USS Matar (AK-119)
Encyclopedia
USS Matar (AK-119) was a commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II
, named after Matar
, the star in constellation Pegasus
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Matar (AK 119) was laid down as SS Napoleon R. Broward under Maritime Commission contract by St. John's River Shipbuilding Co., Jacksonville, Florida
, 16 October 1943; launched 30 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Napoleon B. Broward; acquired by the Navy under bareboat charter 10 December 1943; converted for Navy use by Merrill Stevens Drydock & Repair Co., Jacksonville, Florida; and commissioned as Matar at Jacksonville 17 May 1944, Lt. Comdr. Erwin E. Smith in command.
, 28 May for shakedown
in Chesapeake Bay
. Thence, she loaded cargo at Davisville, Rhode Island
, and Bayonne, New Jersey
, before departing New York
for the Pacific Ocean
25 June, arriving Pearl Harbor
25 July. Matar discharged cargo and refilled her holds with ammunition, field rations and amphibious equipment. Operating under Service Squadron 8, she sailed with units of task force
TF 31 on 20 August for the Palau
s.
and the Admiralties
, Matar reached Kossol Passage 20 September. As flagship
for CTG 31.4, she operated at Kossol until 17 October when she departed for Angaur
Island. From 19 to 24 October she discharged cargo into boats for transfer to the beaches; thence, she embarked marines and amphibious tanks at Peleliu
and sailed for the Russell Islands
the 30th. She debarked her troops there 7 November; arrived off Guadalcanal
the 9th; and embarked 130 troops. Departing Lunga 18 November, she arrived San Francisco, California
, via Pearl Harbor 11 December.
between 10 and 14 February. For the next 3 months she operated out of Saipan
and Guam
dispensing medical and general stores to the fleet.
, the Ryūkyūs
, 14 May; discharged some cargo; and shifted to the anchorage off Hagushi
, Okinawa, 29 May. She issued dry provisions and medical stores and in addition provided smoke cover during enemy airstrikes. On 27 June she sailed for Ulithi
and Pearl Harbor.
7 September arriving Tokyo Bay
15 September to service ships on occupation duty in Japanese waters. She completed this duty early in November and between 5 November and 1 December steamed via Pearl Harbor to San Francisco.
. Her name was struck from the Navy List
31 October 1947. Matar was berthed in Suisun Bay, California, and was scrapped in 1972.
Her crew was eligible for the following medals and campaign ribbons:
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...
, named after Matar
Eta Pegasi
Eta Pegasi is a star in the constellation Pegasus. It has the traditional name Matar .Eta Pegasi is of spectral class G2II-III and has apparent magnitude +3.1. It is approximately 215 light years from Earth. It has a close companion of class F0V...
, the star in constellation Pegasus
Pegasus
Pegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
Matar (AK 119) was laid down as SS Napoleon R. Broward under Maritime Commission contract by St. John's River Shipbuilding Co., Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, 16 October 1943; launched 30 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Napoleon B. Broward; acquired by the Navy under bareboat charter 10 December 1943; converted for Navy use by Merrill Stevens Drydock & Repair Co., Jacksonville, Florida; and commissioned as Matar at Jacksonville 17 May 1944, Lt. Comdr. Erwin E. Smith in command.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
After completing conversion, Matar steamed to Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, 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....
, 28 May for shakedown
Shakedown (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...
in Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. Thence, she loaded cargo at Davisville, Rhode Island
Davisville, Rhode Island
Davisville, Rhode Island was the former home of the U.S. Navy SeaBees. It was located at Quonset Point on Narragansett Bay, an area now included in the town of North Kingstown. The Navy acquired the property in 1939 and built Naval Air Station Quonset Point...
, and Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
, before departing New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
25 June, arriving Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
25 July. Matar discharged cargo and refilled her holds with ammunition, field rations and amphibious equipment. Operating under Service Squadron 8, she sailed with units of task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
TF 31 on 20 August for the Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
s.
Transporting troops to invasion beaches
Steaming via the MarshallsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
and the Admiralties
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...
, Matar reached Kossol Passage 20 September. As flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
for CTG 31.4, she operated at Kossol until 17 October when she departed for Angaur
Angaur
Angaur or Ngeaur is an island in the island nation of Palau. The island, which forms its own state, has an area of 8 km² . Its population is 188 . State capital is the village of Ngeremasch on the western side...
Island. From 19 to 24 October she discharged cargo into boats for transfer to the beaches; thence, she embarked marines and amphibious tanks at Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
and sailed for the Russell Islands
Russell Islands
The Russell Islands are two small islands, as well as several islets, of volcanic origin, in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands. They are located approximately 48 km northwest from Guadalcanal. The islands are partially covered in coconut plantations, and have a copra and oil factory at...
the 30th. She debarked her troops there 7 November; arrived off Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
the 9th; and embarked 130 troops. Departing Lunga 18 November, she arrived 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...
, via Pearl Harbor 11 December.
Modified as a stores issue ship
Altered for duty as a stores issue ship and loaded with medical supplies and ship's stores, Matar departed San Francisco, California, 18 January 1945 and arrived Eniwetok 8 February. Assigned to Service Squadron 10, she steamed to the MarianasMariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
between 10 and 14 February. For the next 3 months she operated out of Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
dispensing medical and general stores to the fleet.
Supporting Okinawa invasion forces
Matar arrived Kerama RettoKerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
, the Ryūkyūs
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
, 14 May; discharged some cargo; and shifted to the anchorage off Hagushi
Hagushi
Hagushi bay was the primary unloading point for American supplies during the invasion of Okinawa during World War II. The bay, at the mouth of the Bishi River , was the dividing line between the First and Sixth US Marine divisions, which landed on the Hagushi beaches to the north, and the Seventh...
, Okinawa, 29 May. She issued dry provisions and medical stores and in addition provided smoke cover during enemy airstrikes. On 27 June she sailed for Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
and Pearl Harbor.
End-of-war activity
Replenishing there between 2 and 14 August she steamed to Eniwetok thence to 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...
7 September arriving Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
15 September to service ships on occupation duty in Japanese waters. She completed this duty early in November and between 5 November and 1 December steamed via Pearl Harbor to San Francisco.
Post-war decommissioning
Matar sailed 6 February 1946 for Pearl Harbor, arrived the 15th, and decommissioned 15 March 1946. She transferred to the custody of the Maritime Commission 8 October 1947 and entered the National Defense Reserve FleetNational Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...
. Her name was struck from the Navy List
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
31 October 1947. Matar was berthed in Suisun Bay, California, and was scrapped in 1972.
Military awards and honors
Matar received two battle stars for World War II service:- Western Caroline Islands operation (Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands -Angaur Island, 19 to 24 October 1944)
- Okinawa Gunto operation (Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 14 May to 27 June 1945)
Her crew was eligible for the following medals and campaign ribbons:
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
- World War II Victory Medal
- Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)