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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Elk (IX-115)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Hotel - Whiskey
 NJHW
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Armadillo Class Mobile Station Tanker:
  • Laid down, date unknown, as William Winter, a Maritime Commission type (Z-ET1-S-C3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 1904), at California Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, CA.
  • Launched, 6 November 1943
  • Commissioned, USS Elk (IX-115), 26 November 1943, at San Pedro, CA., LT. Wilford T. Stannard, USN, in command
  • During World War II USS Elk was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 30 March to 30 June1945

  • Decommissioned, 17 May 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 5 June 1946
  • USS Elk earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal, 20 May 1946, at Lee Hall, VA.
  • Merchant Service
    Sold, 24 January 1951 to Orion Shipping and Trading Corp, agents for Colonial SS. Corp., renamed SS Seapearl
    Sold in November 1952 to Montepardo Compania, Armadora S. A., Panama, renamed SS Korthi, reflagged Panama
    Converted to a dry cargo ship in 1954
    Lengthened at Sasebo, Japan in 1956, to 8,390 g.t. ore carrier, reflagged Liberia
    Renamed SS Andros County in 1957
    Renamed SS Kalamas in 1960, Oceanic Development Corp.- reflagged Greece
    Ran aground, 3 September 1960, off Cape Arago, OR., heavily damaged
  • Final Disposition, after discharging her cargo the ship was scrapped at Oakland CA. in 1962
    Specifications:
    Displacement 14,500 t.
    Length 441' 6"
    Beam 56' 11"
    Draft 28' 4"
    Speed 11 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 13
    Enlisted 103
    Cargo Capacity 8,500DWT
    Oil 63,000 Bbls
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount
    eight 20mm AA guns
    Fuel Capacity
    NSFO 13,700 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
    two Babcock and Wilcox boilers, 225psi 450°
    three recip-drive 20Kw 120v D.C. Ships' Service Generators
    one propeller, 2,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    United States Maritime Commission
    Gemsbok
    094611702    		 140k United States Maritime Commission Tanker Design Z-ET-1-S-C3.
    US National Archives photo thanks to Auke Visser's Famous T-Tanker Pages     		 
    USS Elk (IX-115)
    Elk
    094611501    		 175k
    Namesake
    Elk - one of the largest species within the deer family, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in North America, as well as Central and East Asia. (Wikipedia)    		 Tommy Trampp
    Jaguar 181k Liberty Ships fitting out at California Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, CA., 25 November 1943. From left to right:
    Dry Cargo Ships
    SS John A. Roebling
    SS Ralph A. Cram
    Armadillo Class Mobile Station Tankers
    Caribou (IX-114)- ex SS Nathaniel B. Palmer
    Elk (IX-115) - SS William Winter
    Gazelle (IX-116)- SS Cyrus K. Holliday
    Gemsbok (IX-117) - SS Carl R. Gray
    Giraffe (IX-118) - SS Sanford B. Dole
    Ibex (IX-119) - SS Nicholas Longworth
    Jaguar (IX-120) - SS Charles T. Yerkes     		Gerard Mueller-Debus
    USS Elk (IX-115)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Stannard, Wilford Tennyson, USN (USNA 1932)26 November 1943 - ?
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Ship Type Index Back To The Miscellaneous Auxiliary (IX) Ship Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 9 July 2021