.jpg) Broadside view of USSAllioth (AK-109), off San Francisco, 19 November 1943 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | James Rowan |
| Owner | War Shipping Administration (WSA) |
| Operator | Pope & Talbot, Inc. |
| Ordered | as aType EC2-S-C1 hull,MCE hull 1730[1] |
| Builder | Permanente Metals Corporation,Yard #2,Richmond, California |
| Cost | $738,276 |
| Yard number | 1730 |
| Way number | 10 |
| Laid down | 30 July 1943 |
| Launched | 20 August 1943 |
| Sponsored by | Miss Cora Clonts |
| In service | 31 August 1943 |
| Identification | |
| Fate | transferred to theUS Navy, 3 October 1943 |
| United States | |
| Name | Allioth |
| Namesake | The starAllioth |
| Acquired | 5 October 1943 |
| Commissioned | 25 October 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 18 May 1946 |
| Reclassified |
|
| Refit | Grumium-class Aviation Supply Issue Ship, atAlameda, California, March 1945 |
| Stricken | 22 May 1947 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Sold for scrapping, 27 August 1964 |
| General characteristics[3] | |
| Class & type |
|
| Tonnage | |
| 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 |
|
| Complement | 206 |
| Armament |
|
USS Allioth (AK-109/IX-204/AVS-4) was aCrater-classcargo ship and aviation supply ship in the service of theUS Navy inWorld War II. Named afterAlioth, a star in constellationUrsa Major. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Allioth was laid down under aMaritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 1730, on 30 July 1943, as theLiberty ship,James Rowan, was laid down by thePermanente Metals Corporation,Yard #2,Richmond, California. She was launched on 20 August 1943, and sponsored by Miss Cora Clonts.
James Rowan was delivered toPope & Talbot, Inc., on 31 August 1943, for civilian use.[2]
James Rowan was acquired by theUS Navy, on 3 October 1943; renamedAllioth and designatedAK-109, on 6 October 1943; and commissioned atPortland, Oregon, on 25 October 1943.[4]
Upon her arrival atPearl Harbor, on 5 December 1943, the cargo ship was assigned toService Squadron 8 (ServRon 8). During the next 11 months, she operated as a mobile supply source for theUS Army. Her duties consisted of loading cargo and dispensing it to troops as needed. Among the ports from which she operated wereFunafuti,Ellice Islands;Makin andTarawa,Gilbert Islands;Kwajalein andEniwetok,Marshall Islands; andPeleliu andAngaur,Palau Islands.[4]
Allioth sailed from Peleliu, on 14 November 1944, bound for Pearl Harbor. On the afternoon of 20 November, twoJapanese airplanes attacked her, dropping several bombs but scoring no hits.[4]
Later that evening, one aircraft returned and dropped a bomb which exploded near the ship. Ten crewmen were slightly wounded, and the ship suffered minor structural damage fromshrapnel. She continued her journey and arrived safely inHawaiian waters on 11 December 1944.[4]
Two days later, the ship resumed her voyage toward theWest Coast of theUnited States, and she entered a shipyard atAlameda, California, on 24 December, for overhaul and conversion to anAviation Supply Issue Ship. The alterations were completed in early March 1945, andAllioth received the new designationIX-204.[4]
On 10 March, the vessel got underway for Pearl Harbor. After taking on more cargo there, she resumed her westward voyage, dropped anchor atUlithi, on 8 April, and began supplying various units with airplane parts. On 3 May, her designation was changed toAVS-4.[4]
When the fleet moved from Ulithi,Allioth headed for thePhilippine Islands, arriving atLeyte Gulf, on 27 May. In early June, the ship sailed toSeeadler Harbor,Manus Island, to load morespare parts. She returned toLeyte, on 29 June, and resumed her supply duties.[4]
Allioth moved toOkinawa, in mid-September 1945, and remained there into the next year, supporting various airplane squadrons operating in theRyukyu Islands. On 18 January 1946, the ship got underway to return to the United States.Allioth arrived back at Alameda, on 16 February, and began discharging cargo. Her crew also began stripping the ship of excess equipment in preparation for her deactivation.[4]
Allioth returned to Pearl Harbor, on 15 April, and was placed out of commission there on 18 May 1946.[4] She was transferred to MARCOM on 13 May 1947, and laid up in theSuisun Bay Reserve Fleet, atSuisun Bay, California.[5]
Her name was struck from theNavy List on 22 May 1947. Under MARCOM, the ship resumed her first name,James Rowan.[4] On 27 August 1964, she was sold toUnion Minerals and Alloys Corporation, for $50,719.13. On 13 October 1964, she was withdrawn from the fleet.[5]
Allioth's crew was eligible for the following medals:[3]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
