USS Alamosa

USS Alamosa (AK-156) was the lead ship of the Alamosa-class cargo ships, commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

USS Alamosa (AK-156), her camouflage is Measure 32 Design 6AO.
History
United States
Name: Alamosa
Namesake: Alamosa County, Colorado
Ordered: as type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2101[1]
Builder: Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Richmond, California
Yard number: 58[1]
Laid down: 15 November 1943
Launched: 14 April 1944
Commissioned: 10 August 1944
Decommissioned: 25 August 1944
Recommissioned: 25 September 1944
Decommissioned: 20 May 1946
Refit: 25 August 1944, conversion to an ammunition issue ship
Stricken: 14 June 1946
Identification:
Fate: sold, 1 May 1972
Status: unknown
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: Alamosa-class cargo ship
Type: C1-M-AV1
Tonnage: 5,032 long tons deadweight (DWT)[1]
Displacement:
  • 2,382 long tons (2,420 t) (standard)
  • 7,450 long tons (7,570 t) (full load)
Length: 388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draft: 21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Installed power:
Propulsion: 1 × propeller
Speed: 11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity:
  • 3,945 t (3,883 long tons) DWT
  • 9,830 cu ft (278 m3) (refrigerated)
  • 227,730 cu ft (6,449 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Complement:
  • 10 Officers
  • 69 Enlisted
Armament:

Construction

Alamosa was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 2101, on 15 November 1943 at Richmond, California, by Kaiser Cargo, Inc.; launched on 14 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. J.J. Mullane; and acquired by the Navy and commissioned on 10 August 1944, Lieutenant Commander K.C. Ingraham in command.[3] Alamosa class cargo ships are named after United States Counties.[4]

Service history

Recommissioned as an ammunition issue ship

After a brief fitting out period in the San Francisco Bay area, Alamosa sailed for Portland, Oregon. There the ship entered the Commercial Iron Works yards and was decommissioned on 25 August for conversion to an ammunition issue ship. She was recommissioned on 25 September and got underway on 6 October for shakedown out of San Pedro, California. After taking on ammunition at Mare Island, California, Alamosa set sail on November [...] for the Marshall Islands.[3]

World War II Pacific Theatre operations

Upon arriving at Eniwetok on 7 December, Alamosa was assigned to Service Squadron 8. For the duration of World War II, the vessel carried ammunition and cargo between Eniwetok, Saipan, Guam, Ulithi, Peleliu, and Leyte.[3]

Post-war activity

After the end of hostilities, Alamosa entered dry dock at Apra Harbor, Guam, on 1 October 1945. Following the completion of repairs, she got underway again on 7 January 1946, bound for home.[3]

Post-war decommissioning

She arrived at Seattle, Washington, on 27 January; was decommissioned there on 20 May 1946; and was turned over to the Maritime Commission's War Shipping Administration for disposal. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 14 June 1946.[3] The ship was sold for $6,227.22, to American Ship Dismantlers, Inc., on 19 May 1972, for non-transportation use.[5]

Notes
    Citations
    1. C1 Cargo Ships 2009.
    2. Navsource 2014.
    3. DANFS 2015.
    4. Ship Naming.
    5. MARAD.

    Bibliography

    Online resources

    • "Alamosa (AK-156)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 9 July 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2016. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    • "C1 Cargo Ships". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
    • "USS Alamosa (AK-156)". Navsource.org. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
    • "Ship Naming in the United States Navy". Naval History and Heritage Command. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
    • "Alamosa". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 11 November 2016.


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