Camanga AG-42

Camanga

One of the Philippine Islands.

(AG-42: dp. 5,200, 1. 300'; b. 44'; dr. 18'3"; a 9 k.;
cpl. 60; a. 2 3"; cl. Camanga)

Camanga (AG 42) was built as Point Bonita in 1918 by Albina Engine and Machine Works, Portland, Oreg.; acquired as Oliver Olson 26 April 1942 from the War Shipping Administration; and commissioned the same day, Lieutenant R. M. Baughman, USNR, in command.

Illustrating graphically the need for all available shipping in meeting the Navy's enormous logistic assignment in the Pacific, Camanga, already 24 years old sailed from Pearl Harbor 1 June 1942 for Pago Pago Samoa, where she took up duty carrying cargo and fuel drums between the Samoan and Ellice Islands. After overhaul at San Francisco between 30 March and 6 June 1943, Camanga returned to Noumea for operations throughout the South Pacific. She continued this essential back-area support of fleet operations from Guadalcanal to the islands of the Bismarck Archipelago between April and October 1944, returning then to base at Noumea. An overhaul at Auckland, New Zealand, from November 1944 to January 1946 was the only further interruption to her busy schedule in the New Caledonia area until 1 October 1946 when she cleared for the west coast. Camanga was decommissioned at San Francisco 10 December 1946 and returned to the War Shipping Administration the same day.