| |
N7KTP > NAVNET 27.02.06 00:24l 62 Lines 3367 Bytes #999 (0) @ ALLUSA
BID : 50548_N7FSP
Read: GUEST
Subj: USS SERPENS (AK-97)
Path: ON0AR<ON0AR<HS1LMV<N9ZZK<K7EK<N7FSP
Sent: 060226/1603z @:N7FSP.#SEA.#WWA.WA.USA.NOAM West Seattle, WA. on 145.010
Cargo Ship Serpens hustled right up to end of World War II
By Fred Miles Watson - Managing Editor - Northwest Navigator
A Crater class cargo ship, AK-97 was built as a Maritime
Commission type hull, under Maritime Commission contract, at California
Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, Calif. It was acquired by the U.S. Navy
on April 19, 1943 and commissioned USS Serpens (AK-97) on May 28, 1943,
with a Coast Guard crew at San Diego.
Named after a constellation in the northern hemisphere, Serpens
displaced 11,565-tons when fully loaded, and carried a draft of 28
feet, four-inches. Serpens' top speed was 12 knots via its
reciprocating steam engine and single shaft and screw that produced
1,950 shaft horsepower.
The Coast Guard had 198 men assigned in Serpens. Armament
consisted of one 5 inch-.38caliber dual purpose gun mount, one 3-
inch,.50 caliber dual purpose gun mount, and two 40mm and six 20mm
antiaircraft gunmounts. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. M.J. Johnson was the
ship's first commanding officer.
Following shakedown off southern California, Serpens loaded
general cargo at Alameda and, on June 24, sailed west to assume
provision ship duties in support of operations in the Solomons. By mid-
July, she was in the Tonga Islands. At the end of the month, she was en
route from New Caledonia to New Zealalnd; and, by mid-August, she had
emptied her cargo holds at Wellington. She then took on more cargo and
returned to New Caledonia, Serpens then commenced a series of short
hauls to Vitu Levu, Tutuila, Penrhyn, Bora Bora, Aitutaki, and
Tongatabu.
On Nov. 9, Serpens returned to New Caledonia. In early December,
she moved into the southern Solomons; and, after completing a Florida
Island-Banika Island run, she stood off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, to
load cargo for Bougainville. During January 1944, she completed two
runs into Empress Augusta Bay, In February, she was ordered back to New
Zealand for dry-docking before being loaded with dry provisions.
For the next four months, Serpens delivered consignments to bases
in the New Hebrides and the Solomons, returning to New Zealand to
reload only once, In July, she was at Purvis Bay for the installation
of a new SF-1 radar array, She then resumed operations and, through
October, carried general cargo and rolling stock between ports and
anchorages in the Solomons. In mid-Novem
ber, she loaded repairable
vehicles from the Russells and from Guadalcanal and sailed for New
Zealand where, after offloading, three of her holds were converted for
ammunition stowage.
Late in December of 1944, the cargo ship was loaded out at
Wellington and delivered the cargo at Auckland and then returned to the
Solomons in mid-January 1945. On the 29th, she was anchored off Lunga
Beach, The commanding officer and seven others, one officer and six
enlisted men, were ashore. The remaining 198 members of Serpens crew
and 57 members of an Army stevedore unit were on board the ship,
loading depth charges into her holds. During the loading, Serpens
exploded. After the explosion, only the bow of the ship was visible.
The rest had disintegrated, and the bow sank soon afterward. Only two
of those aboard survived. The cause of the explosion is unknown.
USS Serpens (AK-97) was awarded one battle star for her World War
II service.
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
