USS Allioth (AK-109)
Encyclopedia
USS Allioth (AK-109) was a commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II
, named after Alioth
, the star in constellation Ursa Major
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
SS James Rowan was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 1730) on 30 July 1943 by the Permanente Metals
Corp., Richmond, California
; launched on 20 August 1943; sponsored by Miss Cora Clonts; acquired by the Navy on 3 October 1943; renamed Allioth and designated AK-109 on 6 October 1943; and commissioned at Portland, Oregon
, on 25 October 1943, Comdr. George F. Prestwich in command.
on 5 December 1943, the cargo ship was assigned to Service Squadron 8. During the next 11 months, she operated as a mobile supply source for the U.S. Army. Her duties consisted of loading cargo and dispensing it to troops as needed. Among the ports from which she operated were Funafuti
, Ellice Islands; Makin
and Tarawa, Gilbert Islands
; Kwajalein
and Eniwetok, Marshall Islands
; and Peleliu
and Angaur
, Palau Islands.
airplanes attacked her, dropping several bombs but scoring no hits.
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 from shrapnel. She continued her journey and arrived safely in Hawaii
an waters on 11 December 1944.
, and she entered a shipyard at Alameda, California
, on the 24th for overhaul and conversion to an aviation supply issue ship. The alterations were completed in early March 1945, and Allioth received the new designation IX-204.
on 8 April, and began supplying various units with airplane parts. On 3 May, her designation was changed to AVS-4.
on 27 May. In early June, the ship sailed to Seeadler Harbor
, Manus Island
, to load more spare part
s. She returned to Leyte
on 29 June and resumed her supply duties.
. On 18 January 1946, the ship got underway to return to the United States. Allioth arrived back at Alameda, California, on 16 February and began discharging cargo. Her crew also began stripping the ship of excess equipment in preparation for her deactivation.
on 22 May 1947. Under the Maritime Commission, the ship resumed her first name, , and carried it until she disappeared from merchant ship registers in 1956. Final Disposition: she was scrapped in 1965.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, named after Alioth
Epsilon Ursae Majoris
Epsilon Ursae Majoris is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Major , and at magnitude 1.76 is the thirty-first brightest star in the sky...
, the star in constellation Ursa Major
Ursa Major
Ursa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April...
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
SS James Rowan was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 1730) on 30 July 1943 by the Permanente Metals
Permanente Metals
Permanente Metals Company managed the Richmond Shipyards, owned by Henry J. Kaiser. These four of the Kaiser Shipyards were known for the construction of Liberty ships.The company was also a major producer of magnesium during World War II...
Corp., Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
; launched on 20 August 1943; sponsored by Miss Cora Clonts; acquired by the Navy on 3 October 1943; renamed Allioth and designated AK-109 on 6 October 1943; and commissioned at Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, on 25 October 1943, Comdr. George F. Prestwich in command.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Upon her arrival at Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 5 December 1943, the cargo ship was assigned to Service Squadron 8. During the next 11 months, she operated as a mobile supply source for the U.S. Army. Her duties consisted of loading cargo and dispensing it to troops as needed. Among the ports from which she operated were Funafuti
Funafuti
Funafuti is an atoll that forms the capital of the island nation of Tuvalu. It has a population of 4,492 , making it the most populated atoll in the country. It is a narrow sweep of land between 20 and 400 metres wide, encircling a large lagoon 18 km long and 14 km wide, with a surface of...
, Ellice Islands; Makin
Makin (islands)
Makin is the name of a chain of islands located in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati, specifically in the Gilbert Islands.-Geography:...
and Tarawa, Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
; Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
and Eniwetok, Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
; and Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
and Angaur
Angaur
Angaur or Ngeaur is an island in the island nation of Palau. The island, which forms its own state, has an area of 8 km² . Its population is 188 . State capital is the village of Ngeremasch on the western side...
, Palau Islands.
Under attack by Japanese aircraft
Allioth sailed from Peleliu on 14 November 1944, bound for Pearl Harbor. On the afternoon of the 20th, two JapaneseEmpire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
airplanes attacked her, dropping several bombs but scoring no hits.
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 from shrapnel. She continued her journey and arrived safely in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an waters on 11 December 1944.
Conversion to aviation supply issue ship
Two days later, the ship resumed her voyage toward the U.S. West Coast of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and she entered a shipyard at Alameda, California
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
, on the 24th for overhaul and conversion to an aviation supply issue ship. The alterations were completed in early March 1945, and Allioth received the new designation IX-204.
Servicing aircraft at Ulithi
On 10 March, the vessel got underway for Pearl Harbor. After taking on more cargo there, she resumed her westward voyage, dropped anchor at UlithiUlithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
on 8 April, and began supplying various units with airplane parts. On 3 May, her designation was changed to AVS-4.
Supporting aircraft in the Philippines
When the fleet moved from Ulithi, Allioth headed for the Philippine Islands, arriving at Leyte GulfLeyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
on 27 May. In early June, the ship sailed to Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II...
, Manus Island
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
, to load more spare part
Spare part
Spare Parts may also refer to:* Spare Parts , by Status Quo* Spare Parts is a Doctor Who audio drama.* Spare Parts , by Servotron* "Spare Parts" , by Bruce Springsteen* "Spare Parts"...
s. She returned to Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
on 29 June and resumed her supply duties.
Supporting aircraft in the Ryukyu Islands
Allioth moved to Okinawa in mid-September 1945 and remained there into the next year, supporting various airplane squadrons operating in the Ryukyu IslandsRyukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
. On 18 January 1946, the ship got underway to return to the United States. Allioth arrived back at Alameda, California, on 16 February and began discharging cargo. Her crew also began stripping the ship of excess equipment in preparation for her deactivation.
Post-war decommissioning
Allioth returned to Pearl Harbor on 15 April and was placed out of commission there on 18 May 1946. She was transferred to the Maritime Commission on 13 May 1947, and her name was struck from the Navy ListNaval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 22 May 1947. Under the Maritime Commission, the ship resumed her first name, , and carried it until she disappeared from merchant ship registers in 1956. Final Disposition: she was scrapped in 1965.
Military awards and honors
Allioth's crew was eligible for the following medals:- Combat Action RibbonCombat Action RibbonThe Combat Action Ribbon is a personal military decoration of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard which is awarded to those who, in any grade including and below that of a Captain in the Navy and Coast Guard , have actively participated in ground or...
(retroactive, 14 November 1944) - American Campaign MedalAmerican Campaign MedalThe American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalThe Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...
- World War II Victory MedalWorld War II Victory MedalThe World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
- Navy Occupation Service MedalNavy Occupation Service MedalThe Navy Occupation Service Medal is a decoration of the United States Navy which was issued to Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel who participated in the European and Asian occupation forces following the close of the World War II. The decoration was also bestowed to personnel who...
(with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal