USS Caledonia (AK-167)

History
United States
Name	Caledonia
Namesake	Caledonia County, Vermont
Ordered	as type (C1-M-AV1) hull, MC hull 2112[1]
Builder	Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Richmond, California
Yard number	69[1]
Laid down	date unknown
Launched	1 January 1945
Sponsored by	Mrs. V. Brown
Acquired	13 March 1945
Commissioned	13 March 1945
Decommissioned	25 March 1946
Stricken	12 April 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: AK-167 Code letters: NEGP
Fate	sold 7 March 1947, to Rederi A / S Hauk (Bucha Goding & Co.), Oslo, Norway
Norway
Name	Norse Captain
Owner	Rederi A / S Hauk (Bucha Goding & Co.)
Acquired	7 March 1947
Fate	Sold 1962
Philippines
Name	Mabini (1962–1964) President Quezon (1964–1965)
Namesake	Apolinario Mabini Manuel L. Quezon
Owner	Philippine President Lines Inc.
Acquired	1962
Fate	Sold to Seven Brothers Shipping Corp., Manila in 1965
Philippines
Name	Seven Kings
Namesake	Apolinario Mabini Manuel L. Quezon
Owner	Philippine President Lines Inc.
Acquired	1965
Identification	IMO number: 5216240
Fate	sold for scrapping to Li Chong Co., Ltd. in September 1980
General characteristics [2]
Class and type	cargo ship
Type	C1-M-AV1
Tonnage	5,032 long tons deadweight (DWT)[1]
Displacement	2,382 long tons (2,420 t) (standard) 7,450 long tons (7,570 t) (full load)
Length	388 ft 8 in (118.47 m)
Beam	50 ft (15 m)
Draft	21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
Installed power	1 × Nordberg, TSM 6 diesel engine 1,750 shp (1,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × propeller
Speed	11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph)
Capacity	3,945 t (3,883 long tons) DWT 9,830 cu ft (278 m3) (refrigerated) 227,730 cu ft (6,449 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Complement	15 Officers 70 Enlisted
Armament	1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber dual purpose gun (DP) 6 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons

USS Caledonia (AK-167) was an 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.

Construction[]

The second ship to be named Caledonia by the US Navy, was launched 1 January 1945 by Kaiser Cargo, Inc., Richmond, California, under a Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 2112; sponsored by Mrs. V. Brown; acquired by the Navy 13 March 1945; commissioned the same day, Lieutenant F. G. Stelte in command; and reported to the U.S. Pacific Fleet.^[3]

Service history[]

World War II Pacific Theatre operations[]

Assigned to a role in the Navy's gigantic logistic task of supplying military forces in the Pacific while still carrying out naval, air, and amphibious warfare, Caledonia sailed from San Francisco, California, 1 May 1945, laden with cargo for the base at Manus, where she began discharging 23 May. The cargo ship completed offloading at Samar, Philippine Islands, on 22 June, then steamed to Darwin, Australia, and Milne Bay, New Guinea, to reload supplies essentially needed in the Philippines. After offloading at Samar and Subic Bay in August and September, Caledonia made another voyage to Noumea, New Caledonia, for cargo, returning to Samar, from which she cleared 30 December for Baltimore, Maryland.^[3]

Post-war decommissioning[]

Caledonia was decommissioned there 25 March 1946, and was returned to the Maritime Commission four days later.^[3]

Merchant service[]

In 1947 Caledonia was sold to Bucha Godager & Co., Oslo, Norway. She was renamed Norse Captain.^[4]

In 1962 she was sold to the Philippine President Lines Inc., Manila, the Philippines. She was renamed Mabini in 1962 and then President Quezon in 1964.^[4]

In 1965 she was again sold, this time to the Seven Brothers Shipping Corp., Manila. She was again renamed, for the last time, Seven Kings. In 1980 she arrived in September at Kaohsiung, Taiwan for demolition by Li Chong Co. Ltd.^[4]

Notes[]

Citations

Bibliography[]

External links[]

• Photo gallery of USS Caledonia (AK-167) at NavSource Naval History