USS Bullock (AK-165)
| USS Bullock (AK-165) moored pierside
USS Bullock (AK-165) moored pierside.
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| History | |
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 United States |
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| Name: | Bullcok |
| Ordered: | MC hull 2110 |
| Builder: | Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Richmond, California |
| Laid down: | 26 September 1944 |
| Launched: | 2 December 1944 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs. J. L. Barker |
| Acquired: | 2 March 1945 |
| Commissioned: | 2 March 1945 |
| Decommissioned: | 13 March 1946 |
| Struck: | 28 March 1946 |
| Identification: | Hull symbol:AK-165 |
| Fate: | scrapped in December 1982 at Aliağa, Turkey |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Class & type: | Alamosa-class cargo ship |
| Type: | C1-M-AV1 |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 388 ft 8 in (118.47 m) |
| Beam: | 50 ft (15 m) |
| Draft: | 21 ft 1 in (6.43 m) |
| Installed power: | 1,750 shp (1,300 kW) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 11.5 kn (13.2 mph; 21.3 km/h) |
| Capacity: | 3,945 t (3,883 long tons) DWT |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: |
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USS Bullock (AK-165) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Bullock was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2110) on 26 September 1944 at Richmond, California, by Kaiser Cargo, Inc.; launched on 2 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. J. L. Barker; acquired by the Navy on 2 March 1945; and commissioned that same day, Lt. Henry N. Barkhausen in command.
Contents
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
After a brief fitting out period at Oakland, California, the new cargo ship, with its inexperienced crew, got underway on 19 March 1945 for a shakedown cruise. Trial runs, tests of operating gear, and a full scale battle problem pointed out deficiencies in both ship and crew that received intensive work during the succeeding weeks. Bullock returned to San Francisco, California, on 12 April and loaded hull and engine spares, radio and radar gear, and frozen and chilled provisions to carry to the Admiralty Islands and the Philippine Islands. The cargo ship departed San Francisco on 20 April and headed for Manus where she arrived 23 days later.
Operating in “rear areas”
Between 13 May and 14 December, Bullock ferried military passengers and cargo between Manus, the Philippines, the Netherlands East Indies, and New Guinea. Having entered the war late and consigned to rear areas, the cargo ship never faced an enemy air or surface attack, although, while underway, she still steered zigzag courses and held battle drills because the threat of submarine attack, remote though it was, still existed. Bullock's mission did not change with the cessation of hostilities in August. She continued to transport supplies until 14 December, when she weighed anchor at Manila Bay and headed for the United States.
Post-war decommissioning
Bullock transited the Panama Canal on 28 January 1946 and reported to the Atlantic Fleet for duty. She arrived in Norfolk, Virginia, on 8 February, but received orders to Baltimore, Maryland, to be decommissioned. Bullock was decommissioned and returned to the Maritime Commission on 13 March 1946, and her name was struck from the Navy list on 28 March 1946. She was operated by Dichmann, Wright, and Pugh in 1947 and then sold to the Turkish government, for whom she began operation in 1948 under the name SS Edirne. Her ultimate fate is not known.
Military awards and honors
The record does not indicate any battle stars for Bullock. However, her crew was eligible for the following medals:
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
- World War II Victory Medal
- Philippines Liberation Medal
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
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