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USS Elk (IX-115)
Encyclopedia
USS Elk (IX-115), an Armadillo-class tanker
designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel
, was the second ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the elk
, a large deer
of the northern forests of Europe
, Asia
, and North America
. Her keel was laid down by California Shipbuilding Corporation
, in Wilmington, California, as William Winter for the Maritime Commission. She was launched
on 6 November 1943 sponsored by Mrs. H. H. Hall, delivered direct to the Navy 26 November 1943, and commissioned
the same day with Lieutenant W. T. Stannard, USNR, in command.
Elk sailed from San Pedro, California, on 12 January 1944 for Kwajalein
where she served from 19 February to 19 April as station tanker to fuel ships in the assault and occupation of the Marshall Islands
. Mooring to Majuro
, she fueled combatant ships at this base until June, then carried petroleum products between Majuro
, Kwajalein
, and Eniwetok to support the Marianas operation. From 26 June she was based again on Majuro, providing fuel for destroyers of the Security Patrol who guarded the waters around the bypassed, enemy-held islands of Wotje, Mili, and Jaluit.
After a fueling assignment at Tarawa
in September 1944, Elk reported to the advance fleet base at Ulithi
on 15 October and there began the vital task of fueling the ships of the fast-moving Third Fleet and Fifth Fleet for their far-ranging air and surface strikes against Japanese bases. In April 1945 she arrived at Okinawa to fuel the destroyer
s of the radar picket
line. When hostilities ceased, Elk was at Leyte
preparing to sail with a convoy to Okinawa. In September she arrived at Sasebo
, Japan
, to serve in the occupation. Elk returned to the United States
in early 1946, was decommissioned
at Norfolk, Virginia
, on 17 May 1946, and reverted to the Maritime Commission 20 May 1946.
Elk received one battle
star for World War II
service.
Armadillo class tanker
The Armadillo class of tankers were those Type Z-ET1-S-C3 Liberty tankers that were commissioned into the United States Navy. They were given the hull classification symbols of unclassified miscellaneous vessels....
designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel
Unclassified miscellaneous vessel
The IX hull classification symbol is used for ships of the United States Navy that do not fit into one of the standard categories...
, was the second ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for the elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, a large deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
of the northern forests of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Her keel was laid down by California Shipbuilding Corporation
California Shipbuilding Corporation
California Shipbuilding Corporation built 467 Liberty and Victory ships during World War II, including Haskell-class attack transports. California Shipbuilding Corporation was often referred to as Calship...
, in Wilmington, California, as William Winter for the Maritime Commission. She was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 6 November 1943 sponsored by Mrs. H. H. Hall, delivered direct to the Navy 26 November 1943, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
the same day with Lieutenant W. T. Stannard, USNR, in command.
Elk sailed from San Pedro, California, on 12 January 1944 for 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...
where she served from 19 February to 19 April as station tanker to fuel ships in the assault and occupation of the 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...
. Mooring to Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
, she fueled combatant ships at this base until June, then carried petroleum products between Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
, 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 to support the Marianas operation. From 26 June she was based again on Majuro, providing fuel for destroyers of the Security Patrol who guarded the waters around the bypassed, enemy-held islands of Wotje, Mili, and Jaluit.
After a fueling assignment at Tarawa
Tarawa Atoll
Tarawa is an atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. It is the location of the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, South Tarawa...
in September 1944, Elk reported to the advance fleet base 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...
on 15 October and there began the vital task of fueling the ships of the fast-moving Third Fleet and Fifth Fleet for their far-ranging air and surface strikes against Japanese bases. In April 1945 she arrived at Okinawa to fuel the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s of the radar picket
Radar picket
A radar picket is a radar-equipped ship, submarine, aircraft, or vehicle used to increase the radar detection range around a force to protect it from surprise attack. Often several detached radar units encircle a force to provide increased cover in all directions.-World War II:Radar picket ships...
line. When hostilities ceased, Elk was at Leyte
Leyte Island
Leyte is an island in the Visayas group of the Philippines.The island measures about 180 km north-south and about 65 km at its widest point. In the north it nearly joins Samar, separated by the San Juanico Strait, which becomes as narrow as 2 km in some places...
preparing to sail with a convoy to Okinawa. In September she arrived at Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, to serve in the occupation. Elk returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in early 1946, was decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, on 17 May 1946, and reverted to the Maritime Commission 20 May 1946.
Elk received one battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
star for World War II
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...
service.
External links
- photo gallery at navsource.org