USS Flagler

USS Flagler (AK-181) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy during the final months of World War II. She served the Pacific Ocean theatre of operations for a short period of time before being decommissioned at Okinawa and returned to the U.S. Maritime Administration for dispositioning.

History
United States
NameFlagler
NamesakeFlagler County, Florida
Orderedas type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2377[1]
BuilderKaiser Shipbuilding Co., Richmond, California
Cost$1,982,464[2]
Yard number73[1]
Laid down1944
Launched24 March 1945
Sponsored byMrs. T. B. Smith
Commissioned18 May 1945
Decommissioned24 December 1945
Stricken7 February 1946
Identification
Fate
  • Sold, 3 March 1948
  • Scrapped at Shanghai in 1949
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeAlamosa-class cargo ship
TypeC1-M-AV1
Tonnage5,032 long tons deadweight (DWT)[1]
Displacement
  • 2,382 long tons (2,420 t) (standard)
  • 7,450 long tons (7,570 t) (full load)
Length388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam50 ft (15 m)
Draft21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Installed power
Propulsion1 × propeller
Speed11.5 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
  • 15 Officers
  • 70 Enlisted
Armament

Construction

Flagler was launched 24 March 1945 by Kaiser Cargo Co., Inc., Richmond, California, under a Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 2377; sponsored by Mrs. T. B. Smith; and commissioned 18 May 1945.[4]

Service history

Flagler sailed from San Francisco, California, 5 July 1945 with cargo for Ulithi and Leyte Gulf, where she discharged the last of her load 6 August. Here she loaded supplies and men for Okinawa, from which she sailed 29 August for Guam and Saipan.[4]

Grounded during a typhoon

Okinawa-bound again 12 September, Flagler sailed through a raging typhoon Ursula, which caused some damage to the ship, but arrived safely 18 September. Twice while at Okinawa she put to sea to avoid typhoons, evading the firsttyphoon Jean. During the second, typhoon Louise, on 9 October, she was grounded. Success in a difficult salvage operation refloated her 26 October.[4]

Decommissioning and disposal

Flagler was decommissioned at Okinawa 24 December 1945. She was returned to the Maritime Commission 29 March 1946 and laid up at Subic Bay.[3] On 3 March 1948 she was sold for scrap to the Asia Development Corporation, Shanghai, China, along with 14 other vessels, for $271,000.[2]

Notes
    Citations
    1. C1 Cargo Ships 2009.
    2. MARAD.
    3. Navsource 2013.
    4. DANFS 2016.

    Bibliography

    Online resources

    • "Flagler (AK-181)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    • "C1 Cargo Ships". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
    • "Flagler (AK-181)". Navsource.org. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
    • "Flagler (AK-181)". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
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