USS Brevard (AK-164)
Encyclopedia
USS Brevard (AK-164) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship
commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
, by Kaiser Cargo Inc., under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2109); launched on 18 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. C.S. Wieringa, wife of the out-fitting superintendent at the builders’ yard; delivered to the Navy and commissioned on 19 February 1945, Lt. Paul J. Wild, USNR, in command.
“In orderly procession,” Lt. Wild later wrote, “came ‘Fitting-Out Availability’ at Treasure Island, California
, loading of stores and material at Oakland, California
, two weeks of shakedown
in San Pedro, California, and post-shakedown availability at San Pedro.” Following those post-commissioning details, Brevard loaded cargo at San Francisco, California
, and put to sea for Hawaii
on 8 April.
s and equipment either consigned directly to operating units or to tenders in the forward areas for subsequent installation; she also carried tanks, trucks, and amphibious vehicles for Marine Corps’ replacements, and ship’s store stock. She arrived in Pearl Harbor
on the 16th. She delivered cargo both at Pearl Harbor and at Hilo on the island of Hawaii
before departing the islands on 1 May. Brevard reached Eniwetok on the 11th but departed again on the 13th. Her next stop was Guam
where she remained from 17 May to 7 June. From there, she moved to Ulithi
Atoll
, in the Carolines, arriving on 8 June and staying until the 27th. She headed from Ulithi to the Palaus, where she paused between 29 June and 1 July.
on 2 July, Brevard spent the next seven weeks there, during which time hostilities with Japan
ceased, allowing her commanding officer
to observe later that “the ship neither encountered nor observed the enemy.” Departing Leyte
on 19 August, Brevard steamed to Ulithi
, where she stopped over from 24 August to 3 September, and to the Marianas, where she stayed from 5 to 18 September. The cargo ship returned to Leyte on 23 September and remained there almost a month. On 19 October, she left Leyte
on her way to occupation duty in China
. Brevard arrived in Chinese waters on 28 October and provided logistics support for the occupation troops.
. On that day, beginning at 1520 the Brevard crew rescued 4,296 Japanese civilian repatriots from the ship Enoshima Maru as it sank near Shanghai
. Later called an incredible "act of humanity" by the Embassy of Japan, this rescue was completed by 1550 --in less than 30 minutes --and is listed by Guinness for "Most people rescued at sea. (civilians)". [NOTE: Guinness has date wrong. January 22, 1946 is correct and taken directly from RESTRICTED copies of ship's record of this event.]
She stopped at Pearl Harbor
from 16 February to 2 March. She then continued her voyage to the west coast, reaching San Francisco, California
, on 14 March. Although slated to proceed thence to Norfolk, Virginia
, to be returned to the Maritime Commission and be laid up in the James River, Virginia, to relieve the workload of yards on the U.S. East Coast, Brevard received orders the next day to proceed instead to Olympia, Washington
, where she was decommissioned and returned to the Maritime Commission on 3 July 1946. Her name was struck from the Navy list
on 8 October 1946, and she was sold into merchant service sometime the following year. Final Disposition: she was scrapped in 1970.
with the same name, the ship was named after Brevard County, Florida
.
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II
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...
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Commissioning
The Brevard was laid down on 2 September 1944 at Richmond, CaliforniaRichmond, 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 Kaiser Cargo Inc., under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2109); launched on 18 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. C.S. Wieringa, wife of the out-fitting superintendent at the builders’ yard; delivered to the Navy and commissioned on 19 February 1945, Lt. Paul J. Wild, USNR, in command.
“In orderly procession,” Lt. Wild later wrote, “came ‘Fitting-Out Availability’ at Treasure Island, California
Treasure Island, California
Treasure Island is an artificial island in the San Francisco Bay between San Francisco and Oakland, and an emerging neighborhood of San Francisco....
, loading of stores and material at 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...
, two weeks of shakedown
Shakedown (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...
in San Pedro, California, and post-shakedown availability at San Pedro.” Following those post-commissioning details, Brevard loaded cargo at 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...
, and put to sea for 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...
on 8 April.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Brevard carried fleet freight, spare partSpare part
Spare Parts may also refer to:* Spare Parts , by Status Quo* Spare Parts is a Doctor Who audio drama.* Spare Parts , by Servotron* "Spare Parts" , by Bruce Springsteen* "Spare Parts"...
s and equipment either consigned directly to operating units or to tenders in the forward areas for subsequent installation; she also carried tanks, trucks, and amphibious vehicles for Marine Corps’ replacements, and ship’s store stock. She arrived in 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...
on the 16th. She delivered cargo both at Pearl Harbor and at Hilo on the island of 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...
before departing the islands on 1 May. Brevard reached Eniwetok on the 11th but departed again on the 13th. Her next stop was 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...
where she remained from 17 May to 7 June. From there, she moved to Ulithi
Ulithi
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...
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...
, in the Carolines, arriving on 8 June and staying until the 27th. She headed from Ulithi to the Palaus, where she paused between 29 June and 1 July.
End-of-war activity
Reaching LeyteLeyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
on 2 July, Brevard spent the next seven weeks there, during which time hostilities with Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
ceased, allowing her commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
to observe later that “the ship neither encountered nor observed the enemy.” Departing Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
on 19 August, Brevard steamed to Ulithi
Ulithi
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...
, where she stopped over from 24 August to 3 September, and to the Marianas, where she stayed from 5 to 18 September. The cargo ship returned to Leyte on 23 September and remained there almost a month. On 19 October, she left Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
on her way to occupation duty in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Brevard arrived in Chinese waters on 28 October and provided logistics support for the occupation troops.
Post-war return Stateside and decommissioning
On 22 January 1946, The Brevard left Shanghai and sailed for the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On that day, beginning at 1520 the Brevard crew rescued 4,296 Japanese civilian repatriots from the ship Enoshima Maru as it sank near Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. Later called an incredible "act of humanity" by the Embassy of Japan, this rescue was completed by 1550 --in less than 30 minutes --and is listed by Guinness for "Most people rescued at sea. (civilians)". [NOTE: Guinness has date wrong. January 22, 1946 is correct and taken directly from RESTRICTED copies of ship's record of this event.]
She stopped at 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...
from 16 February to 2 March. She then continued her voyage to the west coast, reaching 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 14 March. Although slated to proceed thence to 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....
, to be returned to the Maritime Commission and be laid up in the James River, Virginia, to relieve the workload of yards on the U.S. East Coast, Brevard received orders the next day to proceed instead to Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, where she was decommissioned and returned to the Maritime Commission on 3 July 1946. Her name was struck from the Navy list
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 8 October 1946, and she was sold into merchant service sometime the following year. Final Disposition: she was scrapped in 1970.
Military awards and honors
The record does not indicate any battle stars for Brevard. However, her crew was eligible for the following medals:- China Service MedalChina Service MedalThe China Service Medal was a military medal awarded to U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel. The medal was instituted on August 23, 1940 and featured a yellow ribbon with narrow red edge stripes...
(extended) - American Campaign MedalAmerican Campaign MedalThe American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalThe Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...
- World War II Victory MedalWorld War II Victory MedalThe World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
- Navy Occupation Service MedalNavy Occupation Service MedalThe Navy Occupation Service Medal is a decoration of the United States Navy which was issued to Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel who participated in the European and Asian occupation forces following the close of the World War II. The decoration was also bestowed to personnel who...
(with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal
Other information
Although there is a North Carolina cityBrevard, North Carolina
Brevard is a town in Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States. The 2005 population estimate by the United States Census Bureau was 6,643. It is the county seat of Transylvania County....
with the same name, the ship was named after Brevard County, Florida
Brevard County, Florida
Brevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the population is 536,521, making it the 10th most populous county in the state. Influenced by the presence of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Brevard...
.