USS Eridanus (AK-92), broadside view, in San Francisco Bay, 8 May 1943.
History
United States
Name
  • Luther Burbank
  • Eridanus
Namesake
Orderedas a Type EC2-S-C1 hull, MCE hull 1099[1]
BuilderPermanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Cost$982,446[2]
Yard number1099[1]
Way number8[1]
Laid down12 March 1943[1]
Launched9 April 1943
Sponsored byMrs. Luther Burbank
Acquired22 April 1943
Commissioned8 May 1943
Decommissioned8 May 1946
Stricken21 May 1946
Identification
Honors and
awards		1 × battle star
FateSold for commercial use, 14 February 1947
GreeceGreece
NamePanagiotis
NamesakePaul Kruger
OwnerJohn P. G. Livanos, Athens, Greece
Acquired17 February 1947
FateSold, 18 September 1956
South KoreaSouth Korea
NameSilla
OwnerFar Eastern Marine Transport Company, Ltd., Inchon, South Korea
Acquired18 September 1956
FateScrapped September 1972
General characteristics [3]
Class and typeCrater-class cargo ship
Tonnage10,860 long tons deadweight (DWT)[4]
Displacement
  • 4,023 long tons (4,088 t) (standard)
  • 14,550 long tons (14,780 t) (full load)
Length441 ft 6 in (134.57 m)
Beam56 ft 11 in (17.35 m)
Draft28 ft 4 in (8.64 m)
Installed power
  • 2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) ,  (manufactured by Babcock & Wilcox)
  • 2,500 shp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion
Speed12.5 kn (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph)
Capacity
  • 7,800 t (7,700 long tons) DWT
  • 444,206 cu ft (12,578.5 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Complement206
Armament
General characteristics 1956[3]
Tonnage11,000 long tons deadweight (DWT)
Length449 ft (137 m)

USS Eridanus (AK-92) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the US Navy for service in World War II and manned by a US Coast Guard crew. She was named after the constellation Eridanus. She was responsible for delivering goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

Construction

Eridanus was launched 9 April 1943, as Luther Burbank, MCE hull 1099, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2, Richmond, California, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract; sponsored by Mrs. Luther Burbank; acquired by the Navy 22 April 1943; and commissioned 8 May 1943.[5]

Service history

Eridanus carried cargo and passengers between US West Coast ports and bases in the southwest Pacific, the Hawaiians, New Zealand, the Philippines, and the Palaus from 26 June 1943 to 3 February 1946, often making lengthy tows in addition to her cargo operations. Almost constantly at sea, she played her part in the Navy's gigantic task of carrying supplies for its ships and shore bases, as well as for the US Marines and US Army, halfway round the world at the same time as it carried on combat operations. In February 1944 she made a direct contribution to the troops seizing islands in the northern Solomons, bringing cargo and passengers to Bougainville.[5]

Her last service was a long and difficult towing job, in which she took section of a floating dry dock from Eniwetok, sailing 4 February 1946, to Hampton Roads, Virginia, arriving 16 April.[5]

Decommissioning

She was decommissioned at Baltimore, Maryland, 8 May 1946, and returned to the War Shipping Administration (WSA), 15 May 1946, her name reverted to Luther Burbank.[3] She was then laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, Virginia, the same day.[4]

Merchant service

On 14 February 1947, she was sold for commercial service to John P. G. Livanos, Athens, Greece, for $544,546. She was re-flagged for Greece and renamed Panagiotis.[3]

On 15 November 1955, she ran aground at Kunsan, Korea while carrying a load of coal from Baltimore, Maryland, to Inchon. She broke in two, 21 November 1955, and was declared a total loss. Far Eastern Marine Transport Co Ltd, Inchon, bought her 18 September 1956. Both parts were refloated, towed to Pusan, then to Shimonoseki, Japan. The aft section arrived 18 September 1956, with the name Silla. The forepart arrived three days later, 21 September 1956. Both parts were then towed to Tokyo where they were rejoined by I.H.I. and lengthened to 449 ft (137 m), which increased her to 11,000 long tons deadweight (DWT). She resumed service as Silla, flagged South Korean. She was laid up 31 January 1972, at Masan, South Korea. She was finally sold to local breakers, where she resumed trading for short period before being eventually being scrapped at Masan, September 1972.[3]

Awards

Eridanus received one battle star for World War II service.[5] Her crew was eligible for the following medals:[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kaiser No. 2 2010.
  2. ↑ MARCOM.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Navsource 2014.
  4. 1 2 MARAD.
  5. 1 2 3 4 DANFS.

Bibliography

  • "Eridanus". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 17 December 2016.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  • "Kaiser Permanente No. 2, Richmond CA". ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  • "USS Eridanus (AK-92)". Navsource.org. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  • "LUTHER BURBANK (AK-92)". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  • "SS Luther Burbank". Retrieved 15 December 2017.
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