USS Draco (AK-79)
Encyclopedia
USS Draco (AK-79) was an Crater-class
cargo ship
commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II, named after the constellation Draco
. She was responsible for delivering goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Draco (AK-79) was launched 19 January 1943 as by Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond, California
, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Miss G. M. San Facon; transferred to the Navy 31 January 1943; and commissioned 16 February 1943, Lieutenant Commander E. L. Evey, USNR, in command.
, by way of Pearl Harbor
to Espiritu Santo
, arriving 5 May 1943. She carried cargo from Auckland
, New Zealand, to bases on Nouméa
, Espiritu Santo
, Guadalcanal
, and the Fiji Islands, and acted in support of the consolidation of the Solomons, the invasions of Cape Torokina
, Bougainville
, and Emirau
. From 27 July to 10 August 1944 she unloaded cargo at Guam
in the capture and occupation of that island, then returned to cargo runs between New Zealand and the Solomons until arriving at Ulithi
26 May 1945.
Draco sailed from Ulithi 20 June 1945 for Okinawa, where she discharged Army supplies from 26 June to 12 July. Sailing by way of Guadalcanal
to load salvaged equipment and vehicles, Draco arrived at Tacoma, Washington
, 27 August 1945.
Crater class cargo ship
Crater-class cargo ship is a category of freighter that was constructed for use by the United States Navy during World War II under Maritime Commission EC2-S-C1 type....
cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II, named after the constellation Draco
Draco (constellation)
Draco is a constellation in the far northern sky. Its name is Latin for dragon. Draco is circumpolar for many observers in the northern hemisphere...
. She was responsible for delivering goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Draco (AK-79) was launched 19 January 1943 as by Permanente Metals 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...
, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Miss G. M. San Facon; transferred to the Navy 31 January 1943; and commissioned 16 February 1943, Lieutenant Commander E. L. Evey, USNR, in command.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Draco towed YFD-21 from Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, by way of Pearl Harbor
Pearl 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...
to Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
, arriving 5 May 1943. She carried cargo from Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand, to bases on Nouméa
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
, Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, and the Fiji Islands, and acted in support of the consolidation of the Solomons, the invasions of Cape Torokina
Cape Torokina
Cape Torokina is a promontory at the north end of Empress Augusta Bay, along the central part of the southeastern coast of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea....
, Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
, and Emirau
Landing on Emirau
The Landing on Emirau was the last of the series of operations that made up Operation Cartwheel, General Douglas MacArthur's strategy for the encirclement of the major Japanese base at Rabaul. A force of nearly 4,000 United States Marines landed on the island of Emirau on 20 March 1944. The island...
. From 27 July to 10 August 1944 she unloaded cargo at Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
in the capture and occupation of that island, then returned to cargo runs between New Zealand and the Solomons until arriving at Ulithi
Ulithi
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...
26 May 1945.
Draco sailed from Ulithi 20 June 1945 for Okinawa, where she discharged Army supplies from 26 June to 12 July. Sailing by way of Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
to load salvaged equipment and vehicles, Draco arrived at Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, 27 August 1945.