USS ''Prentiss'' (AKA-102) was a in service with the

United States 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 ...

from 1945 to 1946. She was sold into commercial service and was scrapped in 1970.

History

''Prentiss'' was named after

Prentiss County, Mississippi Prentiss County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,275. Its county seat is Booneville. The county is named for Seargent Smith Prentiss, a noted speaker and US Congressman from Na ...

. She was laid down as a Type C2-S-AJ3 ship under a

Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 195 ...

contract (MC hull 1699) by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Co.,

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...

, on 10 October 1944; launched on 6 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Roger Williams; acquired on loan charter basis from the Maritime Commission by the Navy on 12 January 1945; and commissioned on 11 February 1945.

World War II, 1945

After shakedown in the Chesapeake Bay area, ''Prentiss'' sailed from Norfolk for Pearl Harbor, arriving on 13 April. She departed Hawaii on 6 May with ammunition and general cargo for Okinawa. Within hours of her arrival on 21 June, she underwent one of that area's frequent attacks. During the action her gunners shot down a kamikaze. Following this spirited reception, unloading of her volatile cargo was speedy; she departed the area on 27 June. Returning to San Francisco on 28 July, she remained on the west coast until after the end of hostilities.

Post-war service 1945–46

She then loaded general cargo and sailed for Pearl Harbor and the southwest Pacific. Between October 1945 and February 1946 she carried cargo between the Philippines, the

Netherlands East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

, and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Decommissioning and sale

Returning to the US, she was decommissioned on 31 May 1946, was returned to the War Shipping Administration on 1 June 1946, and was struck from the Navy List on 19 June 1946. On 15 October 1947 the Maritime Administration sold the ship to the Aluminum Company of America, who renamed her ''Alcoa Ranger''. A little less than two decades later, the Cortez Shipping Corporation bought her and renamed her ''Cortez''. Cortez Shipping sold her on 13 May 1969 to Crest Overseas Shipping Company, who renamed her ''Jody Re'' on 26 November 1969. On 18 December 1969 she ran aground off the coast of Nicaragua while ''en route'' from Lake Charles, Louisiana to Saigon (now known as

Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

. The damaged ship was towed to

Mobile, Alabama Mobile ( , ) is a city and the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama, United States. The population within the city limits was 187,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 195,111 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 cens ...

for possible repair but it was assessed to be uneconomical to repair her. She was sold for scrap on 18 March 1970, towed across the Atlantic Ocean, and scrapped at

Bilbao, Spain ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

Awards

''Prentiss'' was awarded one battle star for World War II service.

References

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Ship History at NavSource

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Prentiss (AKA-102) 1944 ships Ships built in Wilmington, North Carolina Tolland-class attack cargo ships Prentiss County, Mississippi World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States