USS Talita (AKS-8)

http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/16/1608.htm

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

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• Laid down, 23 April 1943, as SS Johathan Jennings a Maritime Commission type (EC2-S-C1) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MCE-2012) at Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, OR.
• Launched, 12 May 1943
• Delivered to the Maritime Commission, 20 May 1943, at Portland OR.
• Converted under a GAA contract by Alaska SS Lines from 20 May 1943 to 5 November 1943 to a General Stores Issue Ship
• Delivered to the US Navy at Tampa Bay Shipbuilding for completion
• Commissioned USS Talita (AKS-8), 4 March 1944, CDR. Hans Harley in command
• During and following World War II USS Talita was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
• Following World War II USS Talita was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 25 September to 1 November 1945
• Decommissioned, 9 April 1947, at Pearl Harbor, T. H. and towed to San Francisco for lay up.
• Struck from the Naval Register, 17 July 1947
• Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 9 July 1947, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
• Final Disposition, sold for scrapping 11 May 1962, to Union Minerals and Alloys

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  Specifications:
  Displacement 5,240 t.(lt) 14,550 t.(fl)
  Length 441' 6"
  Beam 56' 11"
  Draft 28' 4"
  Speed 12.5 kts.

  Complement

  Officers 24

  Enlisted 194

  Largest Boom Capacity 37 t.

  Cargo Capacity 3,230 DWT

  non-refrigerated 219,018 Cu ft

  Armament

  one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

  four single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount

  Fuel Capacities

  NSFO 9,660 Bbls

  Diesel 2,010 Bbls

  Propulsion

  one Iron Fireman vertical reciprocating steam engine

  two Wickes header-type boilers, 220psi 450°

  three turbo-drive 60Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

  single propeller, 2,500shp

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  Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Source
  	211k	USS Talita (AKS-8) at anchor, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.		David Nixon

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  USS Talita (AKS-8)
  DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command

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  Commanding Officers
  01	CDR. Harley, Hans	4 March 1944 - 26 August 1944
  02	CDR. Cochrane, Edwin Fridley	26 August 1944 - 1 April 1945
  03	CDR. Simmons, William Vincent	1 April 1945 - 29 May 1945
  04	LCDR. Graves Jr., James H.	29 May 1945 - 10 November 1945
  05	CDR. Simmons, William Vincent	10 November 1945 - ?

  Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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  Crew Contact And Reunion Information
  U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
  

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Talita

(AKS-8: dp. 14,350; 1. 441'6"; b. 56'11"; dr. 28'4"; s. 12.5 k.; cpl. 214; a. 1 5", 1 3"; cl. Acubens; T. EC2-S-C1)

Talita (AKS-8) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 2012) as Jonathan Jennings on 23 April 1943 at Portland, Oreg., by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.; launched on 12 May 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Paul Ryolfson; acquired by the Navy on a bare boat basis from the War Shipping Administration on 5 November 1943; renamed Talita on 13 November 1943; and commissioned on 4 March 1944.

After her conversion into a stores issue ship was completed on 4 March 1944 by the Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, Fla., she was fitted out and put to sea for a short shakedown cruise. Talita got underway from Balboa, Canal Zone, on 1 May bound for the New Hebrides. However, she was diverted to the Solomons and arrived at Guadalcanal on 1 June. After issuing stores there, she proceeded to the New Hebrides.

Talita departed Espiritu Santo on 11 July, reached Eniwetok after a nine-day voyage, and returned to Espiritu Santo on 11 September. She continued resupply runs from there to Majuro, Eniwetok, Ulithi, and Manus until early March 1945 when she headed for the United States.

Talita arrived at San Francisco on 23 March for an overhaul and sailed one month later for the South Pacific. After calling at Pearl Harbor, she shuttled supplies between Eniwetok, Ulithi, Leyte, and Manus until 20 September when she sailed for the Ryukyus. The ship remained at Okinawa from 25 September to 2 October when she got underway for Japan. After offloading supplies at Wakayama, Hiro Wan, and Matsu-yama, she returned to Pearl Harbor on 12 November. The next day, she headed for San Francisco.

Talita remained there from 21 November 1945 to 17 February 1946 when she sailed for Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 25th, was decommissioned on 9 April, and towed back to San Francisco for disposal. Talita was transferred to the Maritime Commission on 9 July and struck from the Navy list on 17 July 1947.