- USS Sabik (AK-121)
USS "Sabik" (AK-121) was a sclass|Crater|cargo ship commissioned by the
U.S. Navy for service inWorld War II . She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone."Sabik" was laid down as SS "William Becknell" (MCE hull 2423) on
8 November 1943 by theTodd-Houston Shipbuilding Corp.,Houston, Texas ; renamed "Sabik" on13 November ; launched on17 December ; sponsored by Mrs. Johnnie L. Armstrong; accepted by WSA forUnited States Navy use on29 December and moved toNew Orleans, Louisiana , to undergo conversion by Todd-Johnson Dry Docks, Inc.; and commissioned on19 April 1944 , Lt. Comdr. Harry Gorman in command.World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Following shakedown off
Norfolk, Virginia , "Sabik" proceeded toBayonne, New Jersey , where she loaded cargo and marines and sailed on5 June for theNew Hebrides . She arrived atEspiritu Santo on13 July and then continued on to theRussell Islands , commencing a schedule of inter-island shuttle runs that ranged the southwesternPacific Ocean during the course of the war.Island-hopping in the South Pacific
For nearly 15 months, the cargo ship plied the waters between
Guadalcanal ,Tulagi ,Munda , the Russells, the New Hebrides, Bougainville,Peleliu ,Anguar ,Ulithi ,Eniwetok , Manus,Hollandia ,Guam ,Saipan , andTinian . She participated in landings, during this time, at theTacloban andDulag beaches onLeyte , and at theHagushi beaches onOkinawa . She finally sailed forPearl Harbor on29 July 1945 , arriving on13 August . She then proceeded toSan Francisco, California , passing under theGolden Gate bridge on22 August .End-of-war activity
Following long needed repairs, "Sabik" departed the
Mare Island Naval Shipyard on24 September en route to Guam andMajuro forOperation Magic Carpet duty. Returning troops to theUnited States , she returned to San Francisco exactly three months later on24 December and remained there to await inactivation.Post-war decommissioning
"Sabik" decommissioned on
19 March 1946 and was returned to WSA the same day for lay-up atSuisun Bay, California . Struck from the Navy List on17 April 1946 , the ship resumed her original name, "SS William Becknell", and remained in theNational Defense Reserve Fleet until sold for scrapping on30 October 1961 to Union Minerals and Alloys Corp.,New York City ,New York .Military awards and honors
"Sabik" earned two
battle star s for World War II service:
* Leyte operation (Leyte landings, Tacloban and Dulag, October and November 1944)
* Okinawa Gunto operation (Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, November 1944 to January 1945)Her crew was eligible for the following medals:
* American Campaign Medal
* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
* World War II Victory Medal
* Philippines Liberation Medal (1)References
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External links
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