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USS Sangay (AE-10)
Encyclopedia
The USS Sangay (AE-10) was a ship of the United States Navy which saw service during World War II in the Pacific. A munitions carrier, the Sangay was named after the Sangay
volcano in Ecuador, a tongue-in-cheek reference to what would happen if a munitions ship was hit by enemy fire. The ship shuttled ammunition initially between San Francisco and Pearl Harbor Hawaii, then moved to the forward area in the Pacific theater to supply combatants. The Sangay served during the entirety of the war and was retired shortly after the end of hostilities.
, carrying ammunition to Pearl Harbor
and returning to San Francisco with defective ammunition and empty shell cases. This duty was completed on 2 October. On 16 November, the ship left San Francisco for the first of five voyages to supply the fleet with ammunition in forward areas.
from 29 November 1943 to 11 January 1944 where, in addition to issuing ammunition to cruisers and destroyers, her crew cleared obstructions in the Te Bua Bua Channel and directed minesweeping operations in the harbor. After resupplying at Pearl Harbor, the ammunition ship moved to the Marshall Islands
and issued bombs and fuses to the carriers of Task Force 58 at Majuro
from 6 to 9 February, and then transferred the rest of her cargo to barges at Roi
between 10 and 14 February and to USS Rainier (AE-5)
at Majuro from 17 to 22 February.
She then picked up a fresh cargo of ammunition at San Francisco and issued it to fleet units at Efate on 15 April, Seeadler Harbor
from 24 April to 8 May, at Cape Cretin, New Guinea
, from 10 to 13 May, at Efate
between 18 and 21 May, and at Espiritu Santo
from 22 to 31 May, before arriving at Eniwetok on 9 June for three weeks. She transferred her remaining ammunition to USS Shasta (AE-6)
on 2 June and sailed to San Francisco where, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
on August 9, 1944, 328 African-American enlisted sailors refused to load munitions; a work-stoppage that was to be called the Port Chicago mutiny. Civilian longshoremen were instead brought in to load Sangay.
Sangay's next assignment was to support the landings on Peleliu
in the Palau Islands. Between 15 and 21 September, she lay off the beach during the day issuing ammunition to American warships and retired seaward with the transports at night. She then issued ammunition in Kossol Passage between 22 and 26 September and at Seeadler Harbor between 1 and 10 October before joining USS Mauna Loa (AE-8)
and sailing to San Francisco. Returning to the forward areas, she issued ammunition and bombs to units of Task Force 38 at Ulithi
from 20 December 1944 to 11 January 1945, and then supplied ammunition depots at Eniwetok between 17 and 23 January and at Kwajalein between 24 and 27 January before returning to San Francisco on 10 February.
Sangay left San Francisco on 22 March with a cargo of mines and mine components, arriving after several stops at Eniwetok on 27 June. She remained there until ordered back to Pearl Harbor on 12 August to be fitted as a tender for small minecraft, and sailed from there on 26 September with general cargo loaded for fleet issue. After ten days at Okinawa, from 11 to 20 October, she arrived at Sasebo
on 22 October where she provided support to minesweepers clearing Japanese minefields. She remained there, except for a nine-day visit to Wakayama Wan, until sailing for home via Okinawa on 17 January 1946. The ammunition ship arrived at Orange, Tex., on 30 April 1946 where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 20 July 1947. She was struck from the Navy list on 1 July 1960, having been transferred the previous day to the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Beaumont, Tex., where she remains through June 1974.
service.
Sangay
Sangay is a constantly active stratovolcano in central Ecuador. It is the southernmost and most active volcano in the country, and is known for its explosive venting of thick ash clouds, which has built a dome since 1976.-See also:...
volcano in Ecuador, a tongue-in-cheek reference to what would happen if a munitions ship was hit by enemy fire. The ship shuttled ammunition initially between San Francisco and Pearl Harbor Hawaii, then moved to the forward area in the Pacific theater to supply combatants. The Sangay served during the entirety of the war and was retired shortly after the end of hostilities.
Construction and commissioning
USS Sangay (AE-10) was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 225) as SS Cape Sable on 30 October 1941 by Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., Beaumont, Tex.; launched on 5 April 1942; sponsored by Mrs. A. Robert Lee; delivered to the War Shipping Administration on 9 September 1942; acquired by the Navy on 25 November 1942; and commissioned on 25 March 1943, Comdr. W. D. Ryan in command.Shuttle to Pearl Harbor
Sangay sailed from Yorktown, Va., on 13 May 1943 with a cargo of mines for San Diego. On 30 May, she began the first of four round trips between the west coast and HawaiiHawaii
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...
, carrying ammunition to 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...
and returning to San Francisco with defective ammunition and empty shell cases. This duty was completed on 2 October. On 16 November, the ship left San Francisco for the first of five voyages to supply the fleet with ammunition in forward areas.
Forward area service
Sangay's first stop was at FunafutiFunafuti
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...
from 29 November 1943 to 11 January 1944 where, in addition to issuing ammunition to cruisers and destroyers, her crew cleared obstructions in the Te Bua Bua Channel and directed minesweeping operations in the harbor. After resupplying at Pearl Harbor, the ammunition ship moved to 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...
and issued bombs and fuses to the carriers of Task Force 58 at 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...
from 6 to 9 February, and then transferred the rest of her cargo to barges at Roi
Roi-Namur
Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands.Occupied by Japanese forces prior to World War II, it was the target of the U.S. 4th Marine Division in the Battle of Kwajalein, in February 1944....
between 10 and 14 February and to USS Rainier (AE-5)
USS Rainier (AE-5)
USS Rainier , the second US Navy vessel named after Mount Rainier, was laid down on 14 May 1940 by the Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, Fla., as Rainbow ; launched 1 March 1941; sponsored by Mrs. Robert E...
at Majuro from 17 to 22 February.
She then picked up a fresh cargo of ammunition at San Francisco and issued it to fleet units at Efate on 15 April, 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...
from 24 April to 8 May, at Cape Cretin, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, from 10 to 13 May, at Efate
Éfaté
Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national...
between 18 and 21 May, and at 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....
from 22 to 31 May, before arriving at Eniwetok on 9 June for three weeks. She transferred her remaining ammunition to USS Shasta (AE-6)
USS Shasta (AE-6)
USS Shasta , an ammunition ship, was laid down under Maritime Commission contract on 12 August 1940 by the Tampa Shipbuilding Company, Tampa, Fla., initially as a C2 type cargo ship. She was acquired by the Navy on 16 April 1941 and launched on 9 July 1941, sponsored by Mrs. Spessard L. Holland....
on 2 June and sailed to San Francisco where, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Mare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
on August 9, 1944, 328 African-American enlisted sailors refused to load munitions; a work-stoppage that was to be called the Port Chicago mutiny. Civilian longshoremen were instead brought in to load Sangay.
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....
in the Palau Islands. Between 15 and 21 September, she lay off the beach during the day issuing ammunition to American warships and retired seaward with the transports at night. She then issued ammunition in Kossol Passage between 22 and 26 September and at Seeadler Harbor between 1 and 10 October before joining USS Mauna Loa (AE-8)
USS Mauna Loa (AE-8)
USS Mauna Loa was laid down by Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, Fla., 10 December 1942; launched 14 April 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Robert E. Friend; and commissioned 27 October 1943, Comdr. George D. Martin in command...
and sailing to San Francisco. Returning to the forward areas, she issued ammunition and bombs to units of Task Force 38 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...
from 20 December 1944 to 11 January 1945, and then supplied ammunition depots at Eniwetok between 17 and 23 January and at Kwajalein between 24 and 27 January before returning to San Francisco on 10 February.
Sangay left San Francisco on 22 March with a cargo of mines and mine components, arriving after several stops at Eniwetok on 27 June. She remained there until ordered back to Pearl Harbor on 12 August to be fitted as a tender for small minecraft, and sailed from there on 26 September with general cargo loaded for fleet issue. After ten days at Okinawa, from 11 to 20 October, 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...
on 22 October where she provided support to minesweepers clearing Japanese minefields. She remained there, except for a nine-day visit to Wakayama Wan, until sailing for home via Okinawa on 17 January 1946. The ammunition ship arrived at Orange, Tex., on 30 April 1946 where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 20 July 1947. She was struck from the Navy list on 1 July 1960, having been transferred the previous day to the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Beaumont, Tex., where she remains through June 1974.
Awards and commendations
Sangay received two battle stars for her World War IIWorld 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.