- USS Taurus (AF-25)
USS Taurus (AF-25) was an "Taurus"-class
cargo ship acquired by theU.S. Navy for service inWorld War II . She was responsible for delivering necessary goods and equipment to ships and stations in the war zone."SS San Benito" -- a cargo steamer constructed in
1921 atBelfast ,Ireland , by theWorkman Clark Co., Ltd. -- was renamed "Taurus" and designated AF-25 on20 August 1942 ; was acquired by the Navy on2 October 1942 through theWar Shipping Administration from the Balboa Shipping Co., Inc., a subsidiary of theUnited Fruit Co.; was converted to a provision store ship by theBethlehem Steel Corp. yard inAlameda, California ; and was commissioned on28 October 1942 , Lt. Comdr. Edward T. Collins in command.World War II Pacific Theatre operations
After over a month of false starts and material casualties, "Taurus" finally loaded cargo and departed
San Francisco, California , on1 December . Her voyage to the SouthPacific Ocean took the store ship viaPago Pago ,Samoa , toAuckland, New Zealand . In the course of the trip, the former fruit carrier suffered at least 32 more engineering casualties and lost a third of her cargo due to the failure of her ice machine. Upon her arrival at Auckland, "Taurus" went into a five-week availability to correct as many of the deficiencies as possible before beginning her tour of duty with theService Squadron , South Pacific Force.Servicing South Pacific island bases
She completed repairs during the first week in February
1943 and loaded cargo bound forEspiritu Santo in theNew Hebrides Islands. On9 February , she began the first of four round-trip voyages carrying cargo between Auckland and Espiritu Santo to be staged on to the forward areas. By August, her sphere of operations was widened to include theSolomons . On each of her next six voyages, "Taurus" carried cargo from Auckland, via Espiritu Santo, toGuadalcanal . Through1944 and much of1945 , "Taurus" continued to ply the waters of the South Pacific on relatively uneventful supply missions. Early in1944 , she addedNapier, New Zealand , andNoumea ,New Caledonia , to her ports of call. By late April, she was operating as far north in the Solomons asNew Georgia and Bougainville. In May and June, the store ship visitedEfate , Napier,Noumea , and Espiritu Santo. July and September brought resupply runs to theRussell Islands in the Solomons. Through the end of1944 and during the first three months of1945 , "Taurus" continued carrying provisions to the Solomons, primarily to Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and the Russells.Supporting the Philippine Island invasion
Following overhaul at Auckland from
6 March to16 April 1945 , the ship got underway forHollandia ,New Guinea . Through the end of August, all her voyages -- save one to Manus in theAdmiralties -- were between Auckland and Hollandia. She returned to Auckland on30 August and departed again nine days later forNew Caledonia and thence to thePhilippines . After a stop atNoumea between 12 and14 September , "Taurus" arrived atSamar on the 25th.End-of-war activity
From there, she began her voyage back to the
United States . By23 November , she had transited thePanama Canal and had reported for duty with the Atlantic Fleet. Though originally ordered toNorfolk, Virginia , she was rerouted toNew Orleans, Louisiana . She reported to the Commandant,8th Naval District , on29 November 1945 .Post-war decommissioning
On
11 December 1945 , "Taurus" was decommissioned and returned, via theWar Shipping Administration , to her owner. Her name was struck from theNavy list on3 January 1946 . Her final fate is not recorded.Military awards and honors
"Taurus’" crew members were authorized the following medals:
* American Campaign Medal
* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
* World War II Victory MedalReferences
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*World War I External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/06/0625.htm NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AF-25 Taurus]
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