USS Blount (AK-163)
Encyclopedia
USS Blount (AK-163) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship
commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Blount (AK-163) was laid down on 7 August 1944 at Richmond, California
, by the Kaiser Cargo Co., Inc., under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2108); launched on 19 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. R. E. St. Clair; delivered to the Navy on 26 January 1945; and placed in commission that same day, Lt. William H. Leverett, USNR, in command.
training, Blount loaded cargo and stood out of San Francisco, California
, on 16 March. Three weeks later, on 8 April, she arrived at Manus
in the Admiralty Islands
. The ship spent three days there discharging cargo before returning to sea on the 11th, bound—via Biak
Island—for Morotai
in the Netherlands East Indies.
on the 19th. There, she issued provisions to ships staging for the assault on Tarakan
, Borneo
. On 29 May, Blount set sail for Borneo and, on 1 June, arrived at Tarakan where she dispensed emergency rations for Australia
n troops fighting for the island. Two days later, she headed for the Philippines
. The cargo ship stopped off overnight on 7 and 8 June at Parang
on Mindanao
Island to unload supplies before heading back to Morotai
. She reached Morotai on 10 June and remained there until the 28th. On that day, Blount stood out to sea and, on 3 July, reentered Seeadler Harbor
at Manus.
on Cebu Island
in the southern Philippines.
. The cargo ship departed Cebu on 17 August and entered port at Iloilo
on Panay
Island on the 18th to provision transports with Japan-bound occupation troops embarked. From there, she moved to Puerto Princesa on Palawan
Island where she issued provisions to shore stations. Visits to Brunei Bay
, Borneo
; Tawi Tawi in the Sulu Archipelago
; and Tarakan
, Borneo
, followed. Blount departed Tarakan
on 8 September; transited the Makassar Strait
; and reached Balikpapan
, Borneo
, on the 10th. Two days later, the ship stood out of Balikpapan, bound for the Philippines. She delivered provisions at Zamboanga
on Mindanao
and at Isabela
on Basilan
Island before leaving the Philippines on the 24th for the Admiralty Islands
. The ship entered Seeadler Harbor, Manus, on 2 October and began voyage repairs.
on Christmas
Day 1945.
. She arrived in the Panama Canal Zone
on 22 February and, after transiting the canal, got underway for Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 2 March. She remained at Norfolk, Virginia
, until 8 April at which time she moved to Baltimore, Maryland.
(WSA) on 24 April 1946, and her name was struck from the Navy list
on 1 May 1946. By the spring of 1948, she had been sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij N.V. which steamship line put her in service as SS Hecuba. She later served two other steamship lines as SS Anna and SS Panos before ending her merchant service sometime between January 1974 and January 1975.
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Blount (AK-163) was laid down on 7 August 1944 at Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
, by the Kaiser Cargo Co., Inc., under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2108); launched on 19 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. R. E. St. Clair; delivered to the Navy on 26 January 1945; and placed in commission that same day, Lt. William H. Leverett, USNR, in command.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Following a period of modifications and shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
training, Blount loaded cargo and stood out of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, on 16 March. Three weeks later, on 8 April, she arrived at Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
in the Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
. The ship spent three days there discharging cargo before returning to sea on the 11th, bound—via Biak
Biak
Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...
Island—for Morotai
Morotai
Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
in the Netherlands East Indies.
Supporting the troops in Borneo and the Philippines
She stopped at Biak from 14 to 16 April and arrived at MorotaiMorotai
Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
on the 19th. There, she issued provisions to ships staging for the assault on Tarakan
Tarakan Island
Tarakan is an island off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is a marshy island situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island occupies an area of .-Petroleum:...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
. On 29 May, Blount set sail for Borneo and, on 1 June, arrived at Tarakan where she dispensed emergency rations for Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n troops fighting for the island. Two days later, she headed for the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The cargo ship stopped off overnight on 7 and 8 June at Parang
Parang
Parang is a popular folk music originating out of Trinidad and Tobago, it was brought to Trinidad by Venezuelan migrants who were primarily of Amerindian and African heritage, something which is strongly reflected in the music itself. The word is derived from two Spanish words:'Parranda', meaning...
on Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
Island to unload supplies before heading back to Morotai
Morotai
Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...
. She reached Morotai on 10 June and remained there until the 28th. On that day, Blount stood out to sea and, on 3 July, reentered Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II...
at Manus.
Minor collision with a merchantman
The ship remained at Manus for over a month intermittently loading cargo and undergoing repairs for minor damage incurred in a collision with a civilian merchantman that occurred just before she entered the harbor. Blount returned to sea on 7 August, bound for the Philippines. Seven days later, she arrived in the harbor at Cebu CityCebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
on Cebu Island
Cebu Island
Cebu is an island of the Philippines. It is the main island of Cebu Province at the center of the Visayan Islands, south of Manila.It lies to the east of Negros Island; to the east is Leyte and to the southeast is Bohol Island. It is flanked on both sides by the Cebu Strait and Tañon Strait...
in the southern Philippines.
End-of-war activity
On the morning of the 15th, while still at Cebu, she received word of the cessation of hostilities with JapanEmpire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
. The cargo ship departed Cebu on 17 August and entered port at Iloilo
Iloilo
Iloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique Province to the west and Capiz Province and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is Guimaras Province,...
on Panay
Panay
Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
Island on the 18th to provision transports with Japan-bound occupation troops embarked. From there, she moved to Puerto Princesa on Palawan
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
Island where she issued provisions to shore stations. Visits to Brunei Bay
Brunei Bay
Brunei Bay is the gateway to Brunei and Borneo. It is located 4°45'-5°02'N, 114°58'-115°10'E; east of Bandar Seri Begawan. The Brunei portion of the bay is in two sections separated by a finger of Sarawak about 6km wide at the coast...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
; Tawi Tawi in the Sulu Archipelago
Sulu Archipelago
The Sulu Archipelago is a chain of islands in the southwestern Philippines. This archipelago is considered to be part of the Moroland by the local rebel independence movement. This island group forms the northern limit of the Celebes Sea....
; and Tarakan
Tarakan Island
Tarakan is an island off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is a marshy island situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island occupies an area of .-Petroleum:...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, followed. Blount departed Tarakan
Tarakan Island
Tarakan is an island off the coast of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is a marshy island situated in the eastern Celebes Sea, off the northeastern coast of Borneo. The island occupies an area of .-Petroleum:...
on 8 September; transited the Makassar Strait
Makassar Strait
Makassar Strait is a strait between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi in Indonesia. To the north it joins the Celebes Sea, while to the south it meets the Java Sea.The Mahakam River of Borneo empties into the strait....
; and reached Balikpapan
Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia, in the East Kalimantan province, a resource-rich region well known for its timber, mining, and petroleum export products. Two harbors, Semayang and Kariangau , and the Sepinggan International Airport are the main...
, Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, on the 10th. Two days later, the ship stood out of Balikpapan, bound for the Philippines. She delivered provisions at Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
on Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
and at Isabela
Isabela City
Isabela City is a 5th class city and the capital of the province of Basilan, Philippines. The city is located on the northern shore of Basilan. Across the Basilan Strait to the north is Zamboanga City...
on Basilan
Basilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
Island before leaving the Philippines on the 24th for the Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
. The ship entered Seeadler Harbor, Manus, on 2 October and began voyage repairs.
Assigned as general cargo ship
Blount remained at Manus until mid-November. During her stay, her mission was changed from that of a fleet issue ship to that of a general cargo ship. She departed Manus on 16 November and arrived at LuzonLuzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Day 1945.
Return Stateside
On 5 January 1946, Blount began the long voyage back to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She arrived in the Panama Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
on 22 February and, after transiting the canal, got underway for Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 2 March. She remained at Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, until 8 April at which time she moved to Baltimore, Maryland.
Post-war decommissioning
Blount was decommissioned there on 18 April 1946. She was delivered to the Maritime Commission's War Shipping AdministrationWar Shipping Administration
The War Shipping Administration was a World War II emergency war agency of the US Government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the US needed for fighting the war....
(WSA) on 24 April 1946, and her name was struck from the Navy list
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 1 May 1946. By the spring of 1948, she had been sold to Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij N.V. which steamship line put her in service as SS Hecuba. She later served two other steamship lines as SS Anna and SS Panos before ending her merchant service sometime between January 1974 and January 1975.
Military awards and honors
The record does not indicate any battle stars for Blount. However, her crew was eligible for the following medals:- American Campaign MedalAmerican Campaign MedalThe American Campaign Medal was a military decoration of the United States armed forces which was first created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalAsiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalThe Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...
- World War II Victory MedalWorld War II Victory MedalThe World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
- Philippines Liberation Medal