Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Auriga (AK-98)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Hotel - Bravo
NKHB

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - 25 October 1944)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal (2)
Personnel Awards

Purple Hearts (5-WIA, Leyte, 25 October 1944)

Auriga Class Cargo Ship:

Laid down, 9 June 1942, as SS Alcoa Partner, a Maritime Commission type (C1-B) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 493) at Consolidated Steel Corp., Wilmington, CA.

Launched, 7 September 1942

Completed and delivered to the War Shipping Administration, 13 March 1943

Acquired by the US Navy, 16 March 1943

Converted for Naval service at Matson Navigation Co., San Francisco, CA.

Commissioned USS Auriga (AK-98), 1 April 1943, at San Francisco, CA., LCDR. John G. Hart, USNR in command

During World War II USS Auriga was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Gilbert Islands operation Tarawa landing, 13 November to 8 December 1943	Manila Bay-Bicol operations Zambales-Subic Bay, 29 to 31 January 1945
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Saipan, 16 to 17 and 25 to 28 June 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 10 to 19 April 1945
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 20 October and 18 November 1944

Following World War II USS Auriga (AK-98) was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 26 September to 27 November 1945

Decommissioned, 22 January 1946, at New York Naval Shipyard

Struck from the Naval Register, 7 February 1946

USS Auriga earned five battle stars for her World War II service

Merchant Service

Delivered to Alcoa S.S. Co, 22 January 1946, at Weehawken, N.J., name reverted to SS Alcoa Partner

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 1 November 1963, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group. Lee Hall, VA.

Transferred to the US Army, 17 June 1966, for stevedore training at Fort Eustis, VA.

Returned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet James River Group, 2 October 1968

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 27 May 1970, to Aguilar Y Peris , S.L. Valencia, Spain

Specifications:
Displacement 12,975 t.(fl)
Length 416'
Beam 60'
Draft 27' 6"
Speed 14.7 kts.

Compliment

Officers 26

Enlisted 232

Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.

Cargo Capacity 6,650 DWT

non-refrigerated 400,000 Cu ft.

Armament

one single 5"/51 cal surface gun mount

one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount

two single 40mm AA gun mounts

eight single 20mm AA gun mounts

Fuel Capacity NSFO - 7,930 Bbls

Propulsion

one Westinghouse steam turbine engine

two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 450psi 750°

double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears

two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 4,000shp

Ex-USS Auriga (AK-98) in merchant service as Alcoa Steamship Co.'s freighter SS Alcoa Partner moored in the port of Paramaribo, Suriname, in 1947.
Photographer Willem van de Poll. Van de Poll photo collection

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Source
USS Auriga (AK-98)
	115k	Aft plan view of *USS Auriga* (AK-98)*, after conversion, at San Francisco, 1 April 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photos # 2237-4-43, 4/1/43*.	Darryl Baker
	113k	Forward plan view of *USS Auriga* (AK-98)*, after conversion, at San Francisco, 1 April 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photos # 2239-4-43, 4/1/43*.	Darryl Baker
	96k	Bow on view of *USS Auriga* (AK-98)** underway off San Francisco, 2 April 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photos # 2281-4-43, 4/2/43.	Darryl Baker
	77k	Broadside view of *USS Auriga* (AK-98)** underway off San Francisco, 2 April 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photos # 2283-4-43, 4/2/43 now in the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, photo # NH 91135.	Darryl Baker
	80k	Stern view of *USS Auriga* (AK-98)** underway off San Francisco, 2 April 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island photos # 2285-4-43, 4/2/43.	Darryl Baker
	196k	*USS Auriga* (AK-98) at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, 18 Feb 1944, across the pier from USS Washington (BB-56)**. US National Archives 19GC, BB56 folder.	John Chiquoine, dd573@aol.com
	166k		John Chiquoine, dd573@aol.com
0913009810	339k	On the ninth day after arriving at the anchorage off Charan Kanoa, Saipan, and after six days underway reverse-coursing off shore, *USS Auriga* (AK-98) anchored with others, including USS Jupiter (AK-43) (center foreground). Auriga began off-loading, 25 June 1944. She was attached to transport elements under CTF52, and after three days was escorted to Eniwetok by USS Macdonough (DD-351)*. Photos by J.R. Eyerman, Life Magazine, who passed thru the anchorage on the 25th. Used for educational and non-commercial purpose.*	John Chiquoine, dd573@aol.com
19-N-87736	98k	*USS Auriga* (AK-98)** at anchor in San Francisco Bay, 21 June 1945. US National Archives, RG-19-LCM, Photo #'s 19-N-87736 and 19-N-87737 courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Mike Green
19-N-87737	85k		Mike Green
Merchant Service Alcoa Steamship Co.
-013009811	255k	Robert Hurst

USS Auriga (AK-98)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Hart, John G., USNR	1 April 1943 - 9 December 1944
02	LCDR. Fonda, Charles Henry	9 December 1944 - 22 January 1946


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
MARAD Vessel History Database

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index

Back To The Cargo Ship (AK) Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 21 April 2023