View source for USS Spica (AK-16)

{{short description|Cargo ship of the United States Navy}}
{{other ships|USS Spica}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Spica (AK-16) near Boston Navy Yard, 26 April 1940.jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Spica'' (AK-16) near Boston Navy Yard, 26 April 1940, soon after commissioning. It has been armed with one 5"/51 gun on a platform forward and one on the fantail, two 3"/50 guns on the bridge wings and two more on a platform on the poop. The Navy was not yet fitting splinter protection (low bulwarks) around such guns. There is no visible provision for anti-aircraft machine guns.
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1945}}
|Ship name=*''Shannock''
*''Spica''
|Ship namesake=[[Spica]]
|Ship owner=
|Ship operator=
|Ship registry=
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=15 June 1918, as SS ''Shannock''
|Ship launched=8 August 1919
|Ship sponsor=
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship acquired=16 November 1921, renamed ''Spica'' (AK-16)
|Ship commissioned=1 March 1940
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=18 January 1946
|Ship maiden voyage= 
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed=
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=
|Ship struck=7 February 1946
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship identification=[[Hull classification symbol#Support type|Hull symbol]]: AK-16
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=
|Ship honors=
|Ship captured=
|Ship fate=Sold for operation, 2 April 1947, to J. T. Robinson Ltd. of Vancouver, B. C. Canada, removed, 13 June 1947, renamed SS ''Pleamar''
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130016.htm | title=USS Spica (AK-16) | publisher=Navsource.org | access-date=June 10, 2015}}</ref>
|Ship class={{sclass|Sirius|cargo ship}}
|Ship type=[[Hog Islander|Design 1022 ship]]
|Ship tonnage=
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|5800|LT|t|abbr=on}} (standard)
*{{convert|11,360|LT|t|abbr=on}} (full load)
|Ship length={{convert|401|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|54|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draft={{convert|24|ft|5|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power={{convert|2,500|shp|kW|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=*1 × General Electric-Curtis [[steam turbine]]s
*2 × [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler#Babcock & Wilcox boiler|Babcock & Wilcox boilers]] header-type boilers, 215psi Sat
*1 × [[Drive shaft#Marine drive shafts|shaft]]
|Ship sail plan=
|Ship speed={{convert|11|kn|mph km/h|lk=in|abbr=on}}
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship boats=
|Ship capacity= 5,475 [[Deadweight tonnage|DWT]]
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=8 officers 244 enlisted
|Ship crew=
|Ship time to activate=
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*1 × [[5"/38 caliber gun|{{convert|5|in|mm|abbr=on}}/38]] caliber [[dual purpose gun]]s
*4 × [[3"/50 caliber gun|{{convert|3|in|mm|abbr=on}}/50]] caliber dual purpose guns
*8 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|{{convert|20|mm|in|abbr=on}} Oerlikon cannons]] [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] gun mounts
|Ship armour=
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''USS Spica (AK-16)''' was a {{sclass|Sirius|cargo ship}} commissioned by the [[U.S. Navy]] for service in [[World War II]]. It was responsible for delivering necessary goods and equipment to ships and stations in the war zone.

== Construction ==

''[[SS Shannock]]'', a cargo ship built in 1919, by [[American International Shipbuilding]] Corp. at [[Hog Island, Pennsylvania]], was acquired by the Navy from the [[United States Shipping Board]] on 16 November 1921, and renamed ''Spica'' (AK-16). Over the following 18 years, she remained out of commission, first at [[New York City]], then at [[Charleston, South Carolina]], and finally at [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], from January 1927 until 1 March 1940, when ''Spica'' was commissioned at [[Norfolk, Virginia]].

== World War II activation and operations ==

By mid-1940, ''Spica'' was assigned to the [[13th Naval District]]; and, until late 1943, she sailed [[Alaska]]n waters carrying supplies to American outposts on the Alaskan coast and in the [[Aleutian Islands]]. During this period, she participated in the campaign to reoccupy [[Attu Island|Attu]]. On 24 November 1943, she headed south to [[San Francisco, California]], whence she departed again on 5 December.

Heading via [[Funafuti]], she reached [[Kwajalein]] [[Atoll]] in January 1944 and returned, via [[Pearl Harbor]], to [[Seattle, Washington]], on 22 March. For the next six months, ''Spica'' resumed her Alaska-Aleutian circuit.  On July 19 the Spica headed north with the [[List of Liberty ships (Je–L)|S.S. Jonathan Harrington]] for [[Point Barrow]] and [[Cape Simpson]].  Together they were delivering the [[Seabees]] of Construction Battalion Detachment 1058 and 8,200 long tons of supplies and equipment needed to explore [[National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska|Naval Petroleum Reserve #4]].<ref name="NPR4">Exploration of Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4 and Adjacent Areas Northern Alaska, 1944–53 Part 1, History of the Exploration By John C. Reed, CDR, USNR, Geological Survey Professional Paper 301 Prepared and published at the request of and in cooperation with the U. S. Dept. of the Navy, Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves, US GPO, Washington: 1958, pp. 4, 23 [https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0301/report.pdf]</ref><ref name="CBD1058">[https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/museums/Seabee/Cruisebooks/wwiicruisebooks/cbd-cruisebooks/1058%20%20CBD.pdf ComIcePac, CBD 1058, 1945, Seabee Museum, Port Hueneme, CA]</ref>  In mid-September, she began a series of voyages from the [[U.S. West Coast]] to [[Hawaii]] which continued until mid-March 1945. In all, she made four round-trip voyages between Seattle and [[Oahu]]. She returned to Seattle on 17 March 1945 and, on 7 April, once again took up the northern Pacific supply runs, completing her last at Seattle on 14 September.

== Post-war decommissioning ==

In October, it was declared surplus to the needs of the Navy; and, on 18 January 1946, it decommissioned at Seattle. Its name was struck from the [[Navy list]] on 7 February 1946, and it was delivered to the [[Maritime Commission]] for lay-up pending disposal. On 13 June 1947, its hull was sold to J. T. Robinson, Ltd., a Canadian firm.

== Military awards and honors ==

''Spica'' was awarded one [[battle star]] during [[World War II]]. Its crew members were eligible for the following medals:
* American Defense Service Medal (with Fleet clasp)
* American Campaign Medal
* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
* World War II Victory Medal

== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/spica.html}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130016.htm NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AK-16 Spica]

{{Design 1022 ships}}
{{AIS Ships}}
{{Sirius class cargo ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spica (AK-16)}}
[[Category:Design 1022 ships]]
[[Category:1919 ships]]
[[Category:Design 1022 ships of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:World War II auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Hog Islanders]]
[[Category:Sirius class cargo ships]]