USS Rockdale

History
United States
Name	Rockdale
Namesake	Rockdale County, Georgia
Ordered	as type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2162
Builder	Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Yard number	327
Laid down	15 January 1944
Launched	1 October 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. William R. Crawford
Acquired	5 June 1945
Commissioned	26 June 1945
Decommissioned	22 March 1946
Stricken	12 April 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: AK-205; Code letters: NXNR; ;
Fate	Sold 11 February 1947, Nerlof Andersens Rederi A/S
Norway
Name	Carina
Owner	Nerlof Andersens Rederi A/S
Acquired	11 February 1947
Fate	Wrecked and scrapped, 1969
General characteristics
Class and type	Alamosa-class cargo ship
Type	C1-M-AV1
Tonnage	5,032 long tons deadweight (DWT)
Displacement	2,382 long tons (2,420 t) (standard); 7,450 long tons (7,570 t) (full load);
Length	388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Installed power	1 × Nordberg, TSM 6 diesel engine ; 1,750 shp (1,300 kW);
Propulsion	1 × propeller
Speed	11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	3,945 t (3,883 long tons) DWT; 9,830 cu ft (278 m3) (refrigerated); 227,730 cu ft (6,449 m3) (non-refrigerated);
Complement	15 Officers; 70 Enlisted;
Armament	1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber dual purpose gun (DP); 6 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons;

USS Rockdale (AK-208) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship that was constructed for the US Navy during the closing period of World War II. She served with distinction in the Pacific Ocean theatre of operations and returned home in 1946 to be placed into the "mothball" fleet and sold in 1947.

Construction

Rockdale was laid down 15 January 1944, under US Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 2162, by Leathem D. Smith Shipbuilding Company, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; launched 1 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. William R. Crawford; acquired by the Navy from MARCOM on loan-charter basis 5 June 1945; and commissioned at Galveston, Texas, 26 June 1945.^[3]

Service history

World War II service

Following shakedown off Galveston, Texas, Rockdale got underway from Gulfport, Mississippi, for the Panama Canal. Transiting the Canal 27 July, she proceeded to Hollandia, New Guinea, where she arrived 2 September to unload her cargo. On 9 September she steamed for Australia, reaching Brisbane 17 September. She got underway for Manus Island 25 September arriving 3 October. Underway the next day, she made Saipan on the 10th.^[3]

Rockdale got underway on 13 October for Okinawa where she arrived 5 days later. On 1 November she sailed for the Mariana Islands and operated in that island group until getting underway for the Panama Canal on 13 January 1946. She transited the Canal on 20 February and arrived Norfolk, Virginia, on 1 March.^[3]

Post-war inactivation

Rockdale decommissioned there 22 March, was returned to the War Shipping Administration on the 26th for lay-up in the James River, and was struck from the Navy List 12 April 1946.^[3]

Merchant service

Rockdale was sold, 11 February 1947, to Nerlof Andersens A/S, of Norway, for $693,862.00.^[4] She was wrecked and scrapped in 1969.^[1]

Notes

Citations

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d C1 Cargo Ships 2009.
^ Navsource 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d DANFS 2005.
^ MARAD.

Bibliography

Online resources

"Rockdale (AK-208)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 19 October 2005. Retrieved 1 December 2016. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"C1 Cargo Ships". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
"Rockdale (AK-208)". Navsource.org. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
"Poinsett (AK-205)". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 1 December 2016.