USS Syrma (AK-134)
Encyclopedia
USS Syrma (AK-134) was an 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.
Syrma (AK-134), ex-SS Andres Almonaster (MC hull 2455), was laid down on 10 January 1944 by the Delta Shipbuilding Co., New Orleans, Louisiana
; launched on 19 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. James L. Wallace; acquired by the Navy on 20 March 1944; and commissioned on 21 March 1944.
on a bareboat charter
and converted to naval use as an auxiliary cargo ship by the Todd-Galveston Drydock Co., Galveston, Texas
, from 27 March to 12 August 1944. She sailed for Norfolk, Virginia
, the next day and arrived there on the 20th to begin her shakedown
cruise. She was in the yard from 26 to 31 August for a short availability period and sailed with a convoy
on 3 September. Her orders were modified five days later to proceed independently to Gulfport, Mississippi
. Syrma loaded cargo there from 10 to 14 September and moved to New Orleans to complete loading.
, where she took AFD-29 in tow and sailed for Panama
on the 23d. She arrived at the Panama Canal Zone
on 30 September; remained there until 9 October; and continued on to Hawaii
. She arrived at Pearl Harbor
on 31 October and remained in the islands until 25 November when she got underway for San Francisco, California
. The cargo ship arrived there on 4 December 1944 and got underway for Portland, Oregon
, the same day. Syrma remained there until 28 January 1945 when she departed for San Francisco. She loaded cargo from 1 to 9 February and sailed for Manus Island
on the 10th with YF-619 in tow.
on 7 March; unloaded her cargo and tow; and began the return voyage to San Francisco on the 23d. She arrived on 13 April and remained there until 8 June when she sailed for Hawaii with YF-738 in tow. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 18 May, released the tow, and sailed the next day for Tarawa, Gilbert Islands
. Tarawa was reached on the 28th. The ship unloaded her cargo and took on deck cargo for the Marshall Islands
and left the next day.
. She arrived at Apra Harbor
on 18 October and departed Guam on 10 November for the east coast of the United States. The Panama Canal
was transited on 9 December, and Syrma arrived at Norfolk on the 20th.
on 21 January 1946.
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.
Syrma (AK-134), ex-SS Andres Almonaster (MC hull 2455), was laid down on 10 January 1944 by the Delta Shipbuilding Co., New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
; launched on 19 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. James L. Wallace; acquired by the Navy on 20 March 1944; and commissioned on 21 March 1944.
World War II operations
Syrma was acquired from 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....
on a bareboat charter
Bareboat charter
A bareboat charter is an arrangement for the chartering or hiring of a ship or boat, whereby no crew or provisions are included as part of the agreement; instead, the people who rent the vessel from the owner are responsible for taking care of such things....
and converted to naval use as an auxiliary cargo ship by the Todd-Galveston Drydock Co., Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, from 27 March to 12 August 1944. She sailed for 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....
, the next day and arrived there on the 20th to begin her 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...
cruise. She was in the yard from 26 to 31 August for a short availability period and sailed with a convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
on 3 September. Her orders were modified five days later to proceed independently to Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the...
. Syrma loaded cargo there from 10 to 14 September and moved to New Orleans to complete loading.
Pacific Theatre operations
Syrma, moved to Mobile, AlabamaMobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, where she took AFD-29 in tow and sailed for Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
on the 23d. She arrived at the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
on 30 September; remained there until 9 October; and continued on to 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...
. She arrived 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...
on 31 October and remained in the islands until 25 November when she got underway for 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...
. The cargo ship arrived there on 4 December 1944 and got underway for Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, the same day. Syrma remained there until 28 January 1945 when she departed for San Francisco. She loaded cargo from 1 to 9 February and sailed for Manus Island
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
on the 10th with YF-619 in tow.
Supporting troops on Tarawa
Syrma arrived at Seeadler HarborSeeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II...
on 7 March; unloaded her cargo and tow; and began the return voyage to San Francisco on the 23d. She arrived on 13 April and remained there until 8 June when she sailed for Hawaii with YF-738 in tow. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 18 May, released the tow, and sailed the next day for Tarawa, 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...
. Tarawa was reached on the 28th. The ship unloaded her cargo and took on deck cargo for the Marshall Islands
Marshall 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...
and left the next day.
End-of-war operations
Syrma operated in the Marshalls from 1 July to 12 August when she stood out for San Francisco, arriving there on the 26th. On 28 September, the ship again headed westward en route to GuamGuam
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...
. She arrived at Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor is a deep-water port on the western side of Guam in the Mariana Islands. The harbor is formed by Orote Peninsula in the south and Cabras Island in the north. To the south, the harbor narrows and then widens again to form an inner harbor. The southern end of the harbor is the location...
on 18 October and departed Guam on 10 November for the east coast of the United States. 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...
was transited on 9 December, and Syrma arrived at Norfolk on the 20th.
Post-war decommissioning
The remainder of December 1945 was spent in preparing the ship for inactivation. Syrma was decommissioned on 8 January 1946, returned to the War Shipping Administration on the 11th, and 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 21 January 1946.