USS Alkes (AK-110)
Encyclopedia
USS Alkes (AK-110) was an commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II
, named after Alkes
, the alpha star in constellation Crater
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
SS Increase A. Lapham was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1584) on 10 June 1943 at Richmond, California
, by the Permanente Metals
Corp.; launched on 29 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Chester P. Kenman; acquired by the Navy on 5 October 1943; converted for naval service by the Hurley Marine Works, Oakland, California
; renamed Alkes (AK-110) on 6 October 1943; and placed in commission at Oakland on 29 October 1943, Comdr. W. H. Wight in command.
training, the new cargo ship got underway for Pearl Harbor
, Hawaii
, her base of operations while she carried supplies to the forward areas in the Pacific Ocean
. In early December, the ship sailed to the Gilbert Islands
with Task Unit (TU) 16.15.1. She reached Makin Island
on the 16th and commenced unloading. The ship moved to Baker Island
on the 31st to take on cargo prior to returning to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived on 13 January 1944.
. Upon reaching Majuro
Atoll
, on 3 February, the ship began unloading her cargo to support ongoing landing operations. One week later, she reversed her course and arrived back at Pearl Harbor on 21 February.
16.12. Among her ports of call were Eniwetok, Kwajalein
, and Majuro, Marshall Islands; and Tarawa and Makin, Gilbert Islands. Alkes returned to Pearl Harbor on 8 May to replenish her cargo. She shaped a course back to the Marshalls on the 22d and made stops at Kwajalein and Eniwetok. The vessel arrived at Guam
on 8 August, where she remained for one month discharging cargo and delivering fresh water to various ships of the fleet.
. The vessel reached San Pedro, California, on 3 October and, shortly thereafter, began alterations and repairs. She moved to San Francisco, California
, on the 27th to take on cargo and, on 6 November, sailed for Pearl Harbor.
. Alkes reached Ulithi on 13 December and assumed duty there as a fleet issue ship. She operated at Ulithi until 6 February 1945, when she got underway for a return voyage to California
. Alkes arrived at San Pedro on 4 March and underwent repairs while taking on supplies and equipment. She sailed on the 23d to resume her cargo operations in the Western Pacific. On 12 April, the ship returned to Ulithi, where she remained until late May, preparing for the impending assault on the Ryūkyūs
.
from 28 May through 13 August issuing her cargo to units of the invasion force. She experienced numerous air attacks but continued to carry out her duties without sustaining any serious damage.
, Alkes arrived at Norfolk, Virginia
, on the 31st.
on 12 March 1946.
The ship was subsequently laid up in the James River
as SS Increase A. Lapham. She was sold on 26 October 1971 to Hierros Ardes S. A., Bilbao, Spain
, for scrapping.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, named after Alkes
Alpha Crateris
Alpha Crateris is a star in the constellation Crater. It has the traditional name Alkes, from the Arabic الكاس alkās or الكأس alka's "the cup"....
, the alpha star in constellation Crater
Crater (constellation)
Crater is a constellation. Its name is Latin for cup, and in Greek mythology it is identified with the cup of the god Apollo. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations...
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
SS Increase A. Lapham was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1584) on 10 June 1943 at Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
, by the Permanente Metals
Permanente Metals
Permanente Metals Company managed the Richmond Shipyards, owned by Henry J. Kaiser. These four of the Kaiser Shipyards were known for the construction of Liberty ships.The company was also a major producer of magnesium during World War II...
Corp.; launched on 29 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Chester P. Kenman; acquired by the Navy on 5 October 1943; converted for naval service by the Hurley Marine Works, Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
; renamed Alkes (AK-110) on 6 October 1943; and placed in commission at Oakland on 29 October 1943, Comdr. W. H. Wight in command.
World War II Pacific Theater operations
After shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
training, the new cargo ship got underway for Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, her base of operations while she carried supplies to the forward areas in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. In early December, the ship sailed to the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
with Task Unit (TU) 16.15.1. She reached Makin Island
Makin (islands)
Makin is the name of a chain of islands located in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati, specifically in the Gilbert Islands.-Geography:...
on the 16th and commenced unloading. The ship moved to Baker Island
Baker Island
Baker Island is an uninhabited atoll located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean about southwest of Honolulu. The island lies almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia, and is a possession of the United States. Its nearest neighbor is Howland Island, to the north.Located at...
on the 31st to take on cargo prior to returning to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived on 13 January 1944.
Supplying forces in the Marshall Islands
Shortly after returning to Hawaii, the vessel began taking on supplies and equipment for another shuttle run. Alkes sailed on 25 January for the Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. Upon reaching Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
Atoll
Atoll
An atoll is a coral island that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.- Usage :The word atoll comes from the Dhivehi word atholhu OED...
, on 3 February, the ship began unloading her cargo to support ongoing landing operations. One week later, she reversed her course and arrived back at Pearl Harbor on 21 February.
Supplying the South Pacific forces
Alkes got underway again on 12 March, bound for the Marshall and Gilbert Islands with Task GroupTask force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
16.12. Among her ports of call were Eniwetok, Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
, and Majuro, Marshall Islands; and Tarawa and Makin, Gilbert Islands. Alkes returned to Pearl Harbor on 8 May to replenish her cargo. She shaped a course back to the Marshalls on the 22d and made stops at Kwajalein and Eniwetok. The vessel arrived at Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
on 8 August, where she remained for one month discharging cargo and delivering fresh water to various ships of the fleet.
Repairs Stateside
Alkes arrived back at Pearl Harbor on 11 September. After 10 days in port, she continued sailing east toward the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The vessel reached San Pedro, California, on 3 October and, shortly thereafter, began alterations and repairs. She moved to San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, on the 27th to take on cargo and, on 6 November, sailed for Pearl Harbor.
Return trips to the South Pacific
The ship reached Hawaiian waters on the 16th and sailed the next day for Eniwetok, Guam, and UlithiUlithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
. Alkes reached Ulithi on 13 December and assumed duty there as a fleet issue ship. She operated at Ulithi until 6 February 1945, when she got underway for a return voyage to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Alkes arrived at San Pedro on 4 March and underwent repairs while taking on supplies and equipment. She sailed on the 23d to resume her cargo operations in the Western Pacific. On 12 April, the ship returned to Ulithi, where she remained until late May, preparing for the impending assault on the Ryūkyūs
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
.
Supporting Okinawa invasion operations
Alkes got underway with TU 13.11.2 on 23 May, bound for Okinawa. She remained off that island and Kerama RettoKerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
from 28 May through 13 August issuing her cargo to units of the invasion force. She experienced numerous air attacks but continued to carry out her duties without sustaining any serious damage.
Return to Stateside duties
She left Okinawa in mid-August and sailed via Ulithi to the west coast of the United States. The ship again reached San Pedro on 14 September and remained there until early January 1946, serving as a fleet issue ship. On 3 January, she set a course for the U.S. East Coast. Having transited the Panama CanalPanama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, Alkes arrived at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, on the 31st.
Inactivation and decommissioning
Preparations for her inactivation were then begun. The vessel sailed to Baltimore, Maryland, on 8 February and was placed out of commission there on 20 February 1946. She was returned to the Maritime Administration on 27 February, and her name was struck from the Navy ListNaval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 12 March 1946.
The ship was subsequently laid up in the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
as SS Increase A. Lapham. She was sold on 26 October 1971 to Hierros Ardes S. A., Bilbao, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, for scrapping.
Military awards and honors
Alkes won three battle stars for her World War II service. Her crew was eligible for the following medals:- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3)
- World War II Victory Medal
External links
- Alkes at the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships