USS ''Elba'' (AG-132/AKL-3) was a ''Camano''-class cargo ship constructed for the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

as USA ''FS-267'' shortly before the end of World War II and later acquired by the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

in 1947. She was configured as a transport and cargo ship and was assigned to serve the World War II

Trust Territories United Nations trust territories were the successors of the remaining League of Nations mandates and came into being when the League of Nations ceased to exist in 1946. All of the trust territories were administered through the United Natio ...

in the Pacific Ocean.

Built on Long Island, New York

''Elba'' (AG-132) was built in 1944 by Wheeler Shipbuilding Corp., Whitestone, Long Island, New York, for the Army as ''FS-267''; acquired by the Navy at

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

14 March 1947; renamed and commissioned 3 July 1947. She was reclassified ''AKL-3'', 31 March 1949.

Serving the Pacific Trust Territories

From her base at Guam, ''Elba'', during her brief service, steadily carried passengers, mail, cargo and Government officials among the

Caroline Islands The Caroline Islands (or the Carolines) are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically, they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in the ce ...

, the Mariana Islands, the

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...

, and the

Palau Islands Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...

. She operated under Commander, Service Division 51. With time out for two brief overhauls at

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the Naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the R ...

, ''Elba'' faithfully served the administration of the Pacific Trust Territory in the Marianas, Carolines and Marshalls, even for a time after decommissioning 27 July 1951 at Guam.

Transferred to Department of the Interior

She was transferred 29 January 1952 to the

U.S. Department of the Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the man ...

. She was struck from the

Navy List A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval autho ...

at an unknown date. She was sold in 1957 for commercial service and wrecked 6 August 1962.

References

*
NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - FS-267 - AG-132 / AKL-3 Elba
{{DEFAULTSORT:Elba (AG-132) Ships of the United States Army Design 381 coastal freighters Ships built in Queens, New York 1944 ships World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Camano-class cargo ships United States Department of the Interior