USS Tabora (AKA-45)

USS "Tabora" (AKA-45) was an "Artemis" class attack cargo ship named after the minor planet "721 Tabora." Discovered in 1911, the new body was named in 1913 during a conference held in Hamburg, Germany, on board the ocean liner "Tabora" of the Deutsche Ost Afrika Linie. She served as a commissioned ship for 12 months.

"Tabora" (AKA-45) was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1906) on 4 March 1945 at Providence, R.I., by the Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc.; launched on 3 May 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Arthur W. Devine; and commissioned on 29 May 1945, Lt. Comdr. Olaf C. Erickson, USNR, in command.

"Tabora" departed Boston on 9 June and—after nine days of shakedown training out of Hampton Roads, Va.—headed for France. She arrived at Marseilles on 7 July and, the following week, got underway for Panama. She reached Cristobal on the 28th. Two days later, "Tabora" transited the canal and steamed toward the Marshall Islands. She arrived at Eniwetok on 22 August and, the next day, pushed on toward the Philippines. Upon arriving at San Fernando, Leyte, on the last day of August, the ship was assigned to the 5th Fleet.

"Tabora" loaded troops and vehicles of the 33d Infantry Division and sailed on 20 September for Japan. She arrived at Wakayama, Honshū, on the 25th; unloaded; and, the next day, began the return trip to the Philippines. She transported another load of occupation troops to Matsuyama, Shikoku, in mid-October. On the 24th, "Tabora" was assigned to "Magic-Carpet" duty, returning veterans to the United States. On the last day of October, she got underway for Buckner Bay; loaded 340 marines; and sailed for San Francisco.

"Tabora" continued shuttling troops from Pacific bases to the United States until early 1946 when she was scheduled for inactivation. "Tabora" was decommissioned on 29 May, returned to the Maritime Commission on 30 June, and struck from the Navy list on 3 July 1946.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/t1/tabora.htm Naval Historical Center: USS "Tabora"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/02045.htm NavSource Online: AKA-45 "Tabora"]
* [http://ussrankin.org/id352.htm 51 Years of AKAs]