USS Serpens (AK-97): Difference between revisions

Edit links
Coordinates: 9°24′37″S 160°0′40″E / 9.41028°S 160.01111°E / -9.41028; 160.01111
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
mNo edit summary
m discontinued portal
 
(30 intermediate revisions by 23 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Cargo ship of the United States Navy}}
{{other ships|USS Serpens}}
{{other ships|USS Serpens}}


{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= [[File:Serpens (AK-97).jpg|300px]]
| Ship image = Serpens (AK-97).jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Serpens'' (AK-97) moored pierside, date and location unknown.
| Ship caption = USS ''Serpens'' (AK-97) moored pierside<br/>(date and location unknown)

}}
}}
{{Infobox ship career
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
| Hide header =
|Ship country=
| Ship country = United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1945}}
| Ship flag = {{USN flag|1945}}
|Ship name=
| Ship name = *''Benjamin N. Cardozo''
*''Benjamin N. Cardozo''
*''Serpens''
*''Serpens''
|Ship namesake=
| Ship namesake = *[[Benjamin N. Cardozo]]
*[[Benjamin N. Cardozo]]
*The constellation [[Serpens]]
*The constellation [[Serpens]]
|Ship owner={{USN flag|1945}}
| Ship owner = {{USN flag|1945}}
|Ship operator={{shipboxflag|United States|coast guard}}
| Ship operator = {{shipboxflag|United States|coast guard}}
|Ship ordered=as a [[Liberty ship|Type EC2-S-C1]] hull, [[Maritime Commission|MCE]] hull 739{{sfn|CalShip|2010}}
| Ship ordered = as a [[Liberty ship|Type EC2-S-C1]] hull, [[Maritime Commission|MCE]] hull 739{{sfn|CalShip|2010}}
|Ship awarded=
| Ship awarded =
|Ship builder=[[California Shipbuilding Corporation]], [[Terminal Island]], Los Angeles, California
| Ship builder = [[California Shipbuilding Corporation]], [[Terminal Island]], Los Angeles, California
|Ship original cost=
| Ship original cost =
|Ship yard number=164{{sfn|CalShip|2010}}
| Ship yard number = 164{{sfn|CalShip|2010}}
|Ship way number=9{{sfn|CalShip|2010}}
| Ship way number = 9{{sfn|CalShip|2010}}
|Ship laid down=10 March 1943
| Ship laid down = 10 March 1943
|Ship launched=5 April 1943
| Ship launched = 5 April 1943
|Ship sponsor=Mrs. H.P. Needham
| Ship sponsor = Mrs. H.P. Needham
|Ship christened=
| Ship christened =
|Ship completed=
| Ship completed =
|Ship acquired=19 April 1943
| Ship acquired = 19 April 1943
|Ship commissioned=28 May 1943
| Ship commissioned = 28 May 1943
|Ship decommissioned=
| Ship decommissioned =
|Ship in service=
| Ship in service =
|Ship out of service=
| Ship out of service =
|Ship identification=*[[Hull classification symbol#Support type|Hull symbol]]: AK-97
| Ship identification = *[[Hull classification symbol#Support type|Hull symbol]]: AK-97
*[[International Code of Signals|Code letters]]: NJGY
*[[International Code of Signals|Code letters]]: NJGY
*{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Juliet}}{{ICS|Golf}}{{ICS|Yankee}}
*{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Juliet}}{{ICS|Golf}}{{ICS|Yankee}}
|Ship renamed= ''Serpens'', 19 April 1943
| Ship renamed = ''Serpens'', 19 April 1943
|Ship reclassified=
| Ship reclassified =
|Ship refit=
| Ship refit =
|Ship struck=10 March 1945
| Ship struck = 10 March 1945
|Ship reinstated=
| Ship reinstated =
|Ship homeport=
| Ship homeport =
|Ship motto=
| Ship motto =
|Ship nickname=
| Ship nickname =
|Ship honors=[[Image:Bronze-service-star-3d.png|18px]] 1 × [[Battle star#Navy warships|battle star]]
| Ship honors = [[Image:Bronze-service-star-3d.png|18px]] 1 × [[Battle star#Navy warships|battle star]]
|Ship fate=destroyed by explosion, 29 January 1945
| Ship fate = Destroyed by explosion, 29 January 1945
|Ship status=
| Ship notes =
|Ship notes=
}}
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
| Hide header =
|Header caption={{sfn|Navsource|2014}}
| Header caption = {{sfn|Navsource|2014}}
|Ship class={{sclass|Crater|cargo ship}}
| Ship class = {{sclass|Crater|cargo ship}}
|Ship type=[[Liberty ship|Type EC2-S-C1]]
| Ship type = [[Liberty ship|Type EC2-S-C1]]
| Ship displacement = {{Crater cargo displacement}}
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement={{Crater cargo displacement}}
| Ship length = {{Crater cargo length}}
| Ship beam = {{Crater cargo beam}}
|Ship tons burthen=
|Ship length={{Crater cargo length}}
| Ship draft = {{Crater cargo draft}}
|Ship beam={{Crater cargo beam}}
| Ship power = {{Crater cargo power CE}}
|Ship draft={{Crater cargo draft}}
| Ship propulsion = {{Crater cargo propulsion GMC}}
|Ship power={{Crater cargo power CE}}
| Ship speed = {{Crater cargo speed}}
| Ship range =
|Ship propulsion={{Crater cargo propulsion GMC}}
|Ship speed={{Crater cargo speed}}
| Ship capacity = {{Crater cargo capacity}}
|Ship range=
| Ship troops =
|Ship capacity= {{Crater cargo capacity}}
| Ship complement = 19 officers 188 enlisted
| Ship armament = {{Crater cargo armament}}
|Ship troops=
| Ship armor =
|Ship complement=19 officers 188 enlisted
| Ship notes =
|Ship armament={{Crater cargo armament}}
|Ship armor=
|Ship notes=
}}
}}
|}
|}


'''USS ''Serpens'' (AK-97)''' was a {{sclass|Crater|cargo ship}} commissioned by the [[US Navy]] for service in [[World War II]]. She was the first ship of the Navy to have this name, she is named after [[Serpens]], a constellation in the [[northern hemisphere]]. ''Serpens'' was manned by [[United States Coast Guard]] personnel and was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the [[Asiatic-Pacific Theater]].
'''USS ''Serpens'' (AK-97)''' was a {{sclass|Crater|cargo ship}} commissioned by the [[United States Navy]] for service in [[World War II]]. She was the first ship of the US Navy to have this name: she is named after [[Serpens]], a constellation in the [[northern hemisphere]]. ''Serpens'' was crewed by [[United States Coast Guard]] personnel and was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the [[Asiatic-Pacific Theater]].


==Construction==
==Construction==
''Serpens'' was laid down on 10 March 1943, under a [[Maritime Commission]] (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 739, as the [[Liberty ship]] SS ''Benjamin N. Cardozo'', by [[California Shipbuilding Corporation]], [[Terminal Island]], Los Angeles, California; launched on 5 April 1943; sponsored by Mrs. H.P. Needham; transferred to the Navy on 19 April 1943; renamed ''Serpens'' and designated AK-97; and commissioned at [[San Diego, California|San Diego]] on 28 May 1943, [[Lieutenant Commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] Magnus J. Johnson, [[USCGR]], in command.{{sfn|DANFS|2015}}
''Serpens'' was laid down on 10 March 1943, under a [[Maritime Commission]] (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 739, as the [[Liberty ship]] SS ''[[Benjamin N. Cardozo]]'', by [[California Shipbuilding Corporation]], [[Terminal Island]], [[Los Angeles, California]]; launched on 5 April 1943; sponsored by Mrs. H.P. Needham; transferred to the Navy on 19 April 1943; renamed ''Serpens'' and designated AK-97; and commissioned at [[San Diego, California]] on 28 May 1943.{{sfn|DANFS|2015}}


==Service history==
==Service history==
Following [[shakedown cruise|shakedown]] off southern California, ''Serpens'' loaded general cargo at [[Alameda, California|Alameda]] and, on 24 June, sailed west to assume provision ship duties in support of operations in the [[Solomon Islands|Solomons]]. By mid-July, she was in the [[Tonga Islands]]. At the end of the month, she was en route from [[New Caledonia]] to [[New Zealand]]; and, by mid-August, she had emptied her holds at [[Wellington]]. She then took on more cargo; returned to [[New Caledonia]]; and commenced a series of short hauls to [[Viti Levu]], [[Tutuila]], [[Penrhyn Island|Penrhyn]], [[Bora Bora]], [[Aitutaki]], and [[Tongatapu]].{{sfn|DANFS|2015}}
Following [[shakedown cruise|shakedown]] off southern California, ''Serpens'' loaded general cargo at [[Alameda, California|Alameda]] and, on 24 June, sailed west to assume provision ship duties in support of operations in the [[Solomon Islands|Solomons]]. By mid-July, she was in the [[Tonga Islands]]. At the end of the month, she was ''en route'' from [[New Caledonia]] to [[New Zealand]]; and, by mid-August, she had emptied her holds at [[Wellington]]. She then took on more cargo; returned to [[New Caledonia]]; and commenced a series of short hauls to [[Viti Levu]], [[Tutuila]], [[Penrhyn Island|Penrhyn]], [[Bora Bora]], [[Aitutaki]], and [[Tongatapu]].{{sfn|DANFS|2015}}


On 9 November, ''Serpens'' returned to New Caledonia. In early December, she moved into the southern Solomons; and, after completing a [[Florida Island]]-[[Mbanika|Banika Island]] run, she stood off [[Lunga Point]], [[Guadalcanal (Pacific Ocean island)|Guadalcanal]], to load cargo for [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]]. During January 1944, she completed two runs into [[Empress Augusta Bay]]. In February, she was ordered back to New Zealand for [[dry-dock]]ing before loading dry provisions.{{sfn|DANFS|2015}}
On 9 November, ''Serpens'' returned to New Caledonia. In early December, she moved into the southern Solomons; and, after completing a [[Florida Island]]-[[Mbanika|Banika Island]] run, she stood off [[Lunga Point]], [[Guadalcanal (Pacific Ocean island)|Guadalcanal]], to load cargo for [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]]. During January 1944, she completed two runs into [[Empress Augusta Bay]]. In February, she was ordered back to New Zealand for [[dry-dock]]ing before loading dry provisions.{{sfn|DANFS|2015}}
Line 88: Line 83:


===Destruction, 29 January 1945===
===Destruction, 29 January 1945===
Late in December 1944, the Liberty ship commenced loading at Wellington, finished it at [[Auckland]], and returned to the Solomons in mid-January 1945. Late in the evening on 29 January 1945, ''Serpens'' was anchored off [[Lunga Point|Lunga Beach]].{{sfn|DANFS|2015}} The commanding officer and seven others, one officer and six enlisted men, were ashore. The remaining crewmen were loading [[depth charge]]s into her holds when ''Serpens'' exploded. After the explosion, only the bow of the ship was visible. The rest had disintegrated, and the bow sank soon afterward. One-hundred, ninty-six Coast Guard crewmen, 57 Army stevedores, and a [[Public Health Service]] physician, Dr. Harry M. Levin, were killed in the explosion and another soldier who was ashore was killed by shrapnel. Only two of those on board, [[List of United States Navy enlisted rates#E-1 to E-3|Seaman (SN) 1/c]] Kelsie K. Kemp and SN 1/c George S. Kennedy, who had been in the [[boatswain]]'s locker, survived.{{sfn|USCG|2016}}
Late in December 1944, the Liberty ship commenced loading at Wellington, finished it at [[Auckland]], and returned to the Solomons in mid-January 1945. Late in the evening on 29 January 1945, ''Serpens'' was anchored off [[Lunga Point|Lunga Beach]].{{sfn|DANFS|2015}} The commanding officer and seven others, one officer and six enlisted men, were ashore. The remaining crewmen were loading [[depth charge]]s into her holds when ''Serpens'' exploded. After the explosion, only the bow of the ship was visible. The rest had disintegrated, and the bow sank soon afterward. One hundred ninety-six Coast Guard crewmen, 57 Army stevedores, and a [[Public Health Service]] physician, Dr. Harry M. Levin, were killed in the explosion, and a soldier ashore was killed by shrapnel. Only two of those on board, [[List of United States Navy enlisted rates#E-1 to E-3|Seaman (SN) 1/c]] Kelsie K. Kemp and SN 1/c George S. Kennedy, who had been in the [[boatswain]]'s locker, survived.{{sfn|USCG|2016}}


An eyewitness to the disaster stated: "As we headed our personnel boat shoreward the sound and concussion of the explosion suddenly reached us, and, as we turned, we witnessed the awe-inspiring death drama unfold before us. As the report of screeching shells filled the air and the flash of tracers continued, the water splashed throughout the harbor as the shells hit. We headed our boat in the direction of the smoke and as we came into closer view of what had once been a ship, the water was filled only with floating debris, dead fish, torn life jackets, lumber and other unidentifiable objects. The smell of death, and fire, and gasoline, and oil was evident and nauseating. This was sudden death, and horror, unwanted and unasked for, but complete."{{sfn|USCG|2016}}
An eyewitness to the disaster stated: "As we headed our personnel boat shoreward the sound and concussion of the explosion suddenly reached us, and, as we turned, we witnessed the awe-inspiring death drama unfold before us. As the report of screeching shells filled the air and the flash of tracers continued, the water splashed throughout the harbor as the shells hit. We headed our boat in the direction of the smoke and as we came into closer view of what had once been a ship, the water was filled only with floating debris, dead fish, torn life jackets, lumber and other unidentifiable objects. The smell of death, and fire, and gasoline, and oil was evident and nauseating. This was sudden death, and horror, unwanted and unasked for, but complete."{{sfn|USCG|2016}}


Lieutenant Commander Stinson reported: "I felt and saw two flashes after which only the bow of the ship was visible. The rest had disintegrated and the bow sank soon afterwards." The two survivors, SN 1/c Kemp and SN 1/c Kennedy, according to Stinson, ". . .showed a lot of savvy by grabbing a couple of water lights that we kept stowed in the [boatswain's] locker. They used them to attract attention when they climbed out onto the floating portion of the bow." Both men were injured but were rescued by a base commander in the area.{{sfn|USCG|2016}}
Lieutenant Commander Stinson reported: "I felt and saw two flashes after which only the bow of the ship was visible. The rest had disintegrated and the bow sank soon afterwards." The two survivors, SN 1/c Kemp and SN 1/c Kennedy, according to Stinson, ". . .showed a lot of savvy by grabbing a couple of water lights that we kept stowed in the [boatswain's] locker. They used them to attract attention when they climbed out onto the floating portion of the bow." Both men were injured but were rescued by a base commander in the area.{{sfn|USCG|2016}}


[[File:USS Serpens Memorial - Arlington National Cemetery - west view - 2011.jpg|thumb|left|Memorial to the dead of USS ''Serpens'' at [[Arlington National Cemetery]].]]
[[File:USS Serpens Memorial - Arlington National Cemetery - west view - 2011.jpg|thumb|left|Memorial to the dead of USS ''Serpens'' at [[Arlington National Cemetery]].]]
At first report the incident was attributed to enemy action but a court of inquiry later determined that the cause of the explosion could not be established from the remaining evidence and by 1949, the Navy noted that the loss was not due to enemy action but due to an "accident intrinsic to the loading process." The loss of ''Serpens'' remains the largest single disaster ever suffered by the Coast Guard. The dead were initially buried at the Army, Navy and Marine Corps Cemetery at Guadalcanal. Their remains were later exhumed and taken to [[Arlington National Cemetery]] where they were interred on 15 June 1949. A large monument in their honor was erected over the grave site and dedicated on 16 November 1950.{{sfn|USCG|2016}}
At first report the incident was attributed to enemy action but a court of inquiry later determined that the cause of the explosion could not be established from the remaining evidence and by 1949, the Navy noted that the loss was not due to enemy action but due to an "accident intrinsic to the loading process." The loss of ''Serpens'' remains the largest single disaster ever suffered by the Coast Guard. The dead were initially buried at the Army, Navy and Marine Corps Cemetery at Guadalcanal. Their remains were later exhumed and taken to [[Arlington National Cemetery]] where they were interred on 15 June 1949. A large monument in their honor was erected over the grave site and dedicated on 16 November 1950.{{sfn|USCG|2016}}

As of 2019, there is an active effort to reexamine the sinking to see if it was caused by a Japanese submarine.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/what-really-happened-on-the-deadliest-single-day-in-coa-1837206900|title=What Really Happened On The Deadliest Single Day In Coast Guard History?|first=Kyle|last=Mizokami|work=Foxtrot Alpha|publisher=Jalopnik|date=13 August 2019}}</ref>


The wreck is located at: {{coord|9|24|37|S|160|0|40|E|display=inline, title}}{{sfn|Wikimapia}}
The wreck is located at: {{coord|9|24|37|S|160|0|40|E|display=inline, title}}{{sfn|Wikimapia}}
Line 101: Line 98:
==Awards==
==Awards==
''Serpens'' earned one [[Battle star#Navy warships|battle star]] for her World War II service.{{sfn|DANFS|2015}}
''Serpens'' earned one [[Battle star#Navy warships|battle star]] for her World War II service.{{sfn|DANFS|2015}}

==See also==
* [[West Loch disaster]]
* [[USS Mount Hood (AE-11)]]
* [[Port Chicago disaster]]
* [[List of accidents and incidents involving transport or storage of ammunition]]


== Notes ==
== Notes ==
{{notelist}}
{{notelist}}
;Citations
;Citations
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist}}


== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
{{refbegin}}
'''Online resources'''
'''Online resources'''
* {{cite DANFS | url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/serpens-i.html | title = Serpens I (AK-97) | publisher = Naval History and Heritage Command | date = 9 September 2015 | access-date = 11 February 2017
* {{cite DANFS
| ref = {{sfnRef|DANFS|2015}} }}{{PD-notice}}
| last =
* {{cite web| url = http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/kcalifornia.htm | title = California Shipbuilding, Los Angeles CA | publisher = www.ShipbuildingHistory.com | date = 13 October 2010 | access-date = 11 February 2017 | ref = {{sfnRef|CalShip|2010}} }}
| first =
* {{cite web | url = http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130097.htm | title=USS Serpens (AK-97) | publisher=Navsource.org | date= 12 December 2014 | access-date= 11 February 2017 | ref={{sfnRef|Navsource|2014}} }}
| url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/serpens-i.html
* {{cite web |url= http://wikimapia.org/11098280/Wreck-of-USS-Serpens-AK-97 |title= Wreck of USS Serpens (AK-97) |publisher= Wikimapia |access-date= 11 February 2017 |ref= {{sfnRef|Wikimapia}} }}
| title = Serpens I (AK-97)
* {{cite web | url = http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Serpens.asp | title = USS Serpens, AK-97 | publisher = United States Coast Guard | date = 21 December 2016 | access-date = 11 February 2017 | ref = {{sfnRef|USCG|2016}} }}{{PD-notice}}
| publisher = Naval History and Heritage Command
| date = 9 September 2015
| accessdate = 11 February 2017
| ref = {{sfnRef|DANFS|2015}}
}}{{PD-notice}}
* {{cite web
| url = http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/kcalifornia.htm
| title = California Shipbuilding, Los Angeles CA
| publisher = www.ShipbuildingHistory.com
| date = 13 October 2010
| accessdate = 11 February 2017
| ref = {{sfnRef|CalShip|2010}}
}}
* {{cite web
| url = http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130097.htm
| title=USS Serpens (AK-97)
| publisher=Navsource.org
| date= 12 December 2014
| accessdate= 11 February 2017
| ref={{sfnRef|Navsource|2014}}
}}
* {{cite web
|url= http://wikimapia.org/11098280/Wreck-of-USS-Serpens-AK-97
|title= Wreck of USS Serpens (AK-97)
|publisher= Wikimapia
|date=
|accessdate= 11 February 2017
|ref= {{sfnRef|Wikimapia}}
}}
* {{cite web
| last =
| first =
| url = http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Serpens.asp
| title = USS Serpens, AK-97
| publisher = United States Coast Guard
| date = 21 December 2016
| accessdate = 11 February 2017
| ref = {{sfnRef|USCG|2016}}
}}{{PD-notice}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}


==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* The Long Blue Line Disrupted: USS Serpens (AK-97) and the Largest Loss of Life in US Coast Guard History (co-authors Douglas E. Campbell and Robert G. Breen); ISBN 978-0-359-87305-0
* {{cite book
*{{cite book | first = Rick | last = Atkinson | title=Where Valor Rests | location = Washington, D.C. | publisher = National Geographic | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-1-4262-0089-2}}
| first = Rick
* {{cite web | url = https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/sh/ShipHistory/Detail/6959 | title = BENJAMIN N. CARDOZO | publisher = United States Department of Transportation | access-date = 11 February 2017 | archive-date = 12 December 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191212160603/https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/sh/ShipHistory/Detail/6959 | url-status = dead }}
| last = Atkinson
* {{cite web |url= http://www.pacificwrecks.com/ships/usn/AK-97.html |title= USS Serpens AK-97 |publisher= Pacific Wrecks |date= 3 May 2016 |access-date= 11 February 2017 |ref= {{sfnRef|Wrecks|2016}} }}
| title=Where Valor Rests
| location = Washington, D.C.
| publisher = National Geographic
| year = 2007
| isbn = 1-4262-0089-7
}}
* {{cite web
| url = https://www.marad.dot.gov/sh/ShipHistory/Detail/6959
| title = BENJAMIN N. CARDOZO
| publisher = United States Department of Tranportation
| date=
| accessdate = 11 February 2017
| ref = {{sfnRef|MARAD Murzim}}
}}
* {{cite web
|url= http://www.pacificwrecks.com/ships/usn/AK-97.html
|title= USS Serpens AK-97
|publisher= Pacific Wrecks
|date= 3 May 2016
|accessdate= 11 February 2017
|ref= {{sfnRef|Wrecks|2016}}
}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|USS Serpens (AK-97)}}
* {{navsource|09/13/130097|USS Serpens}}
* {{navsource|09/13/130097|USS Serpens}}
* [http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Serpens_Photos.asp USS ''Serpens'' Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.uscg.mil/history/webcutters/Serpens_Photos.asp USS ''Serpens'' Photo Gallery]
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/daily_event_archive/2006/jan/29_uss_serpens_ak_97.htm Roll of Honor]
* [http://www.maritimequest.com/daily_event_archive/2006/jan/29_uss_serpens_ak_97.htm Roll of Honor]

{{portal bar|United States Navy|World War II}}

<!-- non-breaking space to keep AWB drones from altering the space before the navbox-->



{{Crater class cargo ship}}
{{Crater class cargo ship}}
{{California Shipbuilding Corporation, Los Angeles Shipyards}}
{{California Shipbuilding Corporation, Los Angeles Shipyards}}
{{Liberty ships B}}
{{January 1945 shipwrecks}}
{{January 1945 shipwrecks}}


Line 204: Line 143:
[[Category:Shipwrecks in Ironbottom Sound]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in Ironbottom Sound]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean]]
[[Category:Freighters]]
[[Category:Liberty ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Ships built in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]

Latest revision as of 16:04, 2 February 2024

For other ships with the same name, see USS Serpens.
USS Serpens (AK-97) moored pierside
(date and location unknown)
History
United States
Name
  • Benjamin N. Cardozo
  • Serpens
Namesake
Owner
Operator
Orderedas a Type EC2-S-C1 hull, MCE hull 739[1]
BuilderCalifornia Shipbuilding Corporation, Terminal Island, Los Angeles, California
Yard number164[1]
Way number9[1]
Laid down10 March 1943
Launched5 April 1943
Sponsored byMrs. H.P. Needham
Acquired19 April 1943
Commissioned28 May 1943
RenamedSerpens, 19 April 1943
Stricken10 March 1945
Identification
Honors and
awards		 1 × battle star
FateDestroyed by explosion, 29 January 1945
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeCrater-class cargo ship
TypeType EC2-S-C1
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
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)
Complement19 officers 188 enlisted
Armament

USS Serpens (AK-97) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the United States Navy for service in World War II. She was the first ship of the US Navy to have this name: she is named after Serpens, a constellation in the northern hemisphere. Serpens was crewed by United States Coast Guard personnel and was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

Construction[edit]

Serpens was laid down on 10 March 1943, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 739, as the Liberty ship SS Benjamin N. Cardozo, by California Shipbuilding Corporation, Terminal Island, Los Angeles, California; launched on 5 April 1943; sponsored by Mrs. H.P. Needham; transferred to the Navy on 19 April 1943; renamed Serpens and designated AK-97; and commissioned at San Diego, California on 28 May 1943.[3]

Service history[edit]

Following shakedown off southern California, Serpens loaded general cargo at Alameda and, on 24 June, sailed west to assume provision ship duties in support of operations in the Solomons. By mid-July, she was in the Tonga Islands. At the end of the month, she was en route from New Caledonia to New Zealand; and, by mid-August, she had emptied her holds at Wellington. She then took on more cargo; returned to New Caledonia; and commenced a series of short hauls to Viti Levu, Tutuila, Penrhyn, Bora Bora, Aitutaki, and Tongatapu.[3]

On 9 November, Serpens returned to New Caledonia. In early December, she moved into the southern Solomons; and, after completing a Florida Island-Banika Island run, she stood off Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, to load cargo for Bougainville. During January 1944, she completed two runs into Empress Augusta Bay. In February, she was ordered back to New Zealand for dry-docking before loading dry provisions.[3]

For the next four months, Serpens delivered consignments to bases in the New Hebrides and the Solomons, returning to New Zealand to reload only once. In July, she was at Purvis Bay for the installation of SF-1 radar. She then resumed operations and, through October, carried general cargo and rolling stock between ports and anchorages in the Solomons. In mid-November, she loaded repairable vehicles from the Russells and from Guadalcanal and sailed for New Zealand where, after offloading, three of her holds were converted for ammunition stowage.[3]

Destruction, 29 January 1945[edit]

Late in December 1944, the Liberty ship commenced loading at Wellington, finished it at Auckland, and returned to the Solomons in mid-January 1945. Late in the evening on 29 January 1945, Serpens was anchored off Lunga Beach.[3] The commanding officer and seven others, one officer and six enlisted men, were ashore. The remaining crewmen were loading depth charges into her holds when Serpens exploded. After the explosion, only the bow of the ship was visible. The rest had disintegrated, and the bow sank soon afterward. One hundred ninety-six Coast Guard crewmen, 57 Army stevedores, and a Public Health Service physician, Dr. Harry M. Levin, were killed in the explosion, and a soldier ashore was killed by shrapnel. Only two of those on board, Seaman (SN) 1/c Kelsie K. Kemp and SN 1/c George S. Kennedy, who had been in the boatswain's locker, survived.[4]

An eyewitness to the disaster stated: "As we headed our personnel boat shoreward the sound and concussion of the explosion suddenly reached us, and, as we turned, we witnessed the awe-inspiring death drama unfold before us. As the report of screeching shells filled the air and the flash of tracers continued, the water splashed throughout the harbor as the shells hit. We headed our boat in the direction of the smoke and as we came into closer view of what had once been a ship, the water was filled only with floating debris, dead fish, torn life jackets, lumber and other unidentifiable objects. The smell of death, and fire, and gasoline, and oil was evident and nauseating. This was sudden death, and horror, unwanted and unasked for, but complete."[4]

Lieutenant Commander Stinson reported: "I felt and saw two flashes after which only the bow of the ship was visible. The rest had disintegrated and the bow sank soon afterwards." The two survivors, SN 1/c Kemp and SN 1/c Kennedy, according to Stinson, ". . .showed a lot of savvy by grabbing a couple of water lights that we kept stowed in the [boatswain's] locker. They used them to attract attention when they climbed out onto the floating portion of the bow." Both men were injured but were rescued by a base commander in the area.[4]

Memorial to the dead of USS Serpens at Arlington National Cemetery.

At first report the incident was attributed to enemy action but a court of inquiry later determined that the cause of the explosion could not be established from the remaining evidence and by 1949, the Navy noted that the loss was not due to enemy action but due to an "accident intrinsic to the loading process." The loss of Serpens remains the largest single disaster ever suffered by the Coast Guard. The dead were initially buried at the Army, Navy and Marine Corps Cemetery at Guadalcanal. Their remains were later exhumed and taken to Arlington National Cemetery where they were interred on 15 June 1949. A large monument in their honor was erected over the grave site and dedicated on 16 November 1950.[4]

As of 2019, there is an active effort to reexamine the sinking to see if it was caused by a Japanese submarine.[5]

The wreck is located at: 9°24′37″S 160°0′40″E / 9.41028°S 160.01111°E / -9.41028; 160.01111[6]

Awards[edit]

Serpens earned one battle star for her World War II service.[3]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

Citations
  1. ^ a b c CalShip 2010.
  2. ^ Navsource 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f DANFS 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d USCG 2016.
  5. ^ Mizokami, Kyle (13 August 2019). "What Really Happened On The Deadliest Single Day In Coast Guard History?". Foxtrot Alpha. Jalopnik.
  6. ^ Wikimapia.

Bibliography[edit]

Online resources

Further reading[edit]

  • The Long Blue Line Disrupted: USS Serpens (AK-97) and the Largest Loss of Life in US Coast Guard History (co-authors Douglas E. Campbell and Robert G. Breen); ISBN 978-0-359-87305-0
  • Atkinson, Rick (2007). Where Valor Rests. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. ISBN 978-1-4262-0089-2.
  • "BENJAMIN N. CARDOZO". United States Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  • "USS Serpens AK-97". Pacific Wrecks. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2017.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Serpens (AK-97).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Serpens_(AK-97)&oldid=1202368405"