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USS Cor Caroli

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(Redirected from USS Cor Caroli (AK-91)) Cargo ship of the United States Navy

USS Cor Caroli (AK-91), broadside view, underway off San Francisco, 1 May 1943.
History
United States
Name
  • Betsy Ross
  • Cor Caroli
Namesake
Orderedas a Type EC2-S-C1 hull, MCE hull 476
BuilderPermanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Cost$1,061,271
Yard number476
Way number5
Laid down20 February 1943
Launched19 March 1943
Sponsored byMrs. B.F. Hodglin
Acquired31 March 1943
Commissioned16 April 1943
Decommissioned30 November 1945
Stricken19 December 1945
Identification
Honors and
awards		1 × battle star
Fate
General characteristics
Class and typeCrater-class cargo ship
Displacement
  • 4,023 long tons (4,088 t) (standard)
  • 14,550 long tons (14,780 t) (full load)
Length441 ft 6 in (134.57 m)
Beam56 ft 11 in (17.35 m)
Draft28 ft 4 in (8.64 m)
Installed power
  • 2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) ,  (manufactured by Babcock & Wilcox)
  • 2,500 shp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion
Speed12.5 kn (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph)
Capacity
  • 7,800 t (7,700 long tons) DWT
  • 444,206 cu ft (12,578.5 m) (non-refrigerated)
Complement206
Armament

USS Cor Caroli (AK-91) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II and manned by a US Coast Guard crew. She was named after Cor Caroli, the brightest star in constellation Canes Venatici. She was responsible for delivering goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

Construction

Cor Caroli was launched 19 March 1943 as SS Betsy Ross, MCE hull 476, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2, Richmond, California, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract; sponsored by Mrs. B.F. Hodglin; acquired by the Navy 31 March 1943; commissioned 16 April 1943 and reported to the Pacific Fleet.

Service history

After coastwise cargo operations, Cor Caroli cleared San Diego, California, 14 June 1943, for Auckland, New Zealand, arriving 18 July. Until 23 January 1944, she operated between Auckland and Noumea, Espiritu Santo, Guadalcanal, Suva, Efate, and Tulagi, supporting the South Pacific Ocean operations. She sailed from Auckland 8 January 1944 for Nouméa, where she loaded additional cargo, and Lunga Point, arriving 28 January.

Shooting down a Japanese plane

She proceeded to Bougainville, where she joined in the invasion from 8 to 17 February, splashing a Japanese plane when air resistance developed. She returned to Bougainville with additional cargo from 6 to 11 March, and next operated off Emirau from 9 to 16 April in landings there. Cor Caroli continued to operate in the Solomons until 12 June, when she sailed for Eniwetok. After standing by in reserve during the invasion of Eniwetok, she sailed on with her cargo to Guam, where she participated in the assault from 27 July to 15 August.

Supporting Philippine invasion operations

Cor Caroli returned to the Southwest Pacific early in September 1944, and carried cargo among the bases there until 13 January 1945, when she arrived at Auckland to load new cargo, which she carried to Eniwetok and Guam. Returning to New Zealand for brief repairs, she sailed on to Pearl Harbor, arriving 8 June to load cargo for the Philippines. She ferried among Philippine ports between 13 July and 4 August, when she sailed for Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo, Pearl Harbor, and San Pedro, California.

Post-war decommissioning

After overhaul, she continued to Norfolk, Virginia, arriving 17 November. Here she was decommissioned 30 November 1945, and returned to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) on 2 December 1945. She entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia, the same day. On 26 May 1978, she was released to the State of South Carolina to be used as an artificial reef off the coast of Hilton Head.

The wreck now lies at:32°03′16.31″N 80°24′58.21″W / 32.0545306°N 80.4161694°W / 32.0545306; -80.4161694

Awards

Cor Caroli received one battle star for World War II service. It was for the Marianas operation, capture and occupation of Guam, 27 July to 15 August 1944. Her crew was eligible for the following medals:

References

  1. ^ Kaiser No. 2 2010.
  2. MARCOM.
  3. ^ Navsource 2015.
  4. ^ DANFS.
  5. MARAD.
  6. Seamus 2015.

Bibliography

External links

Crater-class cargo ships
MARCOM ships built by Kaiser Shipyards, Richmond Shipyards, Richmond, California during World War II
Crater-class cargo ships
Type EC2-S-C1 ships
Type EC2-S-C1 ships
Liberty Ships
Boulder Victory-class cargo ships
Type VC2-S-AP2 ships
Type VC2-S-AP2 ships
Victory Ships
Greenville Victory-class cargo ship
VC2-S-AP3 ship
Norwalk-class cargo ship
Type VC2-S-AP3 cargo ship
Type VC2-S-AP3 cargo ships
Haskell-class attack transports
Type VC2-S-AP5 ships
General G. O. Squier-class transport ships
Type C4-S-A1 ships
Marine Adder-class transport ship
Type C4-S-A3 ship
Type C4-S-A3 ships
Type C4-S-A4 ships
LST-1-class tank landing ships
Type S3-M-K2 ships
Achelous-class repair ships
Type S2-S2-AQ1 ships
Tacoma-class patrol frigates
Type S2-S2-AQ1 ships
Alamosa-class cargo ships
Type C1-M-AV1 ships
Miscellaneous Auxiliary
Type C1-M-AV1 ships
Type C1-M-AV1 ships
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