.jpg) USSAlnitah (AK-127), under way, date and location unknown. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake |
|
| Ordered | as aType EC2-S-C1 hull,MCE hull 451[1] |
| Builder | Permanente Metals Corporation,Richmond, California |
| Yard number | 451[1] |
| Way number | 10[1] |
| Laid down | 12 October 1942 |
| Launched | 14 January 1943 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. T. W. Ludington |
| Acquired | 8 October 1943 |
| Commissioned | 27 November 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 11 March 1946 |
| Refit | converted for Naval service at Los Angeles Shipbuilding Corp, San Pedro, CA. |
| Stricken | 28 March 1946 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sold for scrapping, 3 March 1961 |
| General characteristics[2] | |
| Class and type | Crater-classcargo ship |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 441 ft 6 in (134.57 m) |
| Beam | 56 ft 11 in (17.35 m) |
| Draft | 28 ft 4 in (8.64 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 12.5 kn (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) |
| Capacity |
|
| Troops | 1057 |
| Complement | 309 |
| Armament |
|
TheUSSAlnitah (AK-127) was aCrater-classcargo ship in the service of theUS Navy inWorld War II. Named a spelling variation of the starAlnitak in the constellationOrion, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name.
Alnitah was laid down 10 December 1942, asliberty ship SSJohn A. Logan, MCE hull 451, byPermanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2,Richmond, California, under aMaritime Commission (MARCOM) contract; launched on 14 January 1943; sponsored by Mrs. T. W. Ludington; acquired by the Navy on a bareboat basis on 7 October 1943; converted for naval service at San Pedro, California, by Los Angeles Shipbuilding Corp.; renamedAlnitah on 11 October 1943 and simultaneously designated AK-127; and placed in commission at San Pedro on 27 November 1943.[3]
Following a brief period of shakedown training, the ship took on cargo and personnel atPort Hueneme, California, for transportation to the South Pacific. She departed the California coast on 12 December, and reachedEspiritu Santo on 3 January 1944. On that same day,Alnitah reported to Service Squadron 8 for duty as an interisland transport. Among her ports of call wereGuadalcanal andFlorida Island,Solomon Islands; Espiritu Santo,New Hebrides;Treasury Islands;Russell Islands;Fiji Islands;Auckland,New Zealand;Nouméa,New Caledonia;Milne Bay,New Guinea;Ulithi,Caroline Islands;Tinian andGuam,Mariana Islands; andOkinawa.[3]
Alnitah continued her routine of transporting cargo and personnel throughout the Pacific theatre of operations into late July 1945. The ship departedSaipan on 28 July, and shaped a course for the west coast of the United States. During her homeward voyage,Japan capitulated in mid-August ending World War II. After a two-day visit en route atPearl Harbor,Hawaii, the cargo ship arrived atSan Francisco, California, on 21 August, and received voyage repairs before the vessel resumed action on 25 September. She was subsequently assigned toMagic Carpet duty, which involved shuttling American military personnel from various points in the Pacific back home to the United States.[3]
USS ALNITAH departed Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands 01NOV1945 and arrived San Diego CA 21NOV1945.
The cargo ship made a voyage from San Francisco toRoi,Kwajalein, andMajuro Atolls in October. She touched back at Pearl Harbor on 12 November before continuing on toSan Diego, California.Alnitah debarked her passengers before getting underway on 29 November, for Okinawa. The vessel arrived there on 22 December, and discharged her cargo and passengers. She operated in the Okinawa area through 4 February 1946; then sailed for thePhilippines. The ship reachedSubic Bay on 8 February and there embarked troops for transportation to Japan.Alnitah left Philippine waters on 16 February, and arrived atYokosuka, Japan, on 23 February.
USS ALNITAH departed Kwajalein Island, Marshall Islands 01NOV1945 and arrived San Diego CA 21NOV1945.
Upon her arrival preparations were begun to deactivate the ship. She was decommissioned on 11 March 1946, and was transferred to theWar Shipping Administration (WSA) representative atYokohama, Japan. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 28 March 1946.[3]
On 26 September 1947, she was laid up in theNational Defense Reserve Fleet,Astoria, Oregon, as part of the "7th Group Libertys". She was sold for scrapping on 3 March 1961, toZidell Exploration, Inc., for $52,887.87, with delivery on 12 April 1961.[4]
Online resources
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
