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USS Hidalgo (AK-189)
Encyclopedia
USS Hidalgo (AK-189) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship
that was constructed for the U.S. Navy during the closing period of World War II. She was declared excess-to-needs and returned to the U.S. Maritime Commission.
-powered C1-M-AV1 cargo hull, was launched 28 July 1944 under Maritime Commission contract by Walter Butler Shipbuilding, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin
, sponsored by Mrs. Claude Pepper
, wife of the Senator from Florida; placed in service while being towed to Galveston, Texas
, and commissioned 4 August 1945, Lt. John W. Thompson in command.
cruise off the coast of Texas
, Hidalgo sailed to the Panama Canal Zone
for routing to the Pacific Ocean
5 September 1945, but the war's end brought orders to proceed to Norfolk, Virginia
.
for $693,862.00 and serves as cargo ship SS Rize in merchant service.
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...
that was constructed for the U.S. Navy during the closing period of World War II. She was declared excess-to-needs and returned to the U.S. Maritime Commission.
Built in Superior, Wisconsin
Hidalgo (AK-189), a dieselDiesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
-powered C1-M-AV1 cargo hull, was launched 28 July 1944 under Maritime Commission contract by Walter Butler Shipbuilding, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin
Superior, Wisconsin
Superior is a city in and the county seat of Douglas County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 26,960 at the 2010 census. Located at the junction of U.S. Highways 2 and 53, it is north of and adjacent to both the Village of Superior and the Town of Superior.Superior is at the western...
, sponsored by Mrs. Claude Pepper
Claude Pepper
Claude Denson Pepper was an American politician of the Democratic Party, and a spokesman for left-liberalism and the elderly. In foreign policy he shifted from pro-Soviet in the 1940s to anti-Communist in the 1950s...
, wife of the Senator from Florida; placed in service while being towed to Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, and commissioned 4 August 1945, Lt. John W. Thompson in command.
Naval service
After conducting a brief shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
cruise off the coast of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Hidalgo sailed to the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
for routing to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
5 September 1945, but the war's end brought orders to proceed to 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....
.
Dispositioning
The ship arrived in Hampton Roads, Virginia, 11 March 1946 and decommissioned 26 April 1946. Subsequently, she was sold to TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
for $693,862.00 and serves as cargo ship SS Rize in merchant service.
Honors and awards
Qualified Hidalgo personnel were eligible for the following:- 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...
- 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...