USS Habersham (AK-186)
USS Habersham (AK-186) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship that served the US Navy during the final months of World War II. She was named for Habersham County, Georgia.
| History | |
|---|---|
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} United States | |
| Name: | Habersham |
| Namesake: | Habersham County, Georgia |
| Ordered: | as type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2117[1] |
| Builder: | Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wisconsin |
| Yard number: | 35[1] |
| Laid down: | 1944 |
| Launched: | 7 June 1944 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs. Carl Gray, Jr. |
| Acquired: | 26 April 1945 |
| Commissioned: | 12 May 1945 |
| Decommissioned: | 9 April 1946 |
| Stricken: | 17 April 1946 |
| Identification: |
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| Fate: | Sold, 6 February 1947 |
 Sweden | |
| Name: | Rosa Thordén |
| Owner: | Thordén Lines AB |
| Acquired: | 6 February 1947 |
| Fate: | Sold 1952 |
 South Korea | |
| Name: |
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| Namesake: | City of Pusan, South Korea |
| Owner: | Korean Shipping Corporation |
| Acquired: | 1952 |
| Fate: | sold 1976 |
| South Korea | |
| Name: | Busan |
| Owner: | Ah Jin Shipping Ltd |
| Acquired: | 1976 |
| Fate: | sold 1976 |
| South Korea | |
| Name: | Sam Dae |
| Owner: | Sammisa Shipping Co., Ltd. |
| Acquired: | 1976 |
| Fate: | 1978 |
| South Korea | |
| Name: | Sam Dae |
| Owner: | Tai Young Shipping Co., Ltd. |
| Acquired: | 1978 |
| Fate: | Scrapped in Inchon, South Korea in 1979 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Alamosa-class cargo ship |
| Type: | C1-M-AV1 |
| Tonnage: | 5,032 long tons deadweight (DWT)[1] |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 388 ft 8 in (118.47 m) |
| Beam: | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Draft: | 21 ft 1 in (6.43 m) |
| Installed power: |
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| Propulsion: | 1 × propeller |
| Speed: | 11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) |
| Capacity: |
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| Complement: |
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| Armament: |
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Construction
Habersham was launched 7 June 1944, by the Walter Butler Shipbuilding Company in Superior, Wisconsin, under a Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 2117. She was sponsored by Mrs. Carl Gray, Jr. and acquired by the US Navy on 26 April 1945, and commissioned 12 May 1945, with Commander M.A. MacPhee in command.[3]
Service history
World War II service
Following shakedown training off Galveston, Texas the ship sailed 2 June 1945, for Gulfport, Mississippi, to take on cargo and departed four days later to join the Pacific Fleet. Habersham arrived at Pearl Harbor via the Canal Zone 30 June, unloaded her cargo, and returned to San Francisco with passengers and cargo 12 July. She then loaded cargo and sailed 21 July for Eniwetok, arriving on 7 August.[3]
Post-war decommissioning
Habersham was at Eniwetok when the surrender of Japan was announced, and departed 9 September to carry cargo for occupation forces in Japan. Arriving Tokyo Bay, 17 September, she unloaded cargo and departed for Guam and San Francisco 27 November. She arrived 12 January 1946 and sailed for the East Coast on 11 February, arriving Norfolk, Virginia 6 March. Habersham decommissioned at Baltimore, Maryland 9 April 1946 and was returned to the Maritime Commission.[3]
Merchant
Sold to the Thordén Lines AB, for $693,862,[4] for merchant service, she became Rosa Thordén. In 1952, she was sold to the Korean Shipping Corporation, and renamed Pusan. She was again renamed in 1974, to Busan, and then sold to Ah Jin Shipping Ltd., in 1976. She was sold again in 1976, to Sammisa Shipping Co, Ltd., and renamed Sam Dae. She was finally sold to Tai Young Shipping Co, Ltd., in 1978. On 14 April 1979 she was damaged by fire and scrapped later that year in Inchon, South Korea.[5]
Bibliography
Online resources
- "Habersham (Ak-186)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 17 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 18 November 2016.
- "USS Habersham (Ak-186)". Navsource.org. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- "Habersham (Ak-186)". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- Swiggum, S.; Kohli, M. (6 June 2009). "Thordén Rederierna / Thordén Lines AB / Finnish North America Line, 1926–1963". TheShipsList. Retrieved 18 November 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)