| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Flagler |
| Namesake | Flagler County, Florida |
| Ordered | as type ( C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2377 [1] |
| Builder | Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Richmond, California |
| Cost | $1,982,464 [2] |
| Yard number | 73 [1] |
| Laid down | 1944 |
| Launched | 24 March 1945 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. T. B. Smith |
| Commissioned | 18 May 1945 |
| Decommissioned | 24 December 1945 |
| Stricken | 7 February 1946 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics [3] | |
| Class and type | Alamosa-class cargo ship |
| Type | C1-M-AV1 |
| Tonnage | 5,032 long tons deadweight (DWT) [1] |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 388 ft 8 in (118.47 m) |
| Beam | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Draft | 21 ft 1 in (6.43 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 1 × propeller |
| Speed | 11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) |
| Capacity |
|
| Complement |
|
| Armament |
|
USS Flagler (AK-181) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy during the final months of World War II. She served the Pacific Ocean theatre of operations for a short period of time before being decommissioned at Okinawa and returned to the U.S. Maritime Administration for dispositioning.
Construction
Flagler was launched 24 March 1945 by Kaiser Cargo Co., Inc., Richmond, California, under a Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 2377; sponsored by Mrs. T. B. Smith; and commissioned 18 May 1945. [4]
Service history
Flagler sailed from San Francisco, California, 5 July 1945 with cargo for Ulithi and Leyte Gulf, where she discharged the last of her load 6 August. Here she loaded supplies and men for Okinawa, from which she sailed 29 August for Guam and Saipan. [4]
Grounded during a typhoon
Okinawa-bound again 12 September, Flagler sailed through a raging typhoon Ursula, which caused some damage to the ship, but arrived safely 18 September. Twice while at Okinawa she put to sea to avoid typhoons, evading the first typhoon Jean. During the second, typhoon Louise, on 9 October, she was grounded. Success in a difficult salvage operation refloated her 26 October. [4]
Decommissioning and disposal
Flagler was decommissioned at Okinawa 24 December 1945. She was returned to the Maritime Commission 29 March 1946 and laid up at Subic Bay. [3] On 3 March 1948 she was sold for scrap to the Asia Development Corporation, Shanghai, China, along with 14 other vessels, for $271,000. [2]
Notes
- Citations
Bibliography
Online resources
-
"Flagler (AK-181)".
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
public domain. - "C1 Cargo Ships". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- "Flagler (AK-181)". Navsource.org. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
- "Flagler (AK-181)". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
External links
- Photo gallery of USS Flagler (AK-181) at NavSource Naval History