Shaula AK-118

Shaula

(AK-118: dp. 12,350, 1. 441'6"; b. 56'11'' dr. 26'4";
s. 12.8 k.; cpl. 187, a. 1 5", 4 40mm.; cl. Crater)

Shaula (AK-118) was laid down as James Screven (MC hull 1213) under Maritime Commission contract by St. John's River Shipbuilding Corp., Jacksonville Fla., on 4 October 1943, launched on 23 November 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Gardner T. Gillette, acquired as Shaula by the Navy from the War Shipping Administration under bareboat charter on 4 December 1943 converted from a freighter by Gibbs Gas Engine Co. Jacksonville, Fla.; and commissioned on 5 May 1944.

On 17 May, Shaula departed for Hampton Roads, Va., on her shakedown cruise. On 1 June, she was attached to the Naval Transportation Service and, two days later, sailed for Davisville, R.I., where she loaded cargo. In mid-June, she was underway for Pearl Harbor via New York City, Guantanamo, and the Canal Zone.

Shaula arrived at Pearl Harbor on 13 July; discharged her cargo; and sailed for NSD, Oakland, on 3 August. There, she was converted to a fleet issue ship for dry provisions, loaded with cargo and ordered to return to Pearl Harbor. Upon arriving there on the 30th, she was rerouted to Seeadler Harbor, Manus. From 20 September to 16 October, she discharged cargo to 3d Fleet units and, when empty, sailed for San Pedro, Calif., to reload.

Shaula stood out of San Pedro on November 23d. She called at Pearl Harbor and continued to Eniwetok where she provisioned fleet units from 15 to 25 December 1944, when she moved to Ulithi. She remained there until 12 February 1945, when she sailed in convoy for Guam. Eight days later, she sailed for San Francisco. After completing voyage repairs and reloading, she headed west, on 3 April, for Ulithi and Leyte Gulf.

The cargo ship remained in Leyte Gulf from 25 May to 2 October when she sailed for Wakayama, Japan, via Okinawa. Shaula departed Wakayama three weeks later for Bungo Suido to crovision minesweepers; thence to Hiro Wan, Nagasaki, and Sasebo. On 19 November, she was underway from Sasebo to Samar P.I. On the 24th, Shaula was in the center of the typhoon containing winds in excess of 100 knots. She lost one lifeboat and one liferaft. The next day, she was in the center of a similar typhoon. In heavy seas and rolling 47°, Shaula lost two LCM's over the side. She

reached Samar the next day and entered drydock for repairs. After they were completed, she operated in the Philippine Islands until departing for Shanghai on 15 February 1946. She also visited Yokohama and Manus before entering Pearl Harbor on 3 May, en route to the west coast.

Shaula arrived at Seattle on 31 May and prepared for decommissioning. She was returned to WSA on 25 June; stricken from the Navy list on 19 July 1946; and sold to Italy on 24 July 1947.