.jpg) Her "Liberty Ship" lines clearly apparent, USSLynx (AK-100), part of atank landing craft (LCT) secured as deck cargo forward, delivers Section 13 of the advanced base sectional dockABSD-1 atPalikulo Bay,Espiritu Santo, 1 February 1944. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake |
|
| Ordered | as aType EC2-S-C1 hull,MCE hull 1657[1] |
| Builder | California Shipbuilding Corporation,Terminal Island, Los Angeles, California |
| Yard number | 190[1] |
| Way number | 10[1] |
| Laid down | 26 April 1943 |
| Launched | 18 May 1943 |
| Commissioned | 26 July 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 1 November 1945 |
| Renamed | Lynx, 27 May 1943 |
| Stricken | 16 November 1945 |
| Identification |
|
| Honors & awards |  1 ×battle star |
| Fate | Sold for scrapping, 3 October 1972, withdrawn, 10 November 1972 |
| General characteristics[2] | |
| Class & type | Crater-classcargo ship |
| Type | Type EC2-S-C1 |
| 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 | 24 officers 214 enlisted |
| Armament |
|
USSLynx (AK-100) was aCrater-classcargo ship commissioned by theUS Navy for service inWorld War II.Lynx was the third US Navy vessel to bear the name, but unlike previous ships this one was named after the constellationLynx. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in theAsiatic-Pacific Theater.
Lynx was laid down 26 April 1943, under aMaritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull No. 1657, as theLiberty ship SSJuan Bautista de Anza, byCalifornia Shipbuilding Corporation,Terminal Island, Los Angeles, California; launched 18 May 1943; sponsored by Mrs. E. E. McCarty; renamedLynx 27 May 1943; and commissioned 26 July 1943.[3][4]
After fitting out, Lynx reported on 6 August 1943, to the Commandant,Twelfth Naval district, for assignment to theNaval Transportation Service (NTS),Lynx loaded cargo atSan Francisco and departed for the western Pacific 28 August 1943, inConvoy PW 2294. Proceeding viaEspiritu Santo, in theNew Hebrides, the new cargo vessel touched atAuckland, New Zealand, 26 October, andRarotonga, 2 November, then returned to Espiritu Santo en route back to the west coast of the United States.[4]
Completing an overhaul at theHurley Marine Works,Oakland, California, on 7 December 1943,Lynx shifted to berth no.3,Encinal Terminal,Alameda, California, later the same day, and began loading cargo. After completing that process on 15 December, the ship moved to Pier 54N atSan Francisco, taking on board a deck cargo of aLanding Craft Tank (LCT), aLanding Craft Mechanized (LCM), and threeLanding Craft Personnel (LCV(P)), vehicle and personnel landing craft, 15–17 December.[4]
Lynx clearedSan Francisco Bay on 17 December 1943, for towing tests in accordance with the movement orders fromCommanderJoseph J. Rochefort, the commanding officer ofABSD-2. Subsequently, the cargo ship carried out her assigned evolutions, 18–20 December, towing section A ofABD-20, escorted by thefleet tugMunsee and salvage vesselEscape, dropping anchor in Berth 68, San Francisco Bay, 20 December. She remained there throughChristmas of 1943.[4]
On 27 December 1943,Lynx, with Section 13 of the advanced base sectional dockABSD-1 in tow astern, sailed asflagship ofTask Group (TG) 116.15.3, Commander Arthur S. Walton, in company withsister shipsLyra, towingARD-12, andSculptor, withYRD(H)-1 astern, andAlbireo, towingYRD(M)-1, escorted by the fleet tugZuni, set course for theSouth Pacific. During the afternoon watch on 14 January 1944,Zuni left her position in the formation and came alongside, transferringSea1c Hugh W. Morris, diagnosed withappendicitis, toLynx, for medical treatment.Lieutenant Herman E. Wuestenfeld, MC-V(G),[a] the cargo ship's medical officer, performed anappendectomy later that same day, 20:34-21:40.[4]
Less than an hour before the end of the forenoon watch, 11:03, on 18 January 1944, Sea2c Maurice L. Bosshart, V-6, USNR, a passenger traveling in Lynx for further transportation toYRD(M)-1 for duty,fell overboard. Thirty seconds after Bosshart was reported over the side,Lynx ran up her“five” flag at the dip and dropped twolife rings and a Franklin life buoy within 50 yd (46 m) of him.Zuni left the formation at 11:04 to conduct a search, whileLynx signaled her tow to look for the man and put life rings in the water. Sailors on board section 13 of the advanced base sectional dockABSD-1, however, reported that they had lost sight of him. The following day, 19 January,Lynx held a memorial service for Sea2c Bosshart at 09:30.[4]
On 22 January 1944, thesubmarine chasersPC-584 andPC-596 joined as additional escorts, and two days later thedestroyer escortSpangler joined the convoy as escort commander. The assemblage of ships and yard craft crossed the180th meridian on 25 January, losing 26 January, in the process. Shortly before the end of thefirst dog watch on 28 January, at 17:55,Lynx embarkedSergeant Claude E. Rudy,USMC, a passenger in the tugZuni, who had been diagnosed with appendicitis. Ultimately, TG 116.15.3 reached its destination, Espiritu Santo, on 1 February, standing in to Pallikula Bay.[4]
Delivering her tow upon arrival,Lynx shifted toSegond Channel, Espiritu Santo, 2 February 1944, and transferred Sgt. Rudy and Sea1c Morris, the two recovering appendicitis patients, back toZuni, while the tug returned the cargo ship's Franklin life buoy that had been put in the water during the unsuccessful attempt to save Sea2c Bosshart. She also began discharging and unloading cargo over the next few days, 3–4 February.Lynx returned to Pallikula Bay on the morning of 5 February, then sailed forEfate, New Hebrides, later the same day, escorted by the districtpatrol vesselYP-416, arriving on 6 February. After discharging cargo at Vila Harbor, Efate, 6–7 February,Lynx shifted toHavannah Harbor, Efate, 8 February, where she completed the unloading process, 8–10 February. She set course for Espiritu Santo on 10 February, and anchored upon arrival the following day. After a wait, 11–15 February, for dock space,Lynx completed discharging cargo on 21 February, moving away from the pier where she had been moored to return to an anchorage, assisted in the evolution byRail and harbor tugYT-153.[4]
Sailing on 23 February 1944, in company withFort McHenry,Lynx set course to return to San Francisco, escorted byPC-598. With the little convoy dispersed on 24 February, the cargo vessel received instructions to divert her course south of theFiji Islands the following day. She crossed the International Date Line on 28 February, and ultimately stood in to the naval anchorage at San Francisco on 17 March. She shifted to Pier 18 North the following day to discharge cargo, 18–19 March, then returned to the Encinal Terminal at Alameda, 21–28 March. She loaded cargo at Alameda and at Pier 50B, San Francisco, 29 March–1 April.[4]
Underway on 1 April 1944,Lynx steamed toSan Pedro, California, 3–4 April. Picking up her tow, thefuel oilbargeYO-184,Lynx sailed forPearl Harbor on 4 April. Relieved of her tow on 17 April, the cargo ship put into Pearl and moored at berth K-1, Naval Supply Depot, where she began discharging cargo. She shifted to berth V-2 offPearl City on 19 April, to continue that work, completing it on 22 April, at which point she began to load cargo. Sailing forHilo,Territory of Hawaii, on 25 April, her holds full, she arrived at her destination on the following day. Discharging cargo there until 28 April, she sailed that day to return to the west coast of the United States.[4]
Lynx stood in to San Francisco Bay on 6 May 1944, and anchored. Underway two days later, she moored at Pier 25, San Francisco, on 8 May, where she began a period of minor repairs and alterations in the hands of theGeneral Engineering Co. on 9 May. Shifting to the General Engineering & Drydock Company's yard at Alameda, on 16 May, she entered the floatingdry dockYFD-19, where her bottom was scraped and painted andparavane gear installed, 16–19 May. Underway once more on 20 May,Lynx fueled at the Point Orient Fuel Dock that same day, then put intoPort Chicago to load cargo at theNaval Magazine there 20–28 May. Shifting to Pier 92, San Francisco, on 28 May, she continued to receive minor repairs and alterations through the end of the month, such work being completed on 31 May, when she also completed loading her holds. She completed loading deck cargo,LCT-1096 and five re-arming boats, on 1 June, then proceeded to theTiburon anchorage, San Francisco Bay, on 2 June.[4]
Lieutenant Commander William N. Price reported on boardLynx on 3 June 1944, as Commander Task Unit 116.15.1, and the ship sailed that day as his flagship, towing Section 10 (“H”) ofABSD-2, in company with her old convoy-mateSculptor—towing Section 3 (“I”) ofABSD-2; cargo shipEridanus – towing Section 21 (“J”) ofABSD-2; and the tugPoint Arguello towing Section 4 (“G”) ofABSD-2. The rescue tugATR-25, withYF-591 in tow, rounded outConvoy PW 2411. Two days into the voyage,ATR-25 transferred her tow toPoint Arguello, and assumed duty as retriever vessel. Later in the passage, on 23 June, Lt. Cmdr. Price detachedATR-25 to proceed toPago Pago, Tutuila, Samoa, “to refuel and transact official business for Task Unit 116.15.1.” Her mission completed, the rescue tug rejoined the convoy on 27 June, then conducted a round trip to Pago Pago. She was detached “to proceed on duty assigned” on 28 June. Convoy PW-2411 continued on its voyage into July, skipping 3 July 1944, as the ships travelled east to west. The tugRace Point joined the assemblage on 11 July, as retriever, then left “in accordance with verbal instructions of [the] Convoy Commodore…” on 13 July, returning on 15 July, shortly before the convoy stood in toSeeadler Harbor, Manus.[4]
Underway forNew Guinea on 18 July 1944,Lynx proceeded withSculptor, convoy commander,Eridanus, and theWar Shipping Administration (WSA)troopship,Dutch registry,Kota Inten, escorted byHMAS Geelong andHMAS Glenelg. The last-three named ships received orders to proceed independently on 19 July, while the three American cargo ships continued on, arriving atMilne Bay on 21 July. Fueling alongsideClyde, 23 July,Lynx unloaded her deck cargo,LCT-1096 and the re-arming boats, on 26 July, then got underway forQueensland, Australia, later the same morning.[4]
Lynx arrived atBrisbane on 31 July 1944, and immediately commenced unloading cargo. Bringing that task to completion on 4 August, and beginning the loading process, the cargo ship sailed forSydney, New South Wales, on 8 August. Reaching port on 10 August, she discharged the materials brought from Brisbane atDarling Harbour, 10–14 August,Pyrmont, 14–21 August, andGlebe Island, 21 August, then loaded a cargo at the last-named Sydney location 21–25 August, completing that work an hour after the end of themid watch that day. She sailed forOahu on 26 August. Reaching Pearl Harbor on 10 September,Lynx moored alongside the freighterJohn Lind at berth X-10, and unloaded all cargo earmarked for Pearl the following day between 13:55 and 23:00. She then sailed for the west coast on 12 September.[4]
Bringing another voyage to a close on 20 September 1944, when she dropped anchor in San Francisco Bay,Lynx unloaded cargo alongside Pier 18 North, 21–26 September, then steamed to the yard of the Cortola Company's, Marine Ways, Inc., Oakland, where she underwent repairs and alterations into the first week of October. Completing her availability at the Cortola yard on 6 October,Lynx steamed to Pier 48-B, San Francisco, where she loaded cargo until 14 October. Underway to calibrate her radio direction finder that afternoon, she anchored in San Francisco Bay when that task was done, pausing only until the morning of 16 October, when she sailed for Oahu,Lynx, convoy commander, taking departure withLignite in tow and accompanied byYF-450.[4]
Letting go her tow shortly before mid day on 28 October 1944, off the entrance to the Pearl Harbor entrance channel, releasingLignite “into the care of pilot and tugs,”Lynx directedYF-450 to proceed independently, then moored at berth K-5 soon thereafter. She unloaded cargo at X-5 until 7 November, at which point she shifted berths to X-11, mooring alongsideDurham Wright at 09:47, that ship's place taken by another freighter,Joel Palmer, at 18:12. The following afternoon, 8 November 1944,Lynx got underway for San Francisco, taking station inConvoy PS 160T with the convoy commander in the transportU. S. Grant, theC1–B troopshipCape Cleare,Gulf Caribbean,Permanente, andDuala', escorted by thefrigateRockford and theminesweeperArdent.[4]
PS-160T's voyage proceeded without incident until 12:32 on 13 November 1944, some 100 mi (160 km) west-southwest of Los Angeles, Calif.,Ardent's sonar picked up asubmarine contact. The minesweeper attacked, firing a 24-charge “hedgehog” pattern, and followed that up with a second pattern at 12:46.Rockford left her escort station to assist, and fired her first barrage of rockets from her “hedgehog” at 13"08. Two explosions followed, before an underwater detonation rocked the ship. While the ships in company took evasive action on signal from the convoy commodore inU. S. Grant,Ardent carried out two more attacks and the frigate dropped 13depth charges. Wreckage recovered on the scene—deck planks, ground cork covered with diesel oil, a wooden slat from a vegetable crate withJapanese writing and advertisements on it, pieces ofvarnishedmahogany inscribed in Japanese, and a piece of deck planking containing Japanese builders’ inscriptions—indicated a definite “kill” that the Navy ultimately awarded toArdent andRockford equally.[4]
Postwar research revealed the sunken boat to beJapanese submarine I-12,Commander Kudo Kaneo, that had sailed from theInland Sea on 4 October 1944, to disrupt American shipping between the west coast and the Hawaiian Islands. In sinkingI-12,Ardent andRockford avenged the atrocityI-12 had committed on 30 October, when, after sinking the freighterJohn A. Johnson with twotorpedoes, the submarine had rammed and sunk the lifeboats and rafts and then employedmachine guns andpistols on the 70 survivors. Among the ten men slain were five sailors of themerchantman'sUS Navy Armed Guard. There were no survivors fromI-12's 114 officers and men.[4]
Lynx relievedU. S. Grant as convoy commander, in accordance with orders from Commander,Western Sea Frontier, on 15 November 1944, and the following day the venerable transport andGulf Caribbean proceeded independently. Putting into San Francisco two days later, 17 November, the ship unloaded cargo over ensuing days, completing the evolutions on 21 November, when she shifted from the familiar confines of Pier 18 North to the Naval Supply Depot, tying up at Berth B and beginning the loading process immediately thereafter on 21 November. Tugs shiftedLynx's berth to Berth C on the following day and she continued the loading there, a process she carried on into the first week of December.LCT-1355 was loaded on board as deck cargo on 2 December, andLynx moved out to the naval anchorage the next day, where she secured a towing cable toYF-746. The ship then sailed for Oahu at 13:20.[4]
Arriving off Pearl Harbor on 12 December 1944,Lynx castYF-746 loose then proceeded to berth X-8, mooring alongsideManderson Victory, that got underway from there on 14 December, permitting the unloading of the tank landing craft thatLynx had brought from the west coast. Shifting to berth X-22 on 16 December, then to B-12 three days before Christmas,Lynx loaded fourmotor torpedo boats (PT) fromMotor Torpedo Boat Squadron 17 on 22 December:PT-225,PT-226,PT-229, andPT-232. After a brief period moored alongside the freighterEdwin M. Stanton at X-10, 23–25 December,Lynx then sailed for theAdmiralty Islands on 27 December, two days after Christmas.[4]
Again losing a day, 3 January 1945, by virtue of the passage westward,Lynx stood in to Seeadler Harbor during the first dog watch on 11 January, anchoring in Berth 24. Once there she took on board a cargo of mail between 12:35 and 13:00 on 14 January, then sailed for Dutch New Guinea a little over five hours later. She discharged her cargo of mail atHumboldt Bay, 16:00-16:31 on 16 January, and remained anchored there until shifting berths on 25 January, prior to her sailing in convoy for thePhilippines later that same day.[4]
With the convoy commodore riding inLynx and the vice-commodore in the auxiliary tugATA-177, the assembly of ships proceeded on their voyage withPratt andRombach andPC-1134 carrying outanti-submarine patrolling on the starboard and port flanks, and ahead, respectively. One day out,Lynx took a crash boat in tow astern ofYO-164, 26 January 1945, and on 27 January, the old tug (ex-minesweeper)Lark reported boiler trouble beyond the scope of underway repair, so she was detached to proceed independently toMios Woendi. Detached two hours into the mid watch on 28 January,PC-1134 proceeded ahead to rendezvous with additional ships slated to join the convoy offBiak. The submarine chaser returned, shepherding her new charges, that afternoon, and after towing assignments with the new arrivals had been taken-up, the convoy resumed its slow speed of advance, 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph), at 23:38, bound for the Philippine Islands.[4]
ReachingSan Pedro Bay, Leyte, half-way through the morning watch on 5 February 1945, the convoy dispersed shortly after its arrival,Lynx turning overYO-164 to the rescue tugsATR-36 andATR-86 before dropping anchor in berth 91. The following morning, 6 February,Lynx got underway and moored alongside the motor torpedo boat tenderCyrene in berth 215 and dischargedPT-226 andPT-229. Then, after spending the night at anchor in berth 214, again came alongsideCyrene at 08:30 on 7 February. The cargo ship dischargedPT-232 andPT-225 at that time, then proceeded back to berth 214 and dropped anchor there.[4]
Steaming thence toGuiuan Harbor, Samar,Lynx discharged cargo there, 11 February–9 March 1945, before returning to San Pedro Bay on 10 March. She got underway at 08:00 on 13 March, in accordance with orders from the Port Director atTolosa Beach, Leyte, to rendezvous withConvoy IG 103, thence to proceed toHollandia. Almost three hours into her voyage, however,Lynx received a dispatch from Commander Task Force 75, in accordance with which she reversed course and returned to San Pedro Bay, dropping anchor in berth 484, upon arrival.[4]
Lynx shifted her anchorage within the confines of San Pedro Bay on 15 March 1945, and remained in berth 31 for almost afortnight, accomplishing “urgent machinery repairs.” After fueling from the station tankerGazelle, 28 March, and taking on fresh water from the distilling shipWildcat, 29 March, she proceeded toDulag, Leyte, on 31 March.Lynx soon began loading cargo, an evolution she continued into the second week of April, after which time she shifted berths, 6 April, and embarked theUS Army’s866th Anti-Aircraft Battery headquarters unit and its equipment, 7 April, for transportation toOkinawa.Lynx then sailed for theWestern Carolines, escorted by thedestroyerCoghlan in TU 75.2.19.[4]
Dropping anchor atUlithi on 13 April 1945,Lynx fueled fromSignal the following morning, 14 April, then took on stores and accomplished minor repairs, 15–19 April, before getting underway in Ulithi-OkinawaConvoy UOK 2 on 20 April, the vice-commodore riding in the ship, and the commodore inCarina, accompanied byrefrigerated store shipAdria, cargo shipsCetus,De Grasse andKenmore, net-laying shipWinterberry,flotilla flagshipsLC(FF)-532 andLC(FF)-536, the tank landing craftLCT-708,large support landing craftLCS(L)-23, degaussing vesselYDG-10 and five freighters, escorted byRalph Talbot,Oliver Mitchell and high speed transportSchley,Captain Glenn R. Hartwig in tactical command, inCompton.[4]
A quarter of an hour into the second dog watch on 24 April 1945,Ralph Talbot left the convoy to investigate a submarine contact. Three hours into the mid watch on 25 April, the convoy received a Commander Task Force 51 secret dispatch “warning of submarine activity in our immediate vicinity.” Ordered to divert from their present course and “to proceed via new reference points” to their destination, UOK 2 did so.Ralph Talbot rejoined the assemblage at the start of the second dog watch later that day. The warning may have been related to the activities of theJapanese submarineRO-109, Lt. Nakagawa Hiroshi, which was sunk with all hands, 56 dead all told, by the high speed transportHorace A. Bass, that was escorting another Okinawa-bound convoy, after three attacks during the second dog watch on 25 April.[4]
UOK 2 arrived off Okinawa at 11:25 on 26 April 1945. With the dissolution of the convoy, the ships proceeded independently,Lynx anchoring in berth 140. She soon began discharging cargo intolighters alongside, a task interrupted by a Flash Red at 02:20 on 27 April. The vessel went togeneral quarters and began making smoke, but although enemy planes were nearby, she sighted none. With the raid over in about a quarter of an hour, the ship resumed unloading. Later that day, however, at 20:40, a Flash Red sentLynx's men back to general quarters for the second time that day. Ships in the vicinity, as well as shore defenses, shot down an aircraft identified as aBetty (twin-engine, land-based bomber), splashing it about 1,000 yd (910 m) onLynx's port beam.[4]
Lynx stayed at battle stations, withJapanese planes reported overhead and “suicide boats at large in the anchorage,” through the mid watch on 28 April 1945, her sailors noting “considerable rifle fire from nearby ships...presumed to be shots fired at possible suicide [assault demolition] boats.” With receipt of a Flash White at 04:16, the ship secured from general quarters and ceased making smoke, the continued discharging cargo into lighters alongside. Two more Flash Reds occurred during the day, 16:05–16:46 and beginning at 19:32, with a 3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber shell, identified afterwards by the fuse setting ring found on deck, exploding nearLynx's port beam at 21:40 “throwing shrapnel about the decks and causing a slight facial injury to one man.”[4]
Again,Lynx remained at general quarters into another mid watch. Securing from battle stations at 02:25 on 29 April 1945, after receiving a Flash White, the ship stood to general quarters three more times that day, 04:29–05:10, 07:51–08:03 and 21:05–23:58, continuing the unloading process in between the first two alarums, 05:10-07:51. She received Flash Red alerts twice during the mid and morning watches on 30 April, 00:45–01:22, and 02:00–05:58, discharging cargo to lighters alongside as before after the latter. A third Flash Red occurred during the first watch, 22:12–23:20.[4]
At month's end, Lt. Cmdr. Berrey reported that winds of “force 2 to 3 or greater, decidedly reduced the effectiveness of the smoke screen” laid in the anchorage.Lynx's smoke boat—a rebuilt LCV(P) “reclaimed from a boat pool scrap heap”—managed to cover large holes in the screen, but only “with difficulty.” He also noted that “attempts to guide the smoke boats on their patrol...were made by ringing the ship’s bell, and later by using a fog horn on the bow,” but similar measures by other ships in the area rendered both expedients “more or less unsatisfactory.” Additionally, “rifle fire from various ships in the harbor, during smoke screening, aimed at supposedJapanese suicide boats, frequently endangered our smoke boats.”[4]
Lynx went to general quarters upon receipt of a Flash Red at the end the mid watch on 1 May 1945, and began making smoke. With a Flash White at 04:41, the ship secured her smoke-making, stood down from battle stations, and soon resumed the unloading process. Later that morning, she transferred 400 rounds of 40-millimetre (1.57 in) ammunition to theLanding Ship MediumLSM-322, and that afternoon provided diesel fuel to the tank landing craftLCT-1237. Completing her unloading during the mid watch, 01:42, on 2 May,Lynx disembarked the soldiers of the 866th AA Battalion at 08:00.[4]
Shifting her berth the following morning, 3 May 1945,Lynx provided 40-millimeter ammunition to theLanding Ship Medium (Rocket)LSM(R)-192 an hour before the end of the forenoon watch. Intensifying Japanese aerial activity midway through the second dog watch on 3 May, prompted a Flash Red at 19:05, with enemy planes active not only over the anchorage but overYontan Airfield as well. The interlude lasted less than an hour, with a Flash White being sent at 20:01.[4]
The threat posed by the Japanese assault demolition boats proved very real. Early in the mid watch on 4 May 1945, one of the ships in Lynx's task unit, her sister shipCarina, was hit by a suicide boat. A Flash Red at 02:04 sent ships in the vicinity back to general quarters and making smoke, evolutions ended with a Flash White at 04:52. Underway at 07:41 to rendezvous with Ulithi-boundConvoy OKU 3,Lynx went to general quarters upon receipt of a Flash Red ten minutes into her voyage, 07:51, remaining at battle stations through her rendezvous with the convoy one hour later. Standing down from general quarters at 09:24, the cargo ship took departure from Okinawa at 09:35. Another Flash Red, however, came through within a quarter of an hour, withLynx noting shipping under attack and antiaircraft fire shooting down several planes. OKU-3 escaped unscathed and proceeded on its voyage unmolested, reaching Ulithi at mid-day on 9 May.[4]
After taking on fresh water fromAbatan and fuel from tankerChotauk on 11 May 1945,Lynx sailed for the west coast of the United States the following morning. The passage proved uneventful until 27 May, when the ship steamed past Oahu. “While proceeding on [the] routing prescribed in [the] basis sailing directions,” Lt. Cmdr. Berrey wrote later, “several radical course changes were made to give bombing target towing vessels a wide berth. Both vessels were operating well outside of the restricted zone, which is provided for such operations, atKaneohe Bay, but both showed an utter disregard for the rules of the road and safety at sea, by apparent unnecessary re-crossing this vessel’s bow.”[4]
Reaching San Francisco with no further incident on 4 June 1945,Lynx anchored upon arrival and remained there until 8 June, when she shifted to Moore's Dry Dock Company's Oakland yard. After undergoing repairs and alterations, 9–19 June, the ship then returned to the Encinal Terminal on 20 June, and began loading cargo the following day. Completing those evolutions on 28 June, she moved out into the naval anchorage later that same day.[4]
Shifting to the Tiburon anchorage during the afternoon watch on 1 July 1945,Lynx secured a towinghawser to section 51 ofABSD-7, along with covered lighterYF-1013, at 11:06 the following morning, 2 July, and a little under seven hours later took departure from San Francisco inConvoy FE 3 (TU 06.12.15), with Capt. Lyell St.L. Pamperin, the convoy commodore, on board. The tugHillsboro Inlet, towing open lighterYC-1142 and covered lightersYF-1012 andYF-1014, accompanied the cargo ship and her tows, with the salvage vesselProtector in the role of retriever. Derangement to heranchor windlass prevented the tugPoint Arena, with her tows, section 52 ofABSD-7 andYF-1012, from getting underway with the convoy as it put to sea, bound for theMarshall Islands.[4]
Six days out,Protector left the convoy and guidedPoint Arena and her tows to join up with FE-3, 8 July 1945, and the voyage towardEniwetok continued, the little assemblage crossing the International Date Line on 25 July. On the afternoon of 28 July,Lynx transferred Lt. Wuestenfeld, her medical officer, toHillsboro Inlet to treat a sick sailor, but the remainder of the voyage proceeded uneventfully, FE-3 reaching Eniwetok on the morning of 2 August. Medium harbor tugYTM-471 relievedLynx ofYF-1013, while section 51 ofABSD-7 cut loose the towing cable and came to anchor.[4]
Lynx fueled fromYO-182 soon after her arrival on 2 August 1945, and after her departure had been delayed one day, sailed forMajuro Atoll, in the Marshalls, on the morning of 4 August. Reaching her destination three days later, she began discharging cargo alongsideRita Pier, Darrit Island, soon after her arrival, and continued the unloading process into 13 August, when she sailed forKwajalein Atoll, also in the Marshalls, arriving the next day to begin discharging cargo into lighters tied up alongside off the island ofRoi, until 19 August.Lynx continued the unloading process at Kwajalein, to which she had moved later on 19 August into 21 August. The following day, she loaded empty gasoline and fuel oil drums into her number two and four holds. She completed that process, as well as the discharge of all cargo, on 23 August. The following morning, 24 August,Lynx got underway to return to San Francisco.[4]
Lynx dropped anchor in San Francisco Bay on 11 September 1945, then moved to Pier 18 before the day was out. Moving back out into the anchorage on 13 September, the cargo ship then proceeded toHurley Marine Works four days later, to be docked on the marine railway there. Her overhaul proceeded over the ensuing days, the ship clearing dry dock on 27 September, to moor at Pier No. 3 at the Hurley facility, where she remained moored, undergoing the decommissioning process in the wake of theOffice of the Chief of Naval Operations (OpNav) despatch of 26 September, that ordered the vessel's inactivation, through the end of October.[4]
Underway at the start of the forenoon watch on 1 November 1945,Lynx steamed toSuisun Bay, California, where she dropped anchor in anchorage 26, berth E-14, tying up alongside the freighterCharles M. McGroarty at 11:19. Representatives of theWar Shipping Administration (WSA) then signed papers accepting the vessel from the Navy, andLynx was decommissioned at 12:30. She entered theReserve Fleet the same day, and her name was stricken from theNaval Register on 16 November 1945.[4]
Resuming her original name,Juan Bautista de Anza, the ship remained in reserve until purchased byUnion Minerals and Alloys Corporation, for non-transportation use (NTU), on 3 October 1972, for $40,000.00. She was physically removed from the Reserve Fleet on 10 November 1972.[4][5]
Lynx received onebattle star for World War II service in the capture and occupation of Okinawa Gunto.[4]
Online resources
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