USS Tarazed

History
Name	SS Chiriqui (1932–41, 1946–58) USS Tarazed (1941–46) D/S Blexen (1958–71)
Namesake	Tarazed, a star in the constellation Aquila
Owner	United Fruit Company (1932–58) Union-Partenreederei T/S (1958–71)
Operator	United Fruit Company (1932–41, 1946–58) United States Navy (1941–46) Union-Partenreederei T/S (1958–71)
Laid down	18 March 1932
Launched	1932
Acquired	4 June 1941
Commissioned	14 June 1941
Decommissioned	4 January 1946
Stricken	21 January 1946
Fate	scrapped 1971
General characteristics
Displacement	6,983 t.(lt) 11,880 t.(fl)
Length	447 ft 10 in (136.50 m)
Beam	60 ft (18 m)
Draught	26 ft (7.9 m)
Propulsion	turbo-electric transmission, twin screws, 11,000 shp (8,200 kW)
Speed	18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) (max)
Capacity	2,615 LT DWT
Complement	238
Armament	one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount, four 3"/50 guns

USS Tarazed (AF-13) was United Fruit Company cargo and passenger liner that served as a United States Navy Mizar-class stores ship in World War II. In peacetime before and after the war she carried fruit and passengers; in war she supplied troops and ships in the field. In 1958 she was sold to a German shipping line, and in 1971 she was scrapped after 39 years' service.

Building and chartering

The Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company at Newport News, Virginia built the ship as SS Chiriqui for United Fruit Company in 1932. She was one of six UFC sister ships driven by turbo-electric transmission.

The US Navy bareboat chartered her through the Maritime Commission on 4 June 1941. Brewer's Drydock Co. of Staten Island, New York converted her for Navy use and she was commissioned on 14 June 1941, commanded by Cmdr J. M. Connally.

Neutrality period operations

Tarazed loaded supplies and headed for the coast of North Carolina to provision ships of the Neutrality Patrol. After returning to New York, she got underway late in August for a voyage to Iceland to resupply US and Royal Navy ships.

World War II North Atlantic operations

When the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the United States into World War II, Tarazed was at Halifax, Nova Scotia preparing to join another convoy bound for Iceland. Upon completion of the voyage, she proceeded to Baltimore, Maryland, for an extensive overhaul before making resupply runs to Newfoundland, Iceland and Bermuda.

In July 1942, Tarazed arrived at Boston, Massachusetts, from Nova Scotia and loaded a cargo for ports in Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Panama. On 21 September she returned to Baltimore laden with sugar which was urgently needed in the US. She continued supply runs from Baltimore or Norfolk, Virginia, to the Caribbean until mid-1943.

Supporting the invasion of North Africa

On 8 June 1943 Tarazed joined Task Force 65 at Norfolk — headed for North Africa — and arrived at Mers el Kebir, Algeria, on 22 June. She partially unloaded there and, on the 30th, steamed to Oran to help provision that port.

On 4 July, Tarazed headed for the US in convoy GUS-9. She arrived at Norfolk on 23 July, was replenished, and sailed for Bermuda. After supplying ports there and at Cuba, she returned to the United States, arriving at Bayonne, New Jersey, on 13 August.

Eight days later, Tarazed weighed anchor for North Africa, arriving at Mers el Kebir on 2 September. After calling at Bizerte and Algiers, she returned to the United States in convoy GUS-15 and arrived at Norfolk on 4 October. Late that month, she joined convoy UGS-22 to take materiel to Oran, Bizerte and Palermo. Then, with the exception of a voyage to the Mediterranean in April, she took provisions to the Caribbean in the first five months of 1944.

Supporting the invasion of southern France

In June, Tarazed delivered provisions to ships in the ports of Plymouth, Swansea and Portland Harbour in Britain and at Belfast in Northern Ireland. She steamed from Norfolk on 24 August and arrived at Oran on 4 September to supply ships supporting the invasion of southern France. She continued logistics runs to the Mediterranean into April 1945 and turned to supplying bases and ports in the Caribbean until 15 December 1945 when she was ordered to report to the 8th Naval District for subsequent disposal.

Post-war decommissioning

Tarazed was decommissioned on 4 January 1946, was returned to her owner through the War Shipping Administration at New Orleans, Louisiana, the same day and was struck from the Navy list on 21 January 1946. She served the United Fruit Company as Chiriqui until 1958. She was then sold to Union-Partenreederei T/S of Bremen, Germany who renamed her Blexen.

Military honors and awards

Tarazed received one battle star for World War II.

References

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

External links

• Photo gallery of USS Tarazed at NavSource Naval History