USS Deal (AG-131)

Career (USA)
Name:	USS Deal
Namesake:	An island off the coast of Maryland
Builder:	Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone, Long Island, New York
Laid down:	in 1944 as USAT FS-263 for the U.S. Army
Acquired:	by the US Navy, 2 March 1947, at Apra, Guam
Commissioned:	3 August 1947 as USS Deal (AG-131)
Decommissioned:	1955, at Portland, Oregon
Reclassified:	AKL-2, 31 March 1949
Struck:	date unknown
Fate:	sold, 18 December 1961
Notes:	Deal subsequently operated as a pirate radio station off the coast of England
General characteristics
Type:	Camano-class cargo ship
Displacement:	550 tons
Length:	177'
Beam:	33'
Draft:	10'
Propulsion:	two 500hp GM Cleveland Division 6-278A 6-cyl V6 diesel engines, twin screws
Speed:	12 knots
Complement:	42 officers and enlisted
Armament:	not known

USS Deal (AG-131/AKL-2) was a Camano-class cargo ship constructed for the U.S. Army as USAT FS-263 shortly before the end of World War II and later acquired by the U.S. Navy in 1947. She was configured as a transport and cargo ship and operated with the U.S. Pacific Fleet from post-World War II and on through the end of the Korean War.

Built on Long Island, New York

Deal (AG-131) was built in 1944 for the U.S. Army as USAT FS-26S by Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone, Long Island, New York; acquired by the Navy 2 March 1947; and commissioned at Guam 3 August 1947, Lieutenant (junior grade) P. G. Pattern in command. She was reclassified AKL-2, 31 March 1949.

Pacific Fleet support

Based at Guam, Deal carried cargo to the small islands in the Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, and the Caroline Islands until arriving at Pearl Harbor 11 August 1949. She conducted cargo operations from this base to the outlying islands of the Hawaiian chain, Palmyra Atoll, and Canton Island until 16 May 1950. She sailed to Kwajalein for a brief period, returning to Pearl Harbor 3 July.

Korean War service

With the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, Deal got underway from Pearl Harbor 14 September 1950 for Sasebo, Japan, arriving 8 November. She operated as a part of the U.S. 7th Fleet under the control of Commander, Service Squadron 3, in logistics support of the United Nations forces in Korea, and visited other ports in Japan, Formosa, the Pescadores, Okinawa, and the Philippines until 28 February 1955 when she departed Yokosuka for the United States.

Inactivation

After a short visit to Long Beach, California, she arrived at Astoria Bay 13 April to start inactivation. She was placed out of commission in reserve at Portland, Oregon, 8 September 1955 and sold 18 December 1961.

References

• This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - FS-263 - AG-131 / AKL-2 Deal