USS Alloway (ID-3139)

For other ships of the same name, see USS Alloway.

300px S.S. Alloway (American Freighter, 1918) Underway during builder's trials on 5 July 1918, probably in San Francisco Bay, California. She is flying the flag of her builder, the Moore Shipbuilding Company of Oakland, California, from a short mast on her forecastle. The United States Shipping Board flag is flying from her forward mast, and a flag bearing her name is at the top of her after mast. Originally named Shintaku, this ship was acquired by the Navy upon completion and commissioned on 11 July 1918 as USS Alloway (ID # 3139). She was returned to the U.S. Shipping Board on 3 March 1919. Note the ship's "dazzle" camouflage scheme.
Career (US)
Ordered:	as Shintaka
Builder:	Moore & Scott, Oakland, California
Laid down:	1918
Launched:	1918
Acquired:	11 July 1918
Commissioned:	12 July 1918
Decommissioned:	3 March 1919
Struck:	3 March 1919
Fate:	fate unknown
General characteristics
Displacement:	12,600 long tons (12,800 t)
Length:	416 ft 6 in (126.95 m)
Beam:	53 ft 0 in (16.15 m)
Draft:	27 ft 6 in (8.38 m) (aft)
Speed:	12+1⁄2 knots (23 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement:	70
Armament:	one 4” gun mount, one 3” gun mount

USS Alloway (1918) was a cargo ship acquired by the U.S. Navy for transporting war materials on the Atlantic Ocean during World War I.

Shintaka—a screw steamer built in 1918 at Oakland, California, by Moore & Scott—was acquired by the Navy on 11 July 1918; renamed Alloway (Id. No. 3139); and commissioned at San Francisco, California, on 12 July 1918, Lt. Comdr. F. C. Dellegar, USNRF, in command.

World War I service

Assigned to the Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS), Alloway departed San Francisco soon after commissioning and set a course for the west coast of South America. She arrived at Arica, Chile, on 17 August and began loading a cargo of nitrates. The cargoman departed Arica near the end of the month and arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, on 20 September. She discharged the nitrates at Norfolk and then moved on to New York City for repairs.

Transporting Army cargo to France

On 10 November, the day before the armistice ended World War I, Alloway stood out of New York for her only voyage to Europe. A little over a month later, on 11 December, the ship entered port at Quiberon, France. After unloading over 5,000 tons of U.S. Army cargo at Quiberon, Alloway moved to Brest, France, where she took on cargo for the return voyage. She entered New York harbor on 13 February 1919 and, after discharging her cargo, entered Schewan's drydock for overhaul.

Post-war decommissioning

She was placed out of commission on 3 March 1919 and was returned to the United States Shipping Board for disposition. Presumably, her name was struck from the Navy list that same day.

References

• This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.