USS Corduba (AF-32)

USS Corduba (AF-32) was an Adria class stores ship acquired by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. Her task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas.

History
United States
Ordered: as R1-M-AV3 hull, MC hull 2196
Laid down: date unknown
Launched: 11 June 1944
Acquired: 30 December 1944
Commissioned: 26 January 1945
Decommissioned: 20 August 1955
In service: 20 August 1955
Out of service: 18 November 1955
Stricken: date unknown
Fate: scrapped in 1974
General characteristics
Displacement: 3,139 t.(lt) 6,240 t.(fl)
Length: 338 ft (103 m)
Beam: 50 ft (15 m)
Draught: 18 ft (5.5 m)
Propulsion: diesel engine, single screw, 1,700 shp
Speed: 12 knots (22 km/h) maximum
Capacity: 2,120 long tons deadweight (DWT)
Complement: 84
Armament: one single 3 in (76 mm) dual purpose gun mount, six single 20 mm guns gun mounts

Corduba was launched 11 June 1944 by Pennsylvania Shipyards, Inc., Beaumont, Texas, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. R. R. Clark; transferred to the Navy 30 December 1944; and commissioned 26 January 1945, Lieutenant A. G. Wood, Jr., USNR, in command.

World War II service

Clearing Galveston, Texas, 13 February 1945 Corduba loaded cargo at Mobile, Alabama, sailed through the Panama Canal, and arrived at Pearl Harbor 19 March. The last day of the month she sailed for Eniwetok, arriving 11 April to report to Commander, Service Squadron 10. Corduba carried provisions from Auckland, New Zealand, to Tinian, Guam, Manus, Peleliu, and Saipan, from 12 April to her return to San Francisco, California, 15 October.

Post-war activity

After reloading at San Francisco, California, Corduba put to sea 27 October 1945 for Okinawa and Tsingtao, China. From 26 November to 23 December she issued refrigerated provisions to ships serving in the reoccupation of China. Returning to San Pedro, California, 18 January 1946, Corduba carried cargo to the Philippines between 31 January and 18 April, and cleared San Francisco 20 May for the U.S. East Coast. She arrived at Charleston, South Carolina, 10 June.

Assigned to Service Force, Atlantic Fleet, Corduba carried provisions to Argentia, the Caribbean, northern Europe, and the Mediterranean.

Inactivation and decommissioning

She was placed in commission in reserve 20 August 1955 to begin her pre-inactivation overhaul at Charleston, South Carolina, and was placed out of commission in reserve there. To NDRF 6 Apr 60.

Corduba was loaned by MA to Army reactivated 2 Jan 1962 at Ft. Eustis, VA by U.S. Army personal of the 70th Transportation Detachment. Activation took two weeks at a cost of $6,500. Saving the Army from chartering a similar vessel for 90 days at a cost of $27,000. Corduba was than used to train U.S. Army stevedores from 2 Jan 62 to 10 Jan 64 and 22 Jun 66 to 1 Oct 68.

Sold for scrap 30 Jul 74

Military awards and honors

Corduba’s crew was eligible for the following medals:

References

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

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