USS Almaack (AKA-10)

USS "Almaack" (AKA-10) was an "Almaack" class attack cargo ship named after "Almaack," a star system in the constellation "Andromeda". She served as a commissioned ship for 4 years and 11 months.

Laid down as the merchant ship "Executor" on 14 March 1940, under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 104), at Quincy, Massachusetts, by the Fore River yard of Bethlehem Steel Co.; launched on 21 September 1940; sponsored by Mrs. A.R. Winnett; and delivered to her owners, the American Export Lines, on 22 October 1940. "Executor" made two voyages to India before being acquired by the Navy on 3 June 1941 for conversion to a cargo ship. Renamed "Almaack" and classified as AK-27. Converted at the Tietjen and Lang Dry Dock Co., Hoboken, N.J., "Almaack" was commissioned at the Army Transport Service Base, Brooklyn, on 15 June 1941, Comdr. Thomas R. Cooley in command.

Pre-War North Atlantic convoy operations

"Almaack"—with a cargo of heavy roadbuilding equipment and coal—cleared New York in convoy on 27 July 1941, bound for Iceland. Screened by a battleship, three heavy cruisers, and seven destroyers, the convoy included "Almaack", a transport, a storeship and an oiler, and the aircraft carrier ; her 20-millimeter guns opened up at 800. "Almaack's" automatic weapons scored hits on the right wing and tail of the "Jill"; shedding parts, the enemy aircraft went out of control about convert|100|yd|m|-2 from "Catskill", passed slightly astern of her, and then plunged into the sea, leaving no survivors. In the meantime, "Catskill" maneuvered and evaded the torpedo. "Almaack" suffered three men very slightly wounded during the brief engagement, nicked by fragments of "friendly" 20-millimeter projectiles which hit a ship's guy wire.

Entering Surigao Strait at 0036 on 14 November, "Almaack" went to general quarters at 0600 and entered the transport area a little under an hour later, sending her seven LCMs to assist the other ships in the group to complete their unloading by nightfall. Four LCTs and one LSM carried "Almaack's" cargo, and in return the attack cargo ship provided provisions, clothing and small stores to these and an LCT that had been unsuccessful in securing provisions from the ships for which she had worked. Having completed her unloading by 0900 on the following day, "Almaack" returned to Hollandia, arriving on the 19th.

Underway again on the 26th, the attack cargo ship sailed for the Solomons, and reached Empress Augusta Bay on 30 November, commencing loading cargo—vehicles, ammunition, petroleum products, engineering supplies and signal equipment—immediately. She completed the task by 4 December.

"Almaack", assigned to TG 79.1 and carrying elements and equipment of the Army's 37th Infantry Division, cleared Empress Augusta Bay for Lae, New Guinea, where the ship participated in landing exercises. Back at Manus, in the Admiralties, on 21 December, "Almaack" spent Christmas there. Then, on the last day of 1944, the attack cargo ship stood out of Seeadler Harbor for her third trip to the Philippines; this time, "Mack" was bound for Lingayen Gulf.

Under continued air attack

On S-3 day (6 January 1945), the convoy to which "Almaack" was attached, steaming through the Mindanao Sea, encountered its first enemy aircraft, a Japanese reconnaissance plane which was being hotly pursued by four F4U Corsairs. The "Corsairs" splashed the enemy about convert|2500|yd|m|-2 off "Almaack's" port beam. "Almaack" had a close call as the convoy neared its objective on S-l day (8 January), when two "Betties" (Mitsubishi G4M Type 1 land attack plane) made a glide-bombing run on the ship, straddling her with three bombs released at convert|5000|ft|m|-2. The enemy ordnance missed by convert|50|yd|m|-1, and inflicted no damage.

The air action intensified as "Almaack" stood up the coast of Luzon; at 1818, she saw combat air patrol (CAP) planes knock down four "Vals" (Aichi D3A Type 99 carrier dive bombers). Later that afternoon, after the ship had gone to general quarters for the second time that day, "Almaack" witnessed a Japanese suicide plane making a dive on an escort carrier (CVE) eight miles (13 km) off the cargo ship's port bow. The ship under attack proved to be USS|Kitkun Bay|CVE-71, which was crashed by an "Oscar" (Nakajima Ki-43 fighter) at 1857.

Minutes later, another suicider appeared; "Almaack" opened fire with all port guns as the enemy plane—identified as either a "Judy" (Yokosuka D4Y carrier attack plane) or "Val"—seemed bent on crashing the next ship astern in the formation. Gunfire from the ships, however, splashed the kamikaze convert|1500|yd|m|-2 off the port bow.

On S-day, 9 January 1945, "Almaack" went to general quarters twice during the 0400-0800 watch before executing her deployment for the approach disposition and hoisting her boats to the rail. Lowering her landing craft within a half-hour, "Almaack" anchored in transport area "C", Lingayen Gulf, and at 0745 sighted three Japanese planes in the vicinity, one of which crashed the nearby light cruiser USS|Columbia|CL-56. Before the day was over, "Almaack's" men would see two more victims of the relentless Japanese aerial attacks, the battleship USS|Mississippi|BB-41 and the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS "Australia" (D84), both crashed by Japanese suiciders.

In the meantime, "Almaack" commenced working her cargo at 0825 after she had opened her hatches and sent boats allocated to other ships for the assault phase. She commenced her initial unloading of equipment from the Army's 148th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) at 0825, shortly after her beach party shoved off to take up its position ashore. Shifting to transport area "M" two hours later to continue to work cargo, LCT-1070 came alongside to assist the ship in the cargo-handling evolution. She continued working cargo for the remainder of the day, going to general quarters twice more before the day was out.

Early the following day, Almaack took USS|Barton|DD-722 alongside at 0210 and commenced fueling her at 0225, before she logged in evidence of further Japanese activity to attempt to disrupt the landings: LST-925 reported being attacked by an enemy torpedo boat; USS|Robinson|DD-562 was attacked by the same type of craft, and the transport USS|Warhawk|AP-168 suffered damage from a Japanese suicide motor boat. Soon after these occurrences, at 0457, "Almaack" extinguished lights in her cargo holds and ceased cargo operations and boat movements. "Barton" cast off at 0640, a half-hour after she completed fueling.

For the remainder of S+1, "Almaack" worked her cargo, unloading it to a barge and LCT-719, before she took on board her boats at 1635 preparatory to retiring from the area, getting underway for an anchorage off San Fabian. Her orders were changed, however, and she put back into Transport Area "M", where she had been before. Later, she resumed cargo operations in her number one hold, while a picket boat watch, as well as armed deck sentries, kept a lookout for potential Japanese suicide swimmers.

The following day, "Almaack" continued unloading cargo, and, when the occasion demanded, supplied fresh water and provisions to LCI—1020, supplies and water to LCI-451, her stream anchor to LSM-137 to replace the one the landing ship had lost; provided gasoline and stores to LC1-567. She transferred cargo to LSM-31 during the course of the afternoon. The next day, S + 3, "Almaack" provided fresh water to the motor minesweeper YMS-319; water and supplies to LCI-975, and LCI-373; water to LC1-751; gas and fog oil to LC 1-567; stores and gas to LCI-462.

Having completed unloading the last of her six holds at 1441 on S + 3 day, "Almaack" hoisted on board her boats and stood out of Lingayen Gulf at 1710, her part in the invasion completed. The first morning out, the convoy was attacked by suicide planes; one crashed the lead ship, the attack transport USS|Zeilin|APA-3.

From 15 to 19 January 1945, "Almaack" lay anchored in Leyte Gulf, before she pushed on for the Western Carolines, reaching Ulithi on 23 January. She remained there until 6 February, when she sailed for Guam to load elements of the 3d Marine Division, in preparation for what would prove to be the last amphibious operation for "Almaack" in the war—the assault on Iwo Jima.

Supporting the invasion of Iwo Jima

Arriving at Guam on 8 February, "Almaack" commenced loading troops and cargo of the 3d Engineer Battalion, 3d Pioneer Battalion, and a replacement company, as well as vehicles, ammunition, petroleum products, rations, and water that same afternoon, bringing the operation to a completion on the following morning. She sailed for Iwo Jima on the morning of 17 February.

"Almaack" arrived in the maneuvering area convert|125|mi|km|0 southeast of Iwo Jima at 2200, 19 February, and, in company with the other ships in the task group, awaited orders. Sent in to the transport areas, the ship arrived off Iwo on 22 February, but did not unload any cargo that day or the next. Each evening during those days, the ship would retire to seaward. Due to the congested beaches, "Almaack's" loading was delayed until the 24th; that morning the ship put all of her boats in the water to dispatched to attack transports to disembark assault troops.

"Almaack" unloaded her cargo "on call" as the situation ashore demanded it, from 24 February 1945 to 3 March. On 1 March, the ship took on board shell cases from cruisers and destroyers. She put her last priority cargo item, one vehicle, on board LSM-238 late on the 3d. The attack cargo ship remained in the transport area during the night of 3 March, and retired the following night, arriving back in the transport area on the morning of the 5th. She unloaded all of the remaining vehicles and "B" rations and took on board more shell cases from cruisers and destroyers on the 6th before departing that same day (6 March) for Guam.

"Almaack" reached Garapan anchorage, Saipan, on the morning of 9 March, and there debarked casualties brought from Iwo; she pushed on for Apra Harbor, Guam, on the late afternoon of the following day, and reached her destination on the morning of 11 March to unload marine supplies not required at Iwo Jima. Sailing thence the following morning for the Solomons, "Almaack" reached Tulagi on the afternoon of the 18th, where she picked up new landing boats. Proceeding thence to Nouméa, the attack cargo ship arrived there on the 23d for liberty, repairs, and to embark elements of the Army's 81st Infantry Division.

Shifted from a combat load to a regular cargo load, "Almaack" sailed for the Admiralties on the morning of 3 May, and thence to the Philippines, reaching Leyte on the 16th. There the 81st Infantry Division units went ashore, and after ten days in the Philippines, "Almaack" sailed for Pearl Harbor on the morning of 26 May. Stopping at Pearl only briefly, the attack cargo ship sailed for San Francisco on the afternoon of 7 June, arriving on the 13th.

End-of-war operations

Following repairs and alterations at the AmShip Co., of Alameda, California, "Almaack" took on supplies at the naval supply depot, completing loading on 21 August—one week after Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and agreed to surrender. Receiving word cancelling all blackout restrictions on 6 September while en route to the Philippines, "Almaack" reached Samar on 10 September. After discharging a small portion of her cargo there, she sailed to Subic Bay, arriving on the 26th. From the Philippines she sailed thence to Japan, reaching Nagoya on 28 October to embark men of the Army's llth Replacement Depot, and sailed for Portland, Oregon, on 14 November.

Return to Stateside

Discharging her passengers there on the 24th, "Almaack" shifted down the coast to Albany, California, where she loaded a cargo of petroleum products; she sailed for China on 18 December 1945, and arrived at the North Chinese port of Tientsin on 21 January 1946. She sailed from there on 30 January with Army and Navy passengers embarked, ultimately arriving at Seattle.

Post-war decommissioning

Ordered to New York to report to the Commandant, 3d Naval District, for disposition, "Almaack" reported on 10 May 1946, and was decommissioned at Brooklyn on 23 May 1946. Regarded as not essential to the defense of the United States, "Almaack" was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 August 1946, removed from naval custody on 12 September 1946, and transferred to the War Shipping Administration.

Awards

"Almaack" was awarded six battle stars for her World War II service.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a7/almaack.htm Naval Historical Center: USS "Almaack" I]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/02010.htm NavSource Online: AK-27 / AKA-10 "Almaack"]
* [http://www.ussalmaack.com/ USS "Almaack" web site]
* [http://unitpages.military.com/unitpages/unit.do?id=715719 Military.com: USS "Almaack"]
* [http://ussrankin.org/id352.htm 51 Years of AKAs]