on 2 June 1941 as Long Island, the data gathered by her crew greatly improved the combat readiness of later baby flattops. Just after the Japanese attack, she escorted a convoy to Newfoundland and she left the formation on 17 June and returned to the West Coast to resume carrier pilot training. Long Island departed San Diego on 8 July and arrived Pearl Harbor on the 17th, after a training run south to Palmyra Island, she loaded two squadrons of Marine Corps aircraft and got underway for the South Pacific on 2 August. Touching at Fiji on 13 August, she steamed to a point 200 mi southeast of Guadalcanal. These planes, the first to reach Henderson Field, were instrumental in the Guadalcanal campaign, reclassified ACV-1 on 20 August, Long Island sailed for Efate Island, New Hebrides, and arrived on 23 August. Long Islands actions at Guadalcanal are mentioned and seen in the movie Flying Leathernecks, Long Island returned to the West Coast on 20 September, as the new baby flattops took up the slack in the Pacific war zones. For the next year, the escort carrier trained carrier pilots at San Diego, Long Island was reclassified CVE-1 on 15 July 1943. In 1944–1945, she transported airplanes and their crews from the West Coast to various outposts in the Pacific, after V-J Day, she revisited many of these same bases while transporting soldiers and sailors back home during Operation Magic Carpet. Long Island decommissioned on 26 March 1946 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 12 April, she was sold to Zidell Ship Dismantling Company of Portland, Oregon on 24 April 1947 for scrapping. However, on 12 March 1948, she was acquired by the Canada-Europe Line for conversion to merchant service, upon completion of conversion in 1949, she was renamed Nelly, and served as an immigrant carrier between Europe and Canada. In 1953, she was renamed Seven Seas, in 1955, she was chartered to the German Europe-Canada Line. On 17 July 1965, she had a fire and was towed to St Johns. She was repaired and started her last voyage on 13 September 1966 and she was bought by Rotterdam University the same year and employed as a students hostel until 1977, when she was scrapped in Belgium. Long Island received one star for her World War II service. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, the entry can be found here. The Struggle for Guadalcanal, August 1942 – February 1943, USS Long Island Association homepage Navy photographs of Long Island The Ships List Europe Canada Line Brochure 1957
28.
HMS Archer (D78)
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HMS Archer was a Long Island-class escort carrier built by the United States in 1939–1940 and operated by the Royal Navy during World War II. She was built as the cargo ship Mormacland, but was converted to an escort carrier and her transmission was a constant cause of problems which led to her being withdrawn from front-line service. She was used as a ship and then as an accommodation ship before a refit and subsequent use as a merchant aircraft ferry ship. She was returned to the US Navy, then laid up as Archer before being sold into merchant service and converted to a passenger ship and she was used to take emigrants to Australia and Canada in the early 1950s. She was sold and renamed Tasmania and after service as an emigrant ship was converted back to a cargo ship. She was later sold and renamed Union Reliance and she was scrapped after a collision and fire in 1961. She was launched on 14 December 1939 and completed on 24 April 1940, HMS Archer was the only Long Island class escort carrier in service with the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was converted from the American merchant ship Mormacland which was built at the Sun Shipbuilding and she was laid down on 1 August 1939, launched on 14 December 1939 and delivered on 24 April 1940. She was converted to an aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Basin Iron Works at Brooklyn New York and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 6 May 1942. Archer had a complement of 555 men and a length of 492.25 feet, a beam of 66.25 feet. She displaced 8,200 long tons at load and 9,000 long tons at deep load. Propulsion was provided by four diesel engines connected to one shaft giving 8,500 brake horsepower, Aircraft could be housed in the 190 feet by 47 feet half hangar below the flight deck. Armament comprised three single mounted 4 inch dual purpose guns and fifteen 20 mm cannons on single or twin mounts. She had the capacity for fifteen aircraft which could be a mixture of Grumman Martlet or Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter aircraft and she was operated by Moore-McCormack Lines Inc. When requisitioned by the US Navy, Mormacland was designated BAVG-1, the conversion consisted of a lightweight wooden flight deck on a truss frame being added on top of the ship which covered about 70% of the ships length. The deck was serviced by a single lift aft where the hangar was situated. The conversion was completed on 15 November 1941, as converted, she was transferred to the Royal Navy. Archer was a sister of the USS Long Island, like the Long Island, the Archer had no island structure
29.
SS Express (1940)
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SS Express was a Type C3-E cargo ship of American Export Lines that was sunk by Japanese submarine I-10 in June 1942 in the Indian Ocean. The ship, built in 1940 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding in Quincy, out of a total of 55 men aboard the ship at the time of her torpedoing,13 were killed, most of the other 42 landed on the coast of Mozambique six days after the sinking. SS Express was a ship laid down by Bethlehem Shipbuilding of Quincy. The ship, one of eight ships built for American Export by Bethlehem Shipbuilding, was launched on 9 March 1940. The ship, registered at 6,737 gross register tons, was 451 feet 9 inches in length,66 feet 2 inches abeam and she had three decks, and could accommodate a crew of 10 officers and 35 men. To move her at her top speed of 16.5 knots. On 18 June 1942, Express sailed from Bombay, India, for Cape Town, South Africa, with a cargo of ore, jute, leather. The first torpedo struck the ship at waterline on the starboard side near the no.7 hatch. The second torpedo, which hit five seconds after the first, the explosions blew off the hatch covers, knocked out the guns, and destroyed the radio, preventing a distress call. The ship began sinking by the stern almost immediately, and the officers, crew, and Naval Armed Guard detachment took to the lifeboats. Because Express was still underway even while sinking, two of the three boats launched were swamped, the thirteen men aboard the no.1 boat, one of the pair swamped, all drowned. The no.2 boat, with 41 men aboard, made landfall on the coast of Mozambique six days after the sinking, another crewman—who had originally been on a life raft, but moved to a water-filled lifeboat—was rescued by a Dutch tanker and landed at Cape Town. Merchant Vessel War Casualties of World War II
30.
Madagascar
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Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, and previously known as the Malagasy Republic, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Southeast Africa. The nation comprises the island of Madagascar, and numerous smaller peripheral islands, consequently, Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot, over 90% of its wildlife is found nowhere else on Earth. The islands diverse ecosystems and unique wildlife are threatened by the encroachment of the growing human population. The first archaeological evidence for human foraging on Madagascar dates to 2000 BC, human settlement of Madagascar occurred between 350 BC and AD550 by Austronesian peoples arriving on outrigger canoes from Borneo. These were joined around AD1000 by Bantu migrants crossing the Mozambique Channel from East Africa, other groups continued to settle on Madagascar over time, each one making lasting contributions to Malagasy cultural life. The Malagasy ethnic group is divided into 18 or more sub-groups of which the largest are the Merina of the central highlands. Until the late 18th century, the island of Madagascar was ruled by an assortment of shifting sociopolitical alliances. Beginning in the early 19th century, most of the island was united and ruled as the Kingdom of Madagascar by a series of Merina nobles, the monarchy collapsed in 1897 when the island was absorbed into the French colonial empire, from which the island gained independence in 1960. The autonomous state of Madagascar has since undergone four major constitutional periods, since 1992, the nation has officially been governed as a constitutional democracy from its capital at Antananarivo. However, in an uprising in 2009, president Marc Ravalomanana was made to resign. Constitutional governance was restored in January 2014, when Hery Rajaonarimampianina was named president following a 2013 election deemed fair, Madagascar is a member of the United Nations, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie and the Southern African Development Community. Madagascar belongs to the group of least developed countries, according to the United Nations, Malagasy and French are both official languages of the state. The majority of the population adheres to traditional beliefs, Christianity, ecotourism and agriculture, paired with greater investments in education, health, and private enterprise, are key elements of Madagascars development strategy. As of 2017, the economy has been weakened by the 2009-2013 political crisis, in the Malagasy language, the island of Madagascar is called Madagasikara and its people are referred to as Malagasy. The islands appellation Madagascar is not of origin, but rather was popularized in the Middle Ages by Europeans. On St. Laurences Day in 1500, Portuguese explorer Diogo Dias landed on the island, polos name was preferred and popularized on Renaissance maps. At 592,800 square kilometres, Madagascar is the worlds 47th largest country, the country lies mostly between latitudes 12°S and 26°S, and longitudes 43°E and 51°E. Neighboring islands include the French territory of Réunion and the country of Mauritius to the east, as well as the state of Comoros, the nearest mainland state is Mozambique, located to the west
31.
Tunisia
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Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa, covering 165,000 square kilometres. Its northernmost point, Cape Angela, is the northernmost point on the African continent and it is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisias population was estimated to be just under 11 million in 2014, Tunisias name is derived from its capital city, Tunis, which is located on Tunisias northeast coast. Geographically, Tunisia contains the end of the Atlas Mountains. Much of the rest of the land is fertile soil. Tunisia is a unitary semi-presidential representative democratic republic and it is considered to be the only full democracy in the Arab World. It has a human development index. In addition, Tunisia is also a state of the United Nations. Close relations with Europe – in particular with France and with Italy – have been forged through economic cooperation, privatisation, in ancient times, Tunisia was primarily inhabited by Berbers. Phoenician immigration began in the 12th century BC, these immigrants founded Carthage, a major mercantile power and a military rival of the Roman Republic, Carthage was defeated by the Romans in 146 BC. The Romans, who would occupy Tunisia for most of the eight hundred years, introduced Christianity. After several attempts starting in 647, the Arabs conquered the whole of Tunisia by 697, the Ottomans held sway for over three hundred years. The French colonization of Tunisia occurred in 1881, Tunisia gained independence with Habib Bourguiba and declared the Tunisian Republic in 1957. In 2011, the Tunisian Revolution resulted in the overthrow of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the country voted for parliament again on 26 October 2014, and for President on 23 November 2014. The word Tunisia is derived from Tunis, an urban hub. The present form of the name, with its Latinate suffix -ia, the French derivative Tunisie was adopted in some European languages with slight modifications, introducing a distinctive name to designate the country. Other languages remained untouched, such as the Russian Туни́с and Spanish Túnez, in this case, the same name is used for both country and city, as with the Arabic تونس, and only by context can one tell the difference. The name Tunis can be attributed to different origins and it is generally associated with the Berber root ⵜⵏⵙ, transcribed tns, which means to lay down or encampment
32.
HMS Avenger (D14)
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HMS Avenger was a Royal Navy escort aircraft carrier during the Second World War. In 1939 she was laid down as the merchant ship Rio-Hudson at the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company yard in Chester, launched on 27 November 1940, she was converted to an escort carrier and transferred under the lend lease agreement to the Royal Navy. She was commissioned on 2 March 1942, Avengers capacity allowed for a maximum of 15 aircraft. In September 1942, she took part in what was the largest and most successful Russian convoy to date, upon her return home, after observing a number of design faults, Avengers captain drew up recommendations for future escort carrier design. In November 1942 she took part in Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa, the Avenger-class escort carriers were converted American merchant ships of the C3 class. Their design was based on the U. S. Navy Long Island class, to differentiate between the two classes, the Royal Navy ships were prefixed with a B. HMS Avenger was built by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Chester, Pennsylvania, originally named Rio-Hudson, she was laid down on 28 November 1939 as a passenger cargo ship for the American Moore-McCormack line, and was launched on 27 November 1940. She was then purchased by the United States Navy and converted to an aircraft carrier in the Bethlehem Steel yards at Staten Island. Transferred to the Royal Navy on 31 July 1941, she was commissioned 2 March 1942 when the conversion was completed. Avenger had a complement of 555 men and a length of 492.25 feet, a beam of 66.25 feet. She displaced 8,200 long tons at load and 9,000 long tons at deep load. Propulsion was provided by four diesel engines connected to one shaft and this could propel the ship at 16.5 knots. Aircraft could be housed in the 190 by 47 feet half hangar below the flight deck and her armament consisted of three single-mounted 4 inch dual purpose anti-aircraft guns—two forward and one aft—and fifteen 20 mm cannon on single or twin mounts. She had the capacity for fifteen aircraft, which could be a mixture of Grumman Martlet or Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter aircraft, on 18 April 1942, Avenger started flight deck landing training with four Fairey Swordfish aircraft of 816 Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm. The exercise had to be curtailed when her engines broke down, repaired by 30 April 1942, she joined the escort for convoy AT17 to cross the Atlantic to Britain. During the crossing the Swordfish of 816 Squadron provided anti-submarine patrols, on 4 May, two aircraft lost the convoy in heavy weather and requested a homing beacon from Avenger. She was unable to help, not having the correct equipment, when Avenger arrived in Britain the Fleet Air Arm had a shortage of Martlet fighter aircraft, so a small number of Royal Air Force Hawker Hurricanes were converted into Sea Hurricanes. Avenger was chosen to test their deck landing ability on escort carriers, the tests, flown by Eric Winkle Brown, were successful, and the Sea Hurricane equipped 802 Naval Air Squadron and 882 Naval Air Squadron, with 12 aircraft assigned to Avenger
33.
Gibraltar
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Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula. It has an area of 6.7 km2 and shares its border with Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the landmark of the region. At its foot is a populated city area, home to over 30,000 Gibraltarians. An Anglo-Dutch force captured Gibraltar from Spain in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession on behalf of the Habsburg claim to the Spanish throne, the territory was subsequently ceded to Great Britain in perpetuity under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Today Gibraltars economy is based largely on tourism, online gambling, financial services, the sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations as Spain asserts a claim to the territory. Gibraltarians overwhelmingly rejected proposals for Spanish sovereignty in a 1967 referendum, under the Gibraltar constitution of 2006, Gibraltar governs its own affairs, though some powers, such as defence and foreign relations, remain the responsibility of the British government. The name Gibraltar is the Spanish derivation of the Arabic name Jabal Ṭāriq, earlier, it was known as Mons Calpe, a name of Phoenician origin and one of the Pillars of Hercules. The pronunciation of the name in modern Spanish is, evidence of Neanderthal habitation in Gibraltar between 28,000 and 24,000 BP has been discovered at Gorhams Cave, making Gibraltar possibly the last known holdout of the Neanderthals. Within recorded history, the first inhabitants were the Phoenicians, around 950 BC, subsequently, Gibraltar became known as one of the Pillars of Hercules, after the Greek legend of the creation of the Strait of Gibraltar by Heracles. The Carthaginians and Romans also established semi-permanent settlements, after the collapse of the Roman Empire, Gibraltar came briefly under the control of the Vandals. The area later formed part of the Visigothic Kingdom of Hispania from 414 AD until the Islamic conquest of Iberia in 711 AD, in 1160, the Almohad Sultan Abd al-Mumin ordered that a permanent settlement, including a castle, be built. It received the name of Medinat al-Fath, on completion of the works in the town, the Sultan crossed the Strait to look at the works and stayed in Gibraltar for two months. The Tower of Homage of the Moorish Castle remains standing today, from 1274 onwards, the town was fought over and captured by the Nasrids of Granada, the Marinids of Morocco and the kings of Castile. In 1462, Gibraltar was finally captured by Juan Alonso de Guzmán, after the conquest, King Henry IV of Castile assumed the additional title of King of Gibraltar, establishing it as part of the comarca of the Campo Llano de Gibraltar. In 1501, Gibraltar passed back to the Spanish Crown, the occupation of the town by Alliance forces caused the exodus of the population to the surrounding area of the Campo de Gibraltar. As the Alliances campaign faltered, the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht was negotiated and ceded control of Gibraltar to Britain to secure Britains withdrawal from the war. Unsuccessful attempts by Spanish monarchs to regain Gibraltar were made with the siege of 1727 and again with the Great Siege of Gibraltar, during the American War of Independence
34.
USS Block Island (CVE-21)
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USS Block Island was a Bogue-class escort carrier for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the first of two escort carriers named after Block Island Sound off Rhode Island, Block Island was launched on 6 June 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation in Tacoma, Washington, under a Maritime Commission contract, sponsored by Mrs. H. B. Hutchinson, wife of Commander Hutchinson, transferred to the United States Navy on 1 May 1942, originally classified AVG-21, she became ACV-21 on 20 August 1942, and CVE-21 on 15 July 1943. She was named after Block Island, an island in Rhode Island east of New York, departing San Diego, California in May 1943, Block Island steamed to Norfolk, Virginia, to join the Atlantic Fleet. After two trips from New York City to Belfast, United Kingdom, during the summer of 1943 with cargoes of Army fighters, she operated as part of a hunter-killer group. During her four anti-submarine cruises, Block Island′s planes sank two submarines, U-220 in 48°53′N 33°30′W on 28 October 1943 and U-1059 in 13°10′N 33°44′W on 19 March 1944. She shared credit with destroyer Corry and destroyer escort Bronstein for the sinking of U-801 in 16°42′N 30°20′W on 17 March 1944, thomas, Bostwick, Borie and Bronstein sank U-709 on 1 March 1943 and the same day Bronstein sank U-603. Block Island was torpedoed off the Canary Islands at 20,13 on 29 May 1944, u-549 had slipped undetected through her screen. The submarine put three torpedoes into the carrier before being sunk herself by Eugene E. Elmore and Ahrens of the screen in 31°13′N 23°03′W, the carrier lost 6 men in the attack, the remaining 951 were picked up by the escort screen. Block Island received two stars for her service. List of U. S. Navy losses in World War II This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
35.
Azores
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Its main industries are agriculture, dairy farming, livestock, fishing, and tourism, which is becoming the major service activity in the region. In addition, the government of the Azores employs a large percentage of the population directly or indirectly in the service, the main settlement of the Azores is Ponta Delgada. There are nine major Azorean islands and a cluster, in three main groups. These are Flores and Corvo, to the west, Graciosa, Terceira, São Jorge, Pico, and Faial in the centre, and São Miguel, Santa Maria, and they extend for more than 600 km and lie in a northwest-southeast direction. All the islands have volcanic origins, although some, such as Santa Maria, have had no recorded activity since the islands were settled, mount Pico, on the island of Pico, is the highest point in Portugal, at 2,351 m. The Azores are actually some of the tallest mountains on the planet, measured from their base at the bottom of the ocean to their peaks, which thrust high above the surface of the Atlantic. The climate of the Azores is very mild for such a location, being influenced by its distance to continents. Due to the influence, temperatures remain mild year-round. Daytime temperatures normally fluctuate between 16 °C and 25 °C depending on season, temperatures above 30 °C or below 3 °C are unknown in the major population centres. It is also generally wet and cloudy, the culture, dialect, cuisine, and traditions of the Azorean islands vary considerably, because these once-uninhabited and remote islands were settled sporadically over a span of two centuries. However, these kinds of structures have always used in the Azores to store cereals. Detailed examination and dating to authenticate the validity of these speculations is lacking and it is unclear whether these structures are natural or man-made and whether they predate the 15th-century Portuguese colonization of the Azores. Solid confirmation of a human presence in the archipelago has not yet been published. The islands were known in the century and parts of them appear in the Atlas Catalan. In 1427, a captain sailing for Henry the Navigator, possibly Gonçalo Velho, rediscovered the Azores, but this is not certain. In Thomas Ashes 1813 work, A History of the Azores, the author identified a Fleming, Joshua Vander Berg of Bruges and he stated that the Portuguese explored the area and claimed it for Portugal. Other stories note the discovery of the first islands by sailors in the service of Henry the Navigator, although there are few documents to support the claims. Although it is said that the archipelago received its name from the goshawk
36.
Canary Islands
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The Canary Islands, also known as the Canaries, are an archipelago and autonomous community of Spain located on the Atlantic Ocean,100 kilometres west of Morocco. The Canaries are among the outermost regions of the European Union proper and it is also one of the eight regions with special consideration of historical nationality recognized as such by the Spanish Government. The main islands are Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, the archipelago also includes a number of islands and islets, La Graciosa, Alegranza, Isla de Lobos, Montaña Clara, Roque del Oeste and Roque del Este. In ancient times, the chain was often referred to as the Fortunate Isles. The Canary Islands is the most southerly region of Spain and the largest and most populated archipelago of the Macaronesia region, the islands have a subtropical climate, with long hot summers and moderately warm winters. The precipitation levels and the level of maritime moderation varies depending on location and elevation, green areas as well as desert exist on the archipelago. Due to their location above the inversion layer, the high mountains of these islands are ideal for astronomical observation. For this reason, two professional observatories, Teide Observatory on the island of Tenerife and Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on the island of La Palma, have built on the islands. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has been the largest city in the Canaries since 1768, between the 1833 territorial division of Spain and 1927 Santa Cruz de Tenerife was the sole capital of the Canary Islands. In 1927 a decree ordered that the capital of the Canary Islands be shared, the third largest city of the Canary Islands is San Cristóbal de La Laguna on Tenerife. This city is home to the Consejo Consultivo de Canarias. During the time of the Spanish Empire, the Canaries were the main stopover for Spanish galleons on their way to the Americas, who came south to catch the prevailing northeasterly trade winds. The name Islas Canarias is likely derived from the Latin name Canariae Insulae, meaning Islands of the Dogs, according to the historian Pliny the Elder, the Mauretanian king Juba II named the island Canaria because it contained vast multitudes of dogs of very large size. Another speculation is that the dogs were actually a species of monk seal, critically endangered. The dense population of seals may have been the characteristic that most struck the few ancient Romans who established contact with these islands by sea. Alternatively, it is said that the inhabitants of the island, Guanches, used to worship dogs, mummified them. The ancient Greeks also knew about a people, living far to the west, who are the dog-headed ones, who worshipped dogs on an island. Some hypothesize that the Canary Islands dog-worship and the ancient Egyptian cult of the god, Anubis are closely connected
37.
HMS Dasher (D37)
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HMS Dasher was a British Royal Navy aircraft carrier, of the Avenger class – converted merchant vessels – and one of the shortest lived escort carriers. The Avenger-class escort carriers were converted Type C3-class American merchant ships and their design was based on the U. S. Navy Long Island class. To differentiate between the two classes, the Royal Navy ships were prefixed with a B, HMS Dasher was built by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. Originally named Rio de Janeiro, she was laid down 11 March 1940, launched on 12 April 1941 and she was converted to an escort aircraft carrier in the Tietjen & Long shipyards New Jersey and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 2 July 1942. Dasher had a complement of 555 men and a length of 492.25 feet, a beam of 66.25 feet. She displaced 8,200 long tons at load and 9,000 long tons at deep load. Propulsion was provided by four diesel engines connected to one shaft giving 8,500 brake horsepower, aircraft could be housed in the 190 feet by 47 feet half hangar below the flight deck. Armament comprised three single mounted 4 inch dual purpose anti-aircraft guns two forward and one aft and fifteen 20 mm cannon on single or twin mounts. She had the capacity for fifteen aircraft which could be a mixture of Grumman Martlet or Hawker Sea Hurricane fighter aircraft, Dasher started out as the merchantman Rio de Janeiro built by Sun Shipbuilding. She was converted at Tietjen & Lang, transferred to the Royal Navy and she participated in Operation Torch, with her sister HMS Biter, carrying Sea Hurricanes of 804 Naval Air Squadron. She escorted one convoy successfully, but shortly after leaving with the second, Dasher suffered engine trouble, shortly after getting to the Firth of Clyde on 27 March 1943, she suffered a major internal explosion and sank. Various possible causes have been suggested, including one of her aircraft crashing onto the flight deck, much of what happened will never be known. Many escaped from the ship but died of hypothermia or burns suffered when escaped fuel ignited on the water, most of the dead were buried at Ardrossan or Greenock. The US blamed it on poor RN petrol handling procedures, the British on bad design of the stowage, the government of the time, eager to avoid damage to morale and anxious to avoid any suggestion of faulty US construction, tried to cover up the sinking. The local media were ordered to make no reference to the tragedy, furious relatives protested and some of the dead were returned to their loved ones for burial. The survivors were ordered not to talk about what happened and this policy subsequently attracted much criticism, and now memorials to those lost exist at both Ardrossan and Brodick. The wreck site lies approximately halfway on the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry route between Ardrossan and Brodick and is a site under the Protection of Military Remains Act. Teak boards from the flightdeck of HMS Dasher washed up on the beach at Ardrossan in 1999 and they were riddled with tubes made by burrowing teredo worms
38.
Firth of Clyde
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The Kilbrannan Sound is a large arm of the Firth of Clyde, separating the Kintyre Peninsula from the Isle of Arran. Within the Firth of Clyde is another major island - the Isle of Bute, given its strategic location, at the entrance to the middle/upper Clyde, Bute played a vitally important military role during World War II. The Firths climate enjoys the benefit of the Gulf Stream from America, at its entrance the firth is some 26 miles wide. Its upper reaches include an area where it is joined by Loch Long and this includes the large anchorage off Greenock known as the Tail of the Bank in reference to the sandbar which separates the firth from the estuary of the River Clyde. The Clyde is still almost 2 miles wide at the sandbar, in Scottish Gaelic the landward end is called Linne Chluaidh, while the area around the south of Arran, Kintyre and Ayrshire/Galloway is An Linne Ghlas. The Firth encompasses many Islands and Peninsulas and has ferry routes connecting them to the mainland. Sometimes called the Clyde Waters, this body is customarily considered an element of the Irish Sea. The ferry services are run by Caledonian MacBrayne and by Western Ferries, a great number of sea lochs adjoin the Firth, the largest being Loch Fyne. The Cowal peninsula extends into the Firth of Clyde and forms the upper firth west shoreline. The main town on the Cowal peninsula is Dunoon and these routes across the Firth of Clyde save time, rather than traveling round by road, via Loch Eck side, the Rest and be thankful and Loch Lomond side. The service between Dunoon and Gourock in Inverclyde, operated by the Caledonian MacBrayne subsidiary Argyll Ferries LTD is a passenger only service. This service connects directly with the ScotRail service to Glasgow, Western Ferries LTD operate the service between Hunters Quay and McInroys Point near Gourock and carry all types of vehicular transport and foot passengers. This lists the towns and some of the numerous villages along the firth. There are many islands in the firth, the largest all have thriving communities and regular ferry services connecting them to the mainland. They are, Arran Bute Cumbrae The Clyde formed an important sea route from the earliest times, and the Battle of Largs in 1263 marked the turning point for the end of Viking ambitions in Britain. During World War II Glasgow and the Clyde became Britains main entry point for Allied merchant shipping, military personnel and equipment, the Clyde formed the largest base of naval ships. The area became famous worldwide for its significant contribution to yachting and yachtbuilding with notable designers including, William Fife III, Alfred Mylne, G L Watson and it was also the location of many famous yacht yards. Clyde-built wooden yachts are known for quality and style today
39.
Scotland
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Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain. It shares a border with England to the south, and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east. In addition to the mainland, the country is made up of more than 790 islands, including the Northern Isles, the Kingdom of Scotland emerged as an independent sovereign state in the Early Middle Ages and continued to exist until 1707. By inheritance in 1603, James VI, King of Scots, became King of England and King of Ireland, Scotland subsequently entered into a political union with the Kingdom of England on 1 May 1707 to create the new Kingdom of Great Britain. The union also created a new Parliament of Great Britain, which succeeded both the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of England. Within Scotland, the monarchy of the United Kingdom has continued to use a variety of styles, titles, the legal system within Scotland has also remained separate from those of England and Wales and Northern Ireland, Scotland constitutes a distinct jurisdiction in both public and private law. Glasgow, Scotlands largest city, was one of the worlds leading industrial cities. Other major urban areas are Aberdeen and Dundee, Scottish waters consist of a large sector of the North Atlantic and the North Sea, containing the largest oil reserves in the European Union. This has given Aberdeen, the third-largest city in Scotland, the title of Europes oil capital, following a referendum in 1997, a Scottish Parliament was re-established, in the form of a devolved unicameral legislature comprising 129 members, having authority over many areas of domestic policy. Scotland is represented in the UK Parliament by 59 MPs and in the European Parliament by 6 MEPs, Scotland is also a member nation of the British–Irish Council, and the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly. Scotland comes from Scoti, the Latin name for the Gaels, the Late Latin word Scotia was initially used to refer to Ireland. By the 11th century at the latest, Scotia was being used to refer to Scotland north of the River Forth, alongside Albania or Albany, the use of the words Scots and Scotland to encompass all of what is now Scotland became common in the Late Middle Ages. Repeated glaciations, which covered the land mass of modern Scotland. It is believed the first post-glacial groups of hunter-gatherers arrived in Scotland around 12,800 years ago, the groups of settlers began building the first known permanent houses on Scottish soil around 9,500 years ago, and the first villages around 6,000 years ago. The well-preserved village of Skara Brae on the mainland of Orkney dates from this period and it contains the remains of an early Bronze Age ruler laid out on white quartz pebbles and birch bark. It was also discovered for the first time that early Bronze Age people placed flowers in their graves, in the winter of 1850, a severe storm hit Scotland, causing widespread damage and over 200 deaths. In the Bay of Skaill, the storm stripped the earth from a large irregular knoll, when the storm cleared, local villagers found the outline of a village, consisting of a number of small houses without roofs. William Watt of Skaill, the laird, began an amateur excavation of the site, but after uncovering four houses
40.
Attack on the USNS Card
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The Attack on USNS Card was a Viet Cong operation during the Vietnam War. It took place in the port of Saigon in the hours of May 2,1964. Card was first commissioned into the United States Navy during World War II, with USNS Card a regular visitor to the port, it became a target for local Viet Cong commando units. Shortly after midnight on May 2,1964, two Viet Cong commandos climbed out of the tunnel near the area where Card was anchored. The attack was a success and Card sank 48 feet, the ship was refloated 17 days later, and was towed to the Philippines for repairs. USNS Card was a Bogue-class escort carrier that had served in the United States Navy with distinction. The Cards hull was laid down on October 27,1941, originally intended as a cargo ship, the ship was reclassified ACV-11 and converted into an escort carrier with a displacement of 9,800 tons. On July 15,1943, Card was reclassified CVE-11 and became the flagship of Task Group 21.14, during the periods between July and November, Cards aircraft and the escort vessels of TG21.14 destroyed a total of five German submarines. By the end of World War II, Card and her aircraft destroyed a total of 11 German submarines, after 1945 Card was decommissioned and briefly put out of service when it was transferred to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. On May 16,1958, Card re-entered service with the Military Sea Transport Service, the ship was manned by a civilian crew and was prefixed USNS instead of USS as it was in service but not commissioned. With the wars escalation, the United States government stepped up support for South Vietnams fight against the Communist National Liberation Front. On December 15,1961, USNS Card left Quonset Point, Rhode Island, with a cargo of H-21 Shawnee helicopters and U. S. soldiers from Fort Devens, Massachusetts, bound for Vietnam. At Subic Bay in the Philippines, the cargo and troops were transferred to USS Princeton, from 1961 onwards, Card and USNS Core regularly docked in Saigon to unload heavy artillery, M-113 armored personnel carriers, aircraft, helicopters and ammunition for the South Vietnamese government. The Port of Saigon was situated between the Te and Ben Nghe Canals, and was about 700 meters wide from one side to the other. The port itself was guarded round the clock by South Vietnamese police, despite their best efforts to control Viet Cong activities across the river in the Thu Thiem area, the South Vietnamese military and police could not stop Viet Cong agents from operating there. So Viet Cong members of the 65th Special Operations Group were able to watch U. S. and South Vietnamese military activities at the port, lam Son Nao, a commando of the 65th Special Operations Group, was also an employee at the port facility. Nao’s father had worked at the port facility as a tradesman, so he memorised all the underground tunnels and sewerage systems which ran in. He advised Nao that the best way to enter the area where the American ships normally anchored, was via the sewer tunnel opposite Thu Thiem
41.
T2 tanker
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The T2 tanker, or T2, was a class of oil tankers constructed and produced in large quantities in the United States during World War II. After the T3 Tankers, they were the largest navy oilers of the period, T2 tankers were used to transport, fuel oil, diesel fuel, gasoline and sometimes black oil-crude oil. Post war many T2s remained in use, like other hastily built World War II ships pressed into peace time service there were safety concerns and this occurred after two T-2s, Pendleton and Fort Mercer, split in two off Cape Cod within hours of each other. Engineering inquiries into the problem suggested the cause was due to poor welding techniques and it was found the steel was not well suited for the new wartime welding construction. The high sulfur content made the steel brittle and prone to metal fatigue at lower temperatures, marCom subsidized the excess cost of naval features beyond normal commercial standards. Standard T2s were 501 ft 6 in in length, with a beam of 68 ft. Rated at 9,900 tons gross, with 15,850 long tons deadweight, steam turbines driving a single propeller at 12,000 horsepower delivered a top speed of 16 knots. Six were built for commerce by Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard in Maryland, only to be taken over by the United States Navy following the attack on Pearl Harbor as the Kennebec class oiler. Bigger but faster, they were 526 ft in length, displaced about 22,445 tons. All five were requisitioned by the Navy during the war and converted to fleet oilers as the Mattaponi class. By far the most common variety of the T2-type tanker was the T2-SE-A1 and they were 523 ft long,68 ft abeam, with 10,448 gross register tons and 16,613 DWT. During that period, average time from laying of the keel to fitting out was 70 days. The record, however, was held by Marinship, which had the Huntington Hills ready for sea trials in just 33 days. The T2-SE-A2 variation, built only by Marinship of Sausalito, was identical to the T2-SE-A1 version. The A3 variation was essentially an A2 built as a Navy oiler from the start,25 of this design were ordered by the Maritime Commission, of which five became Navy oilers as the Chiwawa class. In 1966, the US Army reactivated 11 T2 tankers and converted them into floating electrical power generation plants, the ships propulsion systems electrical turbines were used to generate electricity for on-shore use, drawing on fuel from the ships 150,000 barrel holds. This allowed the ships to produce electricity for two years without refueling for the Vietnam War, the USNS French Creek was the first to arrive in June of 1966, then next was the USS Kennebago, both installed in Cam Ranh Bay. Schenectady, broke in two in 1943, the temperature of the harbor water was about 39°F and water conditions were still
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Liberty ship
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The Liberty ship was a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, the design was adapted by the United States for its simple, mass-produced on an unprecedented scale, the now iconic Liberty ship came to symbolize U. S. wartime industrial output. The class was developed to meet British orders for transports to replace those torpedoed by German U-boats, the vessels were purchased both for the U. S. fleet and lend-lease deliveries of war materiel to Britain and the Soviet Union. Eighteen American shipyards built 2,710 Liberty ships between 1941 and 1945, easily the largest number of ships produced to a single design and their production mirrored on a much larger scale the manufacture of the Hog Islander and similar standardized ship types during World War I. Only three Liberty Ships are preserved, two as operational museum ships. S, the number was doubled in 1939 and again in 1940 to 200 ships a year. Ship types included two tankers and three types of merchant vessel, all to be powered by steam turbines, limited industrial capacity, especially for reduction gears, meant that relatively few of these ships were built. In 1940 the British government ordered 60 Ocean-class freighters from American yards to replace war losses and these were simple but fairly large with a single 2,500 horsepower compound steam engine of obsolete but reliable design. Britain specified coal-fired plants, because it then had extensive coal mines, the order specified an 18-inch increase in draft to boost displacement by 800 long tons to 10,100 long tons. The accommodation, bridge, and main engine were located amidships, the first Ocean-class ship, SS Ocean Vanguard, was launched on 16 August 1941. The design was modified by the United States Maritime Commission, in part to increase conformity to American construction practices, but more importantly to make it even quicker and cheaper to build. The US version was designated EC2-S-C1, EC for Emergency Cargo,2 for a ship between 400 and 450 feet long, S for steam engines, and C1 for design C1. The new design replaced much riveting, which accounted for one-third of the costs, with welding. It was adopted as a Merchant Marine Act design, and production awarded to a conglomerate of West Coast engineering and construction companies headed by Henry J. Kaiser known as the Six Companies. Liberty ships were designed to carry 10,000 long tons of cargo, usually one type per ship, but, during wartime, generally carried loads far exceeding this. On 27 March 1941, the number of ships was increased to 200 by the Defense Aid Supplemental Appropriations Act and increased again in April to 306. By 1941, the turbine was the preferred marine steam engine because of its greater efficiency compared to earlier reciprocating compound steam engines. Eighteen different companies built the engine. It had the advantage of ruggedness and simplicity
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Victory ship
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The Victory ship was a class of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace losses caused by German submarines. A total of 531 Victory ships were built, one of the first acts of the United States War Shipping Administration upon its formation in February 1942 was to commission the design of what came to be known as the Victory class. The design was an enhancement of the Liberty ship, which had successfully produced in extraordinary numbers. Victory ships were larger than Liberty ships,14 feet longer at 455 feet,6 feet wider at 62 ft. Displacement was up just under 1,000 tons, to 15,200, with a raised forecastle and a more sophisticated hull shape to help achieve the higher speed, they had a quite different appearance from Liberty ships. To make them vulnerable to U-boat attacks, Victory ships made 15 to 17 knots,4 to 6 knots faster than the Libertys. The extra speed was achieved through more modern, efficient engines, most used steam turbines, which had been in short supply earlier in the war and reserved for warships. All were oil-fired, but for a handful of Canadian vessels completed with both coal bunkers and oil tanks, another improvement was electrically powered auxiliary equipment, rather than steam-driven machinery. To prevent the hull fractures that a few Liberty ships developed and these were manned by United States Navy Armed Guard personnel. The VC2-S-AP5 Haskell-class attack transports were armed with the 5-inch stern gun, one quad 40 mm Bofors cannon, four dual 40 mm Bofors cannon, the Haskells were operated and crewed exclusively by U. S. Navy personnel. The Victory ship was noted for good proportion of cubic between holds for a ship of its day. A Victory ships cargo hold one, two and five hatches are a single rigged with a capacity of 70,400,76,700, and 69,500 bale cubic feet respectively. Victory ships hold three and four hatches are double rigged with a capacity of 136,100 and 100,300 bale cubic feet respectively. Victory ship have built in mast, booms and derrick cranes, the first vessel was SS United Victory launched at Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation on 12 January 1944 and completed on 28 February 1944, making her maiden voyage a month later. American vessels frequently had a name incorporating the word Victory, the British and Canadians used Fort and Park respectively. Although initial deliveries were slow—only 15 had been delivered by May 1944—by the end of the war 531 had been constructed, because the Atlantic battle had been won by the time that the first of the Victory ships appeared none were sunk by U-boats. Three were sunk by Japanese kamikaze attack in April of 1945, many Victory ships were converted to troopship to bring US soldiers home at the end of World War II as part of Operation Magic Carpet. A total of 97 Victory ships were converted to carry up to 1,600 soldiers
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Hog Islander
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Hog Islanders is the slang for ships built to Emergency Fleet Corporation designs number 1022 and 1024. These vessels were cargo and transport ships, respectively, built under government direction and subsidy to address a shortage of ships in the United States Merchant Marine during World War I. No ships were produced in time to participate in World War I, Emergency Fleet Corporation was formed by the US Shipping Board to acquire, design and build sufficient shipping for the US to conduct operations in World War I. The EFC found that US shipyards were too few and small to meet the needs, contracts were awarded to foreign yards in Japan, the EFC also contracted with private companies to form new yards, called Agency Yards. These would be assembly yards, building prefabricated ships, rather than using traditional methods, Hog Island in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was the first shipyard ever built for mass production of ships from fabricated parts and sub-assemblies, produced at dozens of subcontractors. It had 50 slipways, seven wet docks and a detention basin, only two basic designs, EFC1022 and EFC1024, were to be fabricated at the yard, these became collectively known as Hog Islanders. The Type A design was a carrier and the Type B was designed to transport troops. Both were simple designs geared toward mass production and aesthetic considerations were ignored and these were very modern in design except for the aesthetics. The vessels were fueled by oil rather than coal, with geared turbines of 2,500 shaft horsepower capable of producing up to 15 knots. The design had a minimum of frills with no sheer, resulting in a squat, the hulls were symmetrical from the sides. The combination produced an unconventional look and profile and these ships were considered ugly but well built and had good performance in terms of capacity and speed. The Hog Island contract was for 180 ships, but only 122 were completed, the first ship, SS Quistconck, was launched on 5 August 1918, and the last of 122 ships on 29 January 1921. Though not effective in World War I, these ships were used extensively by the military, fifty-eight, nearly half, of the Hog Islanders were sunk during World War II. The Liberty ships built during World War II used a concept of production. Only 24 Type B troop transports were produced, twelve of the Type B ships were built with 8, 400-ton displacements, one of which became the US Navy USS Argonne. Another twelve were built with 13, 400-ton displacements, an example of which was the US Navy hospital ship USS Samaritan, which was active in World War II. St. Mihiel Argonne Samaritan SS Liberty Glo SS Robin Moor SS City of Flint De La Pedraja, Rene, Merchant Marine and Shipping Industry Since the Introduction of Steam, Greenwood Press,1994, ISBN 0-313-27225-5 de Tankerville, R. Note, page 545. New York, Shipping Publishing Company,545, the Ship Modeller Mailing List Website
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United States Merchant Marine Academy
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The United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of the five United States service academies, located in Kings Point, New York. It is charged with training officers for the United States Merchant Marine, branches of the military, between 1874 and 1936, diverse federal legislation supported maritime training through school ships, internships at sea, and other methods. Originally — and in cooperation with the State of New York — the U. S. government planned to establish a large-scale Merchant Marine Academy at Fort Schuyler, New York, nothing came of these plans. Congress passed the landmark Merchant Marine Act in 1936, and two later, the U. S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps was established, in that year, the USTS Nantucket was transferred from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to Kings Point and renamed the USTS Emory Rice. The first training was given at temporary facilities until the Academys permanent site in Kings Point, the Kings Point campus was originally Walter Chryslers twelve-acre waterfront estate, named Forker House. Construction of the Academy began immediately, and 15 months later the task was virtually completed, the Academy was dedicated on 30 September 1943, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who noted the Academy serves the Merchant Marine as West Point serves the Army and Annapolis the Navy. World War II required the Academy to forgo its normal operation and its enrollment rose to 2,700 men, and the planned course of instruction was reduced in length from four years to 18 months. In spite of the war, shipboard training continued to be a part of the Academy curriculum. One hundred and forty-two midshipmen gave their lives in service to their country, from 1942–1945, the Academy graduated 6,895 officers. As the war drew to a close, plans were made to convert the Academys wartime curriculum to a four-year, in 1948, such a course was instituted. Authorization for awarding the degree of bachelor of science to graduates was granted by Congress in 1949, the Academy became fully accredited as a degree-granting institution in the same year. It was made a permanent institution by an Act of Congress in 1956, the Academy accelerated graduating classes during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. It was involved in programs as training U. S. officers for the nuclear-powered merchant ship. Midshipmen training at sea also participated in the humanitarian sealift to Somalia during Operation Restore Hope, in 1992, the Academy acquired its largest campus-based training vessel, the T/V Kings Pointer. After 20 years at the Academy, MARAD transferred the ship to the Texas Maritime Academy in Galveston to serve as its new training vessel. In June 2014, the vessel was rechristened the T/V Kings Pointer, the rechristening followed the earlier dedication of the Academy’s newly replaced Mallory Pier. In the 1990s, the Academy’s future came into question when it was included in the National Performance Review, chaired by Vice President Albert Gore, the report recommended halving the federal subsidy and requiring students to pay half of tuition to reduce costs
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USS Pocomoke (AV-9)
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USS Pocomoke was a Pocomoke-class seaplane tender, originally built as the SS Exchequer and acquired by the U. S. Navy as the military build-up occurred in the United States just prior to World War II. She operated principally in the Pacific Theatre of the war and serviced military seaplanes, at war’s end, she returned to the United States with two battle stars. When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, Pocomoke was attached to Task Group 4.3 of the Support Force, Atlantic Fleet, stationed at Argentia, Newfoundland. She tended two patrol planes which scouted waters approaching the harbor searching for German U-boats which threatened convoys carrying desperately needed war material to England, on 9 January 1942 she departed Argentia en route to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, where she entered the yard for alterations. Following training and exercises she departed Boston, Massachusetts,21 May for Argentia to act as flagship for Commander, Task Force 24, returning to Boston 15 August, she proceeded via Norfolk to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She discharged cargo there and at Trinidad, and steamed back to Norfolk 8 October, on 30 October Pocomoke got underway, transited the Panama Canal, and proceeded via Seymour Bay, Galapagos Islands, to San Diego, California,27 November. Then steaming to San Francisco, California, she sailed 2 December for Pearl Harbor where she discharged spare parts and supplies. West Coast for additional supplies, Pocomoke sailed to Pearl Harbor 4 January 1943, then, escorted by USS Breese, the next day she weighed anchor for Hawaii where she took on supplies and equipment at Pearl Harbor, and pushed on to Noumea, New Caledonia. On 6 June she embarked men of Patrol Bombing Squadrons VPB-15 and VPB-23 at Espiritu Santo, there she loaded cargo for Fleet Air Photograph Squadron 3 and sailed 1 October for Canton Island. She returned to San Diego 21 October, with USS Tisdale she steamed for Tarawa and returned to Hawaii 25 January. Another brief return to the West Coast was followed by a stopover at Pearl Harbor to take on troops and she tended seaplanes at Kwajalein and Eniwetok before anchoring off Saipan 15 June to begin operations for Patrol Squadron 16 which were continued until 12 September. She departed for Kossol Passage, Palau Islands where she continued her repair and she finally sailed via Ulithi, Eniwetok, and Pearl Harbor for San Francisco, arriving 15 December. Late January 1945, saw Pocomoke again underway for Pearl Harbor and Manus Island to report for duty with Commander, Air Force and she returned to the task of ferrying supplies and passengers, getting underway for San Pedro Bay, Leyte Gulf, and Samar Island. She then tended seaplanes at Palawan Island and Tawitawi Island, for the duration of the active fighting war in the Pacific, on 28 August 1945 administrative command changed to Commander Philippine Sea Frontier, and 9 September Pocomoke set course for Sangley Point, Manila Bay. Pocomoke returned to San Diego 28 February 1946 and transited the Panama Canal 11 March to report for duty to Commander, Air Force, Atlantic. She was ordered to Norfolk, unloaded her ammunition and steamed into Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, list of United States Navy ships This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. NavSource Online, Service Ship Photo Archive - AV-9 Pocomoke
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USS Griffin (AS-13)
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USS Griffin, originally Mormacpenn, a United States Maritime Commission Type C3 pre-war cargo ship, was launched by Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock, Chester, Pennsylvania,11 October 1939. Her conversion completed in September 1941, Griffin conducted shakedown off the East Coast, recalled to Newport, Rhode Island, after Pearl Harbor, the ship was assigned to the United States Pacific Fleet, and departed 14 February 1942 for Australia. Griffin arrived Brisbane 15 April 1942 to tend Submarine Squadron 5, during this period Griffin also repaired merchant ships at a time of great need. The tender departed Brisbane for the Fiji Islands 11 November 1942 and 1 December 1942 sailed to Bora Bora to escort Submarine Division 53 to the Panama Canal Zone, arriving Balboa 7 January 1943, Griffin continued north to Oakland, California, arriving 20 January 1943. After repairs at San Diego, California, Griffin again departed for the Pacific and she arrived Pearl Harbor 4 May 1943 to take up her vital support duties, and remained until 3 January 1944. The ship performed refits, battle repairs, and general upkeep on submarines before sailing to Mare Island to arrive 10 January 1944, Griffin returned to Pearl Harbor 17 March 1944, and departed 8 April 1944 for the great submarine base at Fremantle, Western Australia. She arrived 8 May and immediately set about servicing the growing submarine fleet, the tender remained at Fremantle until 20 November 1944, during her Stay founding a rubber fabrication shop which solved one of the great shortages on board the submarines. She then moved closer to the Japanese shipping lanes at Mios Woendi, New Guinea, there she tended submarines, surface craft of all kinds, and even lent her repair equipment to shore facilities. Griffin remained at Mios Woendi until 1 February 1945 when she sailed for Subic Bay, arriving 10 February 1945, Griffin set up one of the initial submarine repair facilities in the Philippines since 1942. She also helped to salvage damaged destroyer La Vallette, shifting base, the tender sailed 22 March 1945 via Leyte, and arrived in the Hawaiian Islands 10 April 1945. After a brief stay at Pearl she departed 10 May 1945 for Midway, arrived 4 days later, by that time submarines supported by Griffin had practically annihilated Japanese merchant shipping and had played a decisive role in the great Pacific offensive. She remained at Midway until 10 September 1945, then sailed to Pearl Harbor and San Francisco, decommissioned at Mare Island 12 October 1945, the ship was placed in reserve. Later she transferred to the Stockton group, Pacific Reserve Fleet and she was stricken in 1972 and transferred to MARAD. This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, the entry can be found here. Naval Vessel Register - AS13 NavSource. org USS Griffin
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USS Markab
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USS Markab was a Hamul-class destroyer tender named for Markab, the third-brightest star in the constellation Pegasus. Markab operated with Atlantic amphibious forces in the Hampton Roads area until 1 October 1941 and she then loaded cargo at Jersey City, New Jersey for delivery to American troops recently stationed in Greenland. Returning to Brooklyn, New York on 21 November, she took on supplies for distribution to various bases in the Caribbean. World War II engulfed the United States before Markab steamed into Ensenada Honda, Puerto Rico, the new wartime demands on the Navy caused this voyage to terminate at Mobile, Alabama on 8 January 1942 where she was converted to a destroyer tender. Sixteen days later she was redesignated AD-21, but it was 27 September before Commander Brown again commanded a fully commissioned vessel, after shakedown Markab transited the Panama Canal on 27 October to join Destroyer Force, Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. Ships recently returned from the battle for the Solomon Islands made use of her facilities for three months prior to her departure on 6 February 1943 to service the North Pacific Force. In the year she remained in the Aleutians, she rendered noteworthy service in helping to prepare vessels for both the Attu and Kiska invasions, steaming to San Francisco late in January,1944 the ship prepared for an even more extensive Pacific tour. She departed the West Coast on 26 February and worked her way toward the war zone, having assisted in preparing and sustaining the ships fighting in the bloody conquests of the Marianas and Iwo Jima, she sailed for the Philippines on 16 February 1945. Her work force now overhauled and readied landing craft for the assault on Okinawa, during June she played an important part in preparing TF38 for the last great raids on Japan. Following the Japanese surrender, Markab refitted and restocked ships bound for the areas of Japan, Korea. Steaming in their wake, she arrived Sasebo, Japan on 1 November and early in January 1946 joined the 7th Fleet at Shanghai and her services in the western Pacific ended 2 April as Markab commenced the long voyage home for inactivation. The ship off loaded at New Orleans beginning 6 May, at Orange, Texas on January,1947 she decommissioned and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. When the Cold War turned hot in Korea, the resultant expansion of the Navy brought the temporary reactivation of Markab, recommissioned on 26 February 1952 with Captain Melvyn H. McCoy in command, she remained on the East Coast servicing Destroyer Force ships. Operating initially at Newport, Rhode Island and after April,1955 at Fall River, Massachusetts, on 9 February she departed on a voyage to Charleston where she decommissioned on 31 July. Into a crisis-beset world she emerged again in 1960, towed to Mare Island Navy Yard in California, she was redesignated as Repair Ship AR-23 on 15 April and recommissioned on 1 July with Captain Edwin Monroe Westbrook, Jr. in command. Homeported at Alameda Naval Air Station, the ship sailed to Pearl Harbor late in October. Between 5 July 1962 and 14 September 1966 she projected her services even more widely, on the first such voyage Markab returned a priceless Chinese art treasures exhibit to Taiwan. On the next two tours, ships returning from combat patrol off the coast of Vietnam increasingly required her facilities, interspersed with the work periods in the Philippines and Japan were brief rest and rehabilitation periods at Hong Kong and Buckner Bay, Okinawa
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USS Elizabeth C. Stanton (AP-69)
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USS Elizabeth C. Stanton was the lead ship of her class of Second World War United States Navy transport ships, named for the suffragist and abolitionist Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Sailing from Norfolk on 24 October 1942, Elizabeth C. Stanton quickly landed her troops and equipment for the assault on North Africa on 8 November and got underway for the States within the week. On 10 May 1943 Elizabeth C. Stanton sailed again for the Mediterranean and she remained off the island discharging troops and combat cargo, and fighting off enemy aircraft for six days. She returned to Algeria to prepare for the operation. Until the end of October, she carried reinforcement troops from Bizerte and Oran to Naples for the capture and occupation of Italy, then sailed for New York and overhaul. On 14 March 1944 she departed Belfast for Algeria, and subsequently carried troops to Naples, taking part in amphibious exercises, then she saw action in the initial landings on the coast of southern France. She continued to support operation by transporting troops and cargo throughout the Mediterranean until returning to the United States on 8 November. After overhaul at New York, Elizabeth C. Stanton sailed for the Pacific on 4 January 1945, assigned to redeploy troops in the central and southern Pacific, she sailed from Pearl Harbor to the New Hebrides, Marianas, Marshalls, Solomons, Carolines and Okinawa Gunto. Arriving at San Francisco on 11 July for repairs, she sailed again in August to transport troops for the occupation of Japan and she returned to the West Coast late in 1945. On 20 January 1946 she carried 1,800 German prisoners of war with their US Army guards from Long Beach to Liverpool and she returned to New York on 5 March and was decommissioned on 3 April 1946, ownership reverting to the Maritime Commission on the same day. Elizabeth C. Stanton received five stars for World War II service. List of U. S. military vessels named after women This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, the entry can be found here. Photo gallery of USS Elizabeth C. Stanton at NavSource Naval History
