USS Long Beach (AK-9)

USS Long Beach (AK-9) was an "Long Beach"-class cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy for service in World War I.

Seizing a German freighter

The first Long Beach commissioned by the Navy, (No. 2136) was built as "SS Yarrowdale" by William Pickersgill & Sons, Sunderland, England, in 1892; renamed "SS Nicolas Castriotis" in 1902 and, while in German service, "SS Hohenfelde" in 1912; seized by USSB 6 April 1917 at Savannah, Georgia; acquired by the Navy the same day; and commissioned at Charleston, South Carolina, 20 December 1917, Lt. Comdr. E. Nelson, USNRF, in command.

World War I North Atlantic operations

Assigned to Train, special service, "Long Beach" delivered lumber from Jacksonville, Florida, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 26 December 1917 to 9 January 1918, then sailed from Norfolk, Virginia, 4 February for Dublin, Ireland, arriving 3 March to join the Army’s Cross Channel Service. She carried coal from England and Ireland to French ports for use by American troops until 23 April 1919, when she cleared Dublin with a cargo of aviation materiel for Norfolk, arriving 13 May.

Post-war operations

After overhaul at Philadelphia, "Long Beach" joined NOTS, home ported at Norfolk. She carried coal to Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Boston, Massachusetts; and Key West, Florida, with a voyage to the West Indies to supply marine detachments early in 1920, and again the next fall.

Decommissioning

She cleared Norfolk 19 December for Melville, Rhode Island, with coal, then entered Boston Navy Yard where she decommissioned 26 April 1921. On 24 May 1922 she was sold to Mr. B. L. Stafford of New York.

References

*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l8/long_beach-i.htm

External links

* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130009.htm NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - SP-2136 / AK-9 Long Beach]