USS Majaba (AG-43)
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USS ''Majaba'' (AG-43/IX-102) was the Design 1049 cargo ship ''Meriden'' built in 1919 by the
Albina Engine & Machine Works Albina Engine & Machine Works was a shipyard along the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was located in the Albina area of Portland along N. River Street and N. Loring Street. Albina Engine & Machine Works was founded in 190 ...
,
Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
. All the ships were requisitioned by the
United States Shipping Board The United States Shipping Board (USSB) was established as an emergency agency by the 1916 Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729), on September 7, 1916. The United States Shipping Board's task was to increase the number of US ships supporting the World War ...
(USSB) for World War I service. The ship was bought by the E. K. Wood Lumber Co., of
San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
in 1923 and renamed ''El Capitan''. The ship was chartered 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 ...
through the
War Shipping Administration The War Shipping Administration (WSA) was a World War II emergency war agency of the US government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the United States needed for fighting the war. Both shipbuilding under the Maritime C ...
(WSA) in April 1942 and commissioned as ''Majaba''. ''Majaba'' was assigned to operations in the South Pacific Ocean and at
Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...
she was struck by a
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...
and beached. After salvage, towing, removal of engines and repair at
Tulagi Tulagi, less commonly known as Tulaghi, is a small island——in Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Ngella Sule. The town of the same name on the island (pop. 1,750) was the capital of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate from 18 ...
the ship served as a
barracks Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...
, storage ship and repair ship until the end of the war. In October 1945 WSA requisitioned the title from the owner. ''Majaba'' continued service at Tulagi until she was towed to the Philippines in 1945. The ship was redelivered to WSA on 14 March 1946, placed in the reserve fleet at Subic Bay and declared a loss. On 14 July 1946 the hull sank at the pier and declared not salvageable.


Construction

''Meriden'' was built in 1919 by Albina Engine & Machine Works, Portland, Oregon. The designation
Emergency Fleet Corporation The Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) was established by the United States Shipping Board, sometimes referred to as the War Shipping Board, on 16 April 1917 pursuant to the Shipping Act (39 Stat. 729) to acquire, maintain, and operate merchant shi ...
(EFC) Design 1049 "Albinia Type" ship was applied to an existing Albina design after the United States Shipping Board (USSB) requisitioned the ships. The hull was Albina's yard hull number 16, USSB/EFC hull number 2249. ''Meriden'', with U.S. Official Number 218284, signal LRPB, home port of San Francisco with registered crew size of 32. The type was , , , in registry length, beam and draft. The ship was oil fired with triple expansion steam engines.


Commercial operation

The vessel was delivered to USSB operations 22 July 1919 and operated as a USSB vessel until 1920. General Steamship Corporation purchased the ship, originally costing $821,751.56, for $717,800 in a combination of cash and mortgage taking delivery on 28 May 1920. In 1923 the ship was acquired by E. K. Wood Lumber Co., of
San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
and renamed ''El Capitan''. As ''El Capitan'' the ship is shown with signal KILP. General Steamship Corporation operated ''Meriden'' as a general cargo vessel between the Pacific Northwest states and California. As ''El Capitan'' the ship was engaged in the West Coast lumber trade on the same route. An example of the cargo was a load destined for
San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...
of 2,100,000 feet of lumber.


U.S. Navy operation

''El Capitan'' was delivered to the
War Shipping Administration The War Shipping Administration (WSA) was a World War II emergency war agency of the US government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the United States needed for fighting the war. Both shipbuilding under the Maritime C ...
(WSA) on 14 March 1942 at
Alameda, California Alameda ( ; ; Spanish for "Avenue (landscape), tree-lined path") is a city in Alameda County, California, located in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay region of the Bay Area. The city is primarily located on Alameda (island), Alam ...
to operate under an
Army Transportation Corps The Transportation Corps is a combat service support branch of the U.S. Army. It is responsible for the movement of personnel and material by truck, rail, air, and sea. It is one of three U.S. Army logistics branches, the others being the Qu ...
agreement. The nature of the charter from E. K. Wood Lumber Co., of
San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
was changed to bareboat on 23 April 1942 at
Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island o ...
. The Navy acquired the vessel under a sub-bareboat charter at the same time. The ship was immediately commissioned as ''Majaba'' designated AG-43.


World War II service

''Majaba'' completed conversion to a
miscellaneous auxiliary The United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) use a hull classification symbol (sometimes called hull code or hull number) to identify their ships by type and by ind ...
14 May 1942 and subsequently steamed to the
Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...
for cargo runs to islands of
Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
and the South Pacific Ocean. Departing
Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...
24 June 1942, she operated during the next several months out of Honolulu and completed supply missions to
Palmyra Island Palmyra Atoll (), also referred to as Palmyra Island, is one of the Northern Line Islands (southeast of Kingman Reef and north of Kiribati). It is located almost due south of the Hawaiian Islands, roughly one-third of the way between Hawaii a ...
,
Christmas Island Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...
, and
Canton Island Canton Island (also known as Kanton or Abariringa), previously known as Mary Island, Mary Balcout's Island or Swallow Island, is the largest, northernmost, and , the sole inhabited island of the Phoenix Islands, in the Republic of Kiribati. It i ...
. In July ''Majaba'' was waiting at Palmyra for escort to the Southwest Pacific operations areas joining a convoy stopping at
Fanning Island Tabuaeran, also known as Fanning Island, is an atoll that is part of the Line Islands of the central Pacific Ocean and part of Kiribati. The land area is , and the population in 2015 was 2,315. The maximum elevation is about 3 m (10  ...
,
Suva Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...
arriving at
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
on 18 August 1942. Eventually she reached
Efate Efate (french: Éfaté) is an island in the Pacific Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in Vanuatu. It is also known as Île Vate. Geography It is the most populous (approx. 66,000) island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanua ...
,
New Hebrides New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium (french: link=no, Condominium des Nouvelles-Hébrides, "Condominium of the New Hebrides") and named after the Hebrides Scottish archipelago, was the colonial name for the island group ...
, to bolster the vital ocean supply line to American forces engaged in the bitter struggle for control of Guadalcanal. ''Majaba'' departed the New Hebrides 26 October 1942 and steamed to meet two supply
convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
s bound for the
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
. However, heavy weather prevented the rendezvous, and she returned to
Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. Geography The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region o ...
29 October. Later that day she sailed once again for Guadalcanal where she arrived 2 November 1942. Screened by , she crossed
Ironbottom Sound "Ironbottom Sound" (alternatively Iron Bottom Sound or Ironbottomed Sound or Iron Bottom Bay) is the name given by Allied sailors to the stretch of water at the southern end of The Slot between Guadalcanal, Savo Island, and Florida Island of ...
and unloaded cargo at
Tulagi Tulagi, less commonly known as Tulaghi, is a small island——in Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Ngella Sule. The town of the same name on the island (pop. 1,750) was the capital of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate from 18 ...
that same day.


Guadalcanal operations

Despite
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
naval forces active in the area, ''Majaba'' shuttled cargo between
Tulagi Tulagi, less commonly known as Tulaghi, is a small island——in Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Ngella Sule. The town of the same name on the island (pop. 1,750) was the capital of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate from 18 ...
and Guadalcanal during the next few days. She arrived east of
Lunga Point Lunga Point is a promontory on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, the site of a naval battle during World War II. It was also the name of a nearby airfield, later named Henderson Field. is also the name of a United States Navy escort carrier ...
, Guadalcanal, early 7 November 1942.Date Guadalcanal time, a day ahead of Washington, D.C. time with the enrty in Nimitz "Gray Book" for 6 November on page 1156. While her escort, , patrolled for enemy
submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s off Lunga Point, she began final unloading operations prior to her planned departure for Espiritu Santo. Shortly before 0930 7 November 1942 lookouts in , anchored near ''Majaba'', spotted a
periscope A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position. In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with ...
of what postwar records indicate was followed by two
torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, su ...
wakes. One torpedo, which apparently passed under ''Lansdowne'', hit the beach but failed to explode. That torpedo came ashore about from a party of
Seabees United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as the Navy Seabees, form the U.S. Naval Construction Force (NCF). The Seabee nickname is a heterograph of the initial letters "CB" from the words "Construction Battalion". Depending upon ...
constructing a new pier and unloading lighters on the beach. The other curved toward ''Majaba'' and exploded against her
starboard Port and starboard are nautical terms for watercraft and aircraft, referring respectively to the left and right sides of the vessel, when aboard and facing the bow (front). Vessels with bilateral symmetry have left and right halves which are ...
side amidships, destroying her engine room and boilers. All ammunition had been unloaded. She settled and listed slightly but did not sink. While ''Lansdowne'' and ''Woodworth'' searched for the enemy sub, went to ''Majaba's'' aid. The tug towed the disabled ship east along the coast of Guadalcanal and beached her that afternoon off the month of the Tenaru River. On 8 January 1943The referenced on line DANFS has 1948. Th
print DANFS
shows this obvious typo to be 1943.
and ''Bobolink'' freed ''Majaba'' from her beached position and towed her to Tulagi. Work had started on 1 January 1943 with salvage operations preparing the ship for towing and continued until the morning of 8 January when ''Navajo'' moored starboard side to port side of ''Majaba'' for the tow getting underway with assistance of ''Bobolink'' shortly after noon. At 1528 hours the ships arrived at Tulugi and beached the bow of ''Majaba'' in the mud of a river on
Florida Island The Nggela Islands, also known as the Florida Islands, are a small island group in the Central Province of Solomon Islands, a sovereign state (since 1978) in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The chain is composed of four larger islands and about ...
.Malaili River is mentioned in the referenced log but its location is unknown. Additional salvage work, including unloading bombs, began 9 January and continued through 16 January 1943. The November 1943 deck log of anchored in Berth No. 10,
Port Purvis A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
Anchorage, Florida Island, Solomon Island Group, shows ''Majaba'' moored alongside at 1708 hours 18 November 1943, unloading ammunition, and departing to moor off at 1450 hours 20 November 1943.While no mention is made of towing vessels or ''Majaba'' requiring assistance the destruction of boilers and engine room by the torpedo a year earlier would indicate the ship was not self propelled at this time. Her engine was removed and her hull repaired and she was reclassified ''IX-102'' and placed in an in-service status on 1 July 1943, she remained at Florida Island, Solomons, and during the remainder of World War II served as a floating quarters and material storage ship. The
Office of Naval Intelligence The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) is the military intelligence agency of the United States Navy. Established in 1882 primarily to advance the Navy's modernization efforts, it is the oldest member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and serves ...
list of vessels for 1945 notes the ship's function as "salvage and repair." As such the ship was assigned to Commander
Service Force Pacific Service Force, United States Pacific Fleet, usually known as COMSERVPAC, was a service support command of the United States Pacific Fleet from 1942 until 1973. It was the reincarnation of the former Base Force. The Service Force comprised the suppl ...
, Service Squadron Two. On 13 October 1945 ownership of the ship changed with the War Shipping Administration obtaining title requisitioned from E. K. Wood Lumber Company with ownership vested in the U.S. Maritime Commission.The DANFS mention of "charter" with rename and commissioning thereafter indicates a WSA bareboat chater arrangement fairly typical for commercial type ship hulls taken into both Navy and Army service but not purchased. Also typical was WSA acquisition of title after severe damage settling all claims and making any further repair or disposal decisions purely internal to government agencies.


Post-war inactivation

Following the end of the war, ''Majaba'' was towed to the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
. She remained at
San Pedro Bay, Leyte San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east–west and 20 km north–south. The bay is bounded by two islands; on the north and east by Samar, and on the east by Leyte. It is connected ...
, until early in 1946 when she was towed to
Subic Bay Subic Bay is a bay on the west coast of the island of Luzon in the Philippines, about northwest of Manila Bay. An extension of the South China Sea, its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility, U.S. Naval Base Subi ...
,
Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
. On 14 March 1946 the ship was placed out of service, redelivered to WSA and placed in the reserve fleet at Subic Bay. WSA declared the ship a loss on that date. Her name 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 ...
28 March 1946. The ship sank at her pier 14 July 1946 and, already declared a loss, was declared impossible to salvage. ''Majaba'' received one
battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...
for World War II service.


Wreck

The remains of the ship are reportedly the most dived site in Subic Bay. The ship lies on its port side in about with the starboard side lying at to below the surface. The forward and aft cargo holds are open and the engine room and center hold can be reached by entering those. The wreck is sometimes used to train wreck divers.


Footnotes


References

*


External links


World Naval History - The most known World War II Shipwrecks - ''El Capitan'', in Subic Bay, Zambales
(Wreck photos)
''El Capitan'' (USS ''Majaba'') Dive Site
(Aerial view of wreck) {{DEFAULTSORT:Majaba 1919 ships Design 1049 ships of the United States Navy Ships built in Portland, Oregon World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Cargo ships of the United States Navy Unclassified miscellaneous vessels of the United States Navy Maritime incidents in November 1942