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USS Alkaid: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Liberty ship of WWII}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
 
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
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|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|19451943}}
|Ship name=*''William G. Sumner''
|Ship namesake=[[William G. Sumner]]
*''Alkaid''
|Ship namesakeowner =* [[WilliamWar G.Shipping SumnerAdministration]] (WSA)
*[[Alkaid]]
|Ship owner=
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry=
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=as a type (EC2-S-C1) hull, [[Maritime Commission|MCEMC]] hull 1211, SS ''William G. Sumner''
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder= [[St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company]], [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], Florida{{sfn|St. John's River SBC|2010}}
|Ship original cost= $1,438,116{{sfn|MARCOM}}
|Ship yard number=19
|Ship way number=1
|Ship laid down=13 September 1943
|Ship launched=8 November 1943
|Ship sponsor=Mrs. W.William R. McQuaid
|Ship christenedcompleted=19 November 1943
|Ship identification=*[[Maritime call sign|Call sign]]: KUJT
|Ship completed=
*{{ICS|Kilo}}{{ICS|Uniform}}{{ICS|Juliet}}{{ICS|Tango}}{{sfn|MARCOM}}
|Ship acquired=19 November 1943
|Ship fate= Transferred to [[US Navy]], 19 November 1943
|Ship commissioned=27 March 1944
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1946}}
|Ship name=''Alkaid''
|Ship namesake=The star [[Alkaid]]
|Ship acquired= 19 November 1943
|Ship commissioned= 27 March 1944
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned= 11 March 1946
|Ship maiden voyagereclassified=
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck= 28 March 1946
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship identification=*[[Hull classification symbol#Support type|Hull symbol]]: AK-114
*[[Maritime call sign|Call sign]]: NTNQ
*{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Tango}}{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Quebec}}{{sfn|MARCOM}}
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship honors=
|Ship fate= *Laid up in the, [[Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet]], [[Suisun Bay, California|Suisun Bay]], California, 15 June 1946
|Ship captured=
|Ship* fate=soldSold for scrapping, 204 AprilMarch 19641947, toremoved Nationalfrom Metalfleet, and12 SteelMarch Co.1947
|Ship notes= Name reverted to ''William G. Sumner'' when laid up in Reserve Fleet
|Ship status=scrapped 23 December 1965
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption={{sfn|Navsource}}
|Header caption=<ref name="navsource">{{cite web | url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130114.htm | title=USS Alkaid (AK-114) | publisher=Navsource.org | accessdate=May 19, 2015}}</ref>
|Ship class={{sclass|Crater|cargo ship}}
|Ship displacement={{Crater cargo displacement}}
|Ship length={{Crater cargo length}}
|Ship beam={{Crater cargo beam}}
|Ship draft={{Crater cargo draft}}
|Ship power={{Crater cargo power|CE}}
|Ship propulsion=*2{{Crater ×cargo [[ Combustion Engineering ]] header-type boilers, 220psi 450°propulsion|GMC}}
|Ship sail plan=
*1 × General Machine Company [[Triple-expansion engines#Multiple expansion engines|triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine]]
*1 × [[Drive shaft#Marine drive shafts|shaft]]|Ship sail plan=
|Ship speed={{Crater cargo speed}}
|Ship range=
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|Ship test depth=
|Ship boats=
|Ship capacity={{Crater cargo capacity}}
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=206
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|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*1 × [[5"-inch/38 -caliber gun|{{convert|5|in|mm|abbr=on}}/38]] -[[caliber (artillery)|caliber]] [[dual -purpose gun]]
*4 × [[Bofors 40 mm gunAutomatic Gun L/60|{{convert|40|mm|in|abbr=on}} 40mm40 mm Bofors]] [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] gun mounts
*6 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|{{convert|20|mm|in|abbr=on}} Oerlikon cannons]] anti-aircraft gun mounts
|Ship armour=
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|}
 
'''USS ''Alkaid'' (AK-114)''' was a {{sclass|Crater|cargo ship}}, converted from a [[Liberty Ship]], commissioned by the [[U.S.US Navy]] for service in [[World War II]],. She was first named after [[William G. Sumner]], a [[classical liberal]] American social scientist. She was renamed and commissioned after [[Eta Ursae Majoris|Alkaid]], thea star in the [[Big Dipper]] asterism or constellation [[Ursa Major]]. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
 
==Construction==
== Built in Jacksonville, Florida ==
 
''SS William G. Sumner'' (AK-114) was laid down on 13 September 1943, under a [[Maritime Commission]] (MARCOM) contract, (MCEMC hull 1211) on 13 September 1943, by the [[St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company]], [[Jacksonville, Florida|Jacksonville]], Florida; launchedshe on 8 November 1943;was sponsored by Mrs. W.William R. McQuaid;, renameda ''Alkaid''prominent citizen of Jacksonville, and launched on 138 November 1943;. She was acquired by the [[US Navy]], under a bareboat charter on 19 November 1943;, and renamed ''Alkaid''. She was converted for naval service by the [[Gibbs Gas Engine Co.]], Jacksonville;, and, commissioned in Jacksonville, on 27 March 1944, Lt. Comdr{{sfn|St. E.John's G.River Gummer in command.SBC|2010}}{{sfn|MARCOM}}{{sfn|Navsource}}{{sfn|DANFS}}
 
==Service history==
== World War II Pacific Theatre operations ==
 
Following a period of [[Shakedown (testing)cruise|shakedown]] training off the [[U.S.US East Coast]], ''Alkaid'' sailed on 6 May 1944, for the [[Pacific Ocean]], via [[Guantanamo Bay, Cuba]], and the [[Panama Canal]]. On 14 June, the ship touched at [[Espiritu Santo]] and reported to [[Service Squadron]] 8 for duty.{{sfn|DANFS}}
 
For the duration of her [[World War II]] service, ''Alkaid'' acted as an interisland transport. Some of the ports she visited included [[Noumea]], [[New Caledonia]]; [[Guadalcanal]]; [[Tulagi]]; [[Suva]], [[Fiji]]; [[Auckland, New Zealand|Auckland]] and [[Wellington, New Zealand|Wellington]], New Zealand; [[Efate]], [[New Hebrides]]; [[Oro Bay]], [[New Guinea]]; [[Iwo Jima]]; [[Guam]]; and [[Eniwetok]].{{sfn|DANFS}}
=== Inter-island service in the South Pacific ===
 
On 15 May 1945, ''Alkaid'' sailed from [[Ulithi]], with a [[convoy]] bound for [[Okinawa]]. She arrived off [[Hagushi]] beach on 21 May, and operated there through the end of the month.{{sfn|DANFS}}
For the duration of her [[World War II]] service, ''Alkaid'' acted as an interisland transport. Some of the ports she visited included [[Noumea]], [[New Caledonia]]; [[Guadalcanal]]; [[Tulagi]]; [[Suva]], [[Fiji]]; [[Auckland, New Zealand|Auckland]] and [[Wellington, New Zealand]]; [[Espiritu Santo]] and [[Efate]], [[New Hebrides]]; [[Oro Bay]], [[New Guinea]]; [[Iwo Jima]]; [[Guam]]; and [[Eniwetok]].
 
''Alkaid'' touched at [[Pearl Harbor]] in early August. She was undergoing availability when she received word of the [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] surrender. In September, the ship got underway for Japan. After making calls at Eniwetok, [[Saipan]], and Iwo Jima, ''Alkaid'' dropped anchor at [[Yokosuka, Japan]], on 4 October. For the next one and one-half months, the ship served with the occupation forces in Japan.{{sfn|DANFS}}
=== Okinawa operations ===
 
On 16 November, ''Alkaid'' left Japan with a load of homeward-bound American troops and reached [[Long Beach, California]], on 9 December 1945. On 4 January 1946, ''Alkaid'' departed Long Beach for [[San Francisco]], California, arriving on 6 January 1946.{{sfn|DANFS}}
On 15 May 1945, ''Alkaid'' sailed from [[Ulithi]] with a [[convoy]] bound for [[Okinawa]]. She arrived off [[Hagushi]] beach on the 21st and operated there through the end of the month.
 
==Decommissioning==
=== End-of-war activity ===
 
The ship was decommissioned there and returned to the [[Maritime Commission]] (MARCOM) on 11 March 1946, and entered the [[Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet]] at [[Suisun Bay, California|Suisun Bay]], California. ''Alkaid'' was stricken from the [[Navy list]] on 28 March 1946.{{sfn|DANFS}}
''Alkaid'' touched at [[Pearl Harbor]] in early August. She was undergoing availability when she received word of the [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] surrender. In September, the ship got underway for Japan. After making calls at [[Eniwetok]], [[Saipan]], and [[Iwo Jima]], ''Alkaid'' dropped anchor at [[Yokosuka, Japan]], on 4 October. For the next one and one-half months, the ship served with the occupation forces in Japan.
 
Resuming the name ''William G. Sumner'', the ship remained in reserve into the 1960s. She was sold for scrapping to the [[National Metal & Steel Corp.]], on 31 March 1964, for $52,609.15. She was removed from the fleet by the purchaser on 20 April 1964.{{sfn|DANFS}}{{sfn|MARAD}}
On 16 November, ''Alkaid'' left Japan with a load of homeward-bound American troops and reached Long Beach, California, on 9 December 1945. On 4 January 1946, ''Alkaid'' departed Long Beach for [[San Francisco, California]], arriving on 6 January 1946.
 
== Post-war decommissioning ==
 
The ship was decommissioned there, having traveled 59,119 miles, and was returned to the [[Maritime Commission]] on 11 March 1946. Her name was struck from the [[Naval Register]] on 28 March 1946.
 
== Military awards and honors ==
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==References==
{{reflist}}
 
* {{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/alkaid.html}}
==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite web
| url = http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/stjohnsriver.htm
| title = St. John's River Shipbuilding, Jacksonville FL
| publisher = www.ShipbuildingHistory.com
| date = 16 October 2010
| access-date = 31 December 2019
| ref = {{sfnRef|St. John's River SBC|2010}}
}}
* {{cite web
|url= https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/ShipHistory/Detail/5244
|title=William Graham Sumner
|author=Maritime Administration
|work=Ship History Database Vessel Status Card
|publisher=U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration
|access-date= 31 December 2019
|ref={{sfnref|MARAD}}
}}
* {{cite web
| url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130114.htm
| title=USS Alkaid (AK-114)
| publisher=Navsource.org
| date= 5 December 2014
| access-date=31 December 2019
|ref= {{sfnRef|Navsource}}
}}
* {{cite DANFS|ref={{sfnRef|DANFS}}
|title= Alkaid (AK-114)
|url= http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/a/alkaid.html
|publisher= [[Naval History and Heritage Command]]
|date= 11 December 2016
|access-date= 31 December 2019
}}{{PD-notice}}
* {{cite web
|url= http://usmaritimecommission.de/query.php?datalist=1&typeofquery=Name%20of%20Ship&valueofquery=William%20G.Sumner&code=B1211a
|title= SS ''William Graham Sumner''
|access-date= 31 December 2019
|ref= {{sfnRef|MARCOM}}
}}
{{refend}}
 
==External links==
* {{navsource|09/13/130114|Alkaid}}
{{Crater class cargo ship}}
{{Liberty ships W}}
 
{{Crater class cargo ship}}
{{MARCOM ships St. John's River SB Co.}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alkaid (AK-114)}}
[[Category:Crater-class cargo ships]]
[[Category:World War II auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:FreightersShips built in Jacksonville, Florida]]
[[Category:Ships built in Florida]]
[[Category:Liberty ships]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet]]
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