USS Ryer (AG-138)
| Career (USA) |  100x35px |
|---|---|
| Name: | USS Ryer |
| Namesake: | An island off the coast of California |
| Builder: | Kewaunee Ship Building Co., Kewaunee, Wisconsin |
| Laid down: | 1944 in Wisconsin |
| Completed: | as USAT FS-361, 28 February 1944 |
| Acquired: | by the U.S. Navy, 22 February 1947 |
| Commissioned: | 8 June 1947 as USS Ryer (AG-138) |
| Decommissioned: | 4 August 1955, at Astoria, Oregon |
| Reclassified: | AKL-9, 31 March 1949 |
| Struck: | 1 July 1961 |
| Homeport: | Guam |
| Honours and awards: | six battle stars for service in the Korean Conflict |
| Fate: | sold, 25 January 1962 |
| Notes: | later known as Ahti, Caldrill 1, and West 1 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Camano-class cargo ship |
| Displacement: | 520 tons |
| Tons burthen: | 935 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: | 26 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: | not known |
USS Ryer (AG-138/AKL-9) was a Camano-class cargo ship constructed for the U.S. Army as USAT FS-347 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 was assigned to serve the World War II Trust Territories in the Pacific Ocean.
Contents
Built in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Ryer (AG-138), built in 1944 for commercial use by the Sturgeon Bay Ship Building & Dry Docking Co. of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, was accepted by the U.S. Army and designated FS-361 on 28 February 1944, taken over by the Navy 22 February 1947; named Ryer and designated AG-138 on 3 April 1947; and commissioned on 8 June 1947.
Assigned to the Trust Territory
Redesignated AKL-9 on 31 March 1949, Ryer was used by the Navy until the summer of 1950 on logistic support and surveillance missions in the Mariana Islands, the Caroline Islands, the Bonin Islands, and the Marshall Islands.
Korean War service
During the Korean Conflict, she carried ammunition between Sasebo and various Korean ports, including Pusan and Inchon, from September 1950 to September 1951. From Korean duty, the ship returned to logistic support and surveillance duties in Micronesia, with her home port at Guam. She continued this service until returning to the United States for decommissioning.
Final decommissioning
Ryer was placed in commission, in reserve, on 18 June 1955 and out of commission, in reserve, at Astoria, Oregon, on 4 August 1955. At Astoria until struck from the Navy list at San Diego, California, on 1 July 1961, she was delivered to her purchaser, Pacific Tow-Boat & Salvage Co., Long Beach, California, on 25 January 1962.
Honors and awards
Ryer earned six battle stars for service in the Korean Conflict:
- North Korean Aggression
- Communist China Aggression
- Inchon Landing
- First UN Counter Offensive
- Communist China Spring Offensive
- UN Summer-Fall Offensive
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-361 - AG-138 / AKL-9 Ryer
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- Ship infoboxes without an image
- Pages with broken file links
- Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
- Design 381 coastal freighters
- Ships built in Wisconsin
- 1944 ships
- World War II auxiliary ships of the United States
- Camano class cargo ships
- Korean War auxiliary ships of the United States
- United States Navy California-related ships
