USS Chatham (AK-169)

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Career (US) 100x35px
Namesake: Counties in Georgia and North Carolina; many cities and towns in the United States
Ordered: as C1-M-AV1 hull
Laid down: date unknown
Launched: 13 May 1944
Acquired: 20 January 1945
Commissioned: 22 February 1945
Decommissioned: 2 April 1946
Struck: date unknown
Fate: fate unknown
General characteristics
Displacement: 2,382 t.(lt) 7,540 t.(fl)
Length: 388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draught: 21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Propulsion: diesel engine, single screw, 1,700shp
Speed: 11.5 knots
Complement: 79
Armament: one 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, six 20mm guns

USS Chatham (AK-169) 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.

The third Chatham commissioned by the Navy, AK-169 was launched 13 May 1944 by Froemming Brothers, Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. G. C. Salisbury; acquired by the Navy 20 January 1945; and commissioned at Galveston, Texas, 22 February 1945, Lieutenant Commander N. C. Harrison, Jr., USNR, in command.

World War II Pacific Theatre operations

Chatham arrived at Pearl Harbor 6 May 1945 to carry cargo to Eniwetok, Saipan, and Guam, before returning to San Francisco, California, 18 July for a brief overhaul. She cleared San Francisco 13 August, and until 30 January 1946, when she returned to San Francisco once more, carried cargo from Okinawa to Guam, Manus, Saipan, Eniwetok, and the Philippines, aiding in the redeployment of American strength in the Pacific Ocean which followed the war.

Post-war decommissioning

From the U.S. West Coast, she sailed to Baltimore, Maryland, where she was decommissioned 2 April 1946 and returned to the Maritime Commission, 4 April 1946.

Military awards and honors

The record does not indicate any battle stars for Chatham. However, her crew was eligible for the following medals:

References

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

External links