USAT James Wilson
From Our Contribution
 US Navy photo | |
 USAT James Wilson in front of another Liberty Ship in Townsville harbour - AWM photo 302641 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | USAT James Wilson |
| Owner | US Government |
| Builder | Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation, Portland, Oregon |
| Launched | 22 Feb 1942 |
| In service | 1942 |
| Fate | scraped |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Crater-class cargo ship |
| Tonnage | 4,023 tons |
| Speed | 12.5 knots |
Remarks
Built to the basic EC2 hull shape of a Liberty ship as the USAT James Wilson for the Maritime Commission, she was launched 22 Feb 1942, and appears to have made at least one trip under this name before on 27 Mar 1943 being acquired by the US Navy and commissioned on 14 May 1943 as the USS Sterope (AK-6) as depicted above. She had a crew of 19 Officers and 188 crew.
As the USS Sterope she delivered supplies to generally American forces in the Pacific theatre of operations, including during the battles for Guam, and Okinawa before returning to San Francisco for overhaul. Post war she spent six months carrying stores to Guam before being decommissioned at Pearl Harbour on 16 May 1946. In August 1947 she was towed to San Franciso and returned to the Maritime Commission. Laid up as part of the National Defence Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay, her name reverted to SS James Wilson
She was sold for scrapping at Oakland, Californiaon 16 Aug 1963.