USS Deimos (AK-78)

Broadside view of USS Deimos (AK-78) underway off San Francisco, 26 January 1943.
History
United States
Name:	Chief Ouray Deimos
Namesake:	Chief Ouray Deimos (moon)
Ordered:	as a type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 513, SS Chief Ouray
Builder:	Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Laid down:	27 November 1942
Launched:	28 December 1942
Sponsored by:	Mrs. M. Moyer
Acquired:	7 January 1943
Commissioned:	23 January 1943
Identification:	Hull symbol:AK-78
Honors and awards:	One battle star
Fate:	Scuttled 23 June 1943
Status:	abandoned and sunk by gun fire from USS O'Bannon (DD-450)
General characteristics [1]
Class & type:	Crater-class cargo ship
Displacement:	4,023 long tons (4,088 t) (standard) 14,550 long tons (14,780 t) (full load)
Length:	441 ft 6 in (134.57 m)
Beam:	56 ft 11 in (17.35 m)
Draft:	28 ft 4 in (8.64 m)
Installed power:	2,500 shp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion:	2 × Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, 220psi 450° 1 × Joshua Hendy vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine 1 × shaft
Speed:	12.5 kn (14.4 mph; 23.2 km/h)
Complement:	210
Armament:	1 × 5 in (130 mm)/38 caliber dual purpose gun 1 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber dual purpose gun 2 × 40 mm (1.6 in) 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun mounts 6 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons anti-aircraft gun mounts

USS Deimos (AK-78) was a Crater-class cargo ship in the service of United States Navy in World War II. It was the first ship of the Navy to have borne the name Deimos, after one of the moons of Mars.

Deimos was laid down 27 November 1942 as liberty ship SS Chief Ouray (MCE hull 513) by Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California, under a Maritime Commission contract. Deimos was launched on 28 December 1942 and sponsored by Mrs. M. Moyer. Deimos was transferred to the Navy on 7 January 1943 and commissioned 23 January 1943, with Lieutenant Commander W. L. Sorenson, USNR, in command.

Deimos sailed from San Francisco 27 January 1943 with cargo for Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, and Townsville, Australia. She arrived at Nouméa, New Caledonia, 23 May to load cargo which she delivered to Guadalcanal in June. Returning to her base, she was torpedoed on 23 June on the port side, aft. Efforts to save her failed. She was finally abandoned and sunk by gunfire from O'Bannon (DD-450) at 11°26′S 162°01′E / 11.433°S 162.017°E / -11.433; 162.017Coordinates: 11°26′S 162°01′E / 11.433°S 162.017°E / -11.433; 162.017.

Deimos received one battle star for World War II service.

References

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

External links

• Photo gallery of Deimos at NavSource Naval History