USS Manderson Victory (AK-230)
Encyclopedia
USS Manderson Victory (AK-230) was a Boulder Victory-class cargo ship
acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II
. She served in the Pacific Ocean
theatre of operations through the end of the war, earning one battle star, and then returned to the United States
for disposal.
, under a U.S. Maritime Commission contract; launched 23 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Florence Robertson; transferred to the Navy 3 November 1944; and commissioned the same day at the Mare Island Navy Yard, Lt. Comdr. John Larsen in command.
off San Pedro, California, Manderson Victory loaded ammunition and planes on board and sailed for Hawaii
5 December to join Service Squadron 10, U.S. Pacific Fleet. She arrived Pearl Harbor
11 December.
Discharging her cargo of planes, Manderson Victory departed for the Caroline Islands
, arriving Ulithi
Atoll 26 December. She transported ammunition in the western Pacific Ocean
into June 1945, with two voyages to the Ryukyu Islands
from 28 March to 17 June 1945 during the assault and occupation of Okinawa. Departing Ulithi for the Philippine Islands 19 June 1945, the cargo ship arrived San Pedro Bay
in the Philippine Islands 22 June and resumed her logistic support.
On 3 November Manderson Victory left for the United States, arriving Seattle, Washington
, 23 November. She continued on to the U.S. East Coast 17 February 1946 via the Panama Canal
and Puerto Rico
, docking at New York City
24 April.
(WSA) the same day. She entered the Maritime Commission National Defense Reserve Fleet
at James River
, Virginia
, 17 October 1953.
In July 1966 Manderson Victory was leased under General Agency Agreement to Farrell Lines
, Inc., New York, New York, for service as a freighter
.
service.
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...
acquired by the U.S. Navy during 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 served 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...
theatre of operations through the end of the war, earning one battle star, and then returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for disposal.
Victory built in California
Manderson Victory (AK 230) was laid down 4 July 1944 by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 1, 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...
, under a U.S. Maritime Commission contract; launched 23 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Florence Robertson; transferred to the Navy 3 November 1944; and commissioned the same day at the Mare Island Navy Yard, Lt. Comdr. John Larsen in command.
World War II 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...
off San Pedro, California, Manderson Victory loaded ammunition and planes on board and sailed 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...
5 December to join Service Squadron 10, U.S. Pacific Fleet. She arrived 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...
11 December.
Discharging her cargo of planes, Manderson Victory departed for the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
, arriving 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 26 December. She transported ammunition in the western 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...
into June 1945, with two voyages to the Ryukyu Islands
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...
from 28 March to 17 June 1945 during the assault and occupation of Okinawa. Departing Ulithi for the Philippine Islands 19 June 1945, the cargo ship arrived San Pedro Bay
San Pedro Bay (Philippines)
San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south. The bay is bounded on the north and east by Samar and on the east by Leyte Island. It is connected by San Juanico Strait to Carigara Bay of the Samar Sea. The...
in the Philippine Islands 22 June and resumed her logistic support.
On 3 November Manderson Victory left for the United States, arriving Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, 23 November. She continued on to the U.S. East Coast 17 February 1946 via the Panama Canal
Panama 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...
and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, docking at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
24 April.
Post-war decommissioning
Manderson Victory decommissioned 10 May 1946 and was returned to the War Shipping AdministrationWar Shipping Administration
The War Shipping Administration was a World War II emergency war agency of the US Government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the US needed for fighting the war....
(WSA) the same day. She entered the Maritime Commission National Defense Reserve Fleet
National Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...
at 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...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 17 October 1953.
In July 1966 Manderson Victory was leased under General Agency Agreement to Farrell Lines
Farrell Lines
Farrell lines Incorporated was named in 1948 after James A. Farrell Jr., and John J. Farrell, sons of James A Farrell Sr., president of US Steel. The company was previously known as American South African Lines . It was a passenger/cargo line in regular service from New York to South Africa...
, Inc., New York, New York, for service as a freighter
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...
.
Honors and awards
Manderson Victory received one battle star for World War IIWorld 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...
service.