- USS Menkar (AK-123)
USS "Menkar" (AK-123) was an 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."Menkar" (AK 123) was laid down as "SS John White" under
Maritime Commission contract bySt. Johns River Shipbuilding Co.,Jacksonville, Florida ,17 November 1943 ; launched31 December 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs. Cora E. Owens; acquired as "Menkar" by the Navy from WSA underbareboat charter 17 January 1944 ; commissioned the next day, Lt. Comdr. Edward G. Gummer,USNR , in command, to be ferried toMiami, Florida , where she decommissioned22 January for conversion by Dade Drydock Co.; and commissioned2 June 1944 .World War II operations
"Menkar" sailed for
Norfolk, Virginia ,20 June and, following shakedown, was temporarily assigned to NTS. In late July she loaded on supplies at Norfolk and got underway for thePanama Canal Zone , viaGuantanamo ,Cuba , arriving11 August for duty with theU.S. Pacific Fleet .Transferred to Coast Guard operation
In October 1944 "Menkar" was transferred to the Coast Guard for loran work. Construction of stations for loran, a
navigational system for ships and planes based on the transmission of radio wave pulses, had only begun in thePacific Ocean a year before; and a cargo ship was needed to transport material and equipment.Establishing the first Pacific LORAN station
On
31 October "Menkar", Lt. Comdr. Niels P. Thompsen,USCG , now in command, reachedSaipan , Marianas, to unload cargo for the first loran station in the Marianas chain. On11 November she anchored inApra Harbor and unloaded supplies for theGuam station. She then continued on toUlithi , Carolines, arriving13 December . The Marianas stations proved invaluable in the amphibious assault onIwo Jima in February 1945 and in the bombing attacks on Japan begun in March of that year.Establishing additional LORAN stations
On
5 March 1945 "Menkar" was offAngaur ,Palau s, with materials to set up a fixed station. Four days later she was anchored atPulo Anna , Palaus, unloading her cargo. By the end of March she had supplied the other two stations of the Palau Mortal chain.Menkar shoots down a Japanese Oscar
The cargo ship next helped tighten the loran network around Japan with the construction of the Iwo Jima
Tokyo Okinawa chain. "Menkar" reachedKangoku Iwa off Iwo Jima20 April , just 2 months after theU.S. Marines had first landed. Three days later she departed forIke Shima , arriving10 May . In the next 4 days she fought off intermittent Japanese air raids while discharging supplies at Okinawa. She continued on toKatchin Wan Harbor, Okinawa, where she again was harassed by enemy planes. On18 May Menkar retaliated by shooting down an "Oscar" diving directly at the ship.End-of-war operations
Before construction of the third station at
O Shima began, "Menkar" steamed for the west coast, viaPearl Harbor ,Hawaii , arrivingSeattle, Washington ,5 August . She remained there through the Japanese surrender15 August .Post-war LORAN installations
On
14 September she departed Seattle for Pearl Harbor, embarking 307 passengers on arrival the 24th. She again embarked loran units and got underway9 October for the Marianas, stopping in the Gilberts and the Marshalls before anchoring at Guam26 October . With the construction of a China Sea loran chain planned soon after the cessation of hostilities, she continued on to the NorthChina Sea for loran duty into the next year. When the project was abandoned, "Menkar" returned toSan Francisco, California ,3 March 1946 .Post-war decommissioning
On
15 April she decommissioned and was delivered to WSA for service under the Maritime Commission as "SS John White". She was struck from the Navy List (date unknown) and scrapped in 1964 atOakland, California .Military awards and honors
"Menkar's" crew was eligible for the following medals:
* American Campaign Medal
* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
* World War II Victory Medal
* Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)References
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External links
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