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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Giraffe (IX-118)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Golf - Mike
NJGM
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal


Armadillo Class Mobile Station Tanker:
  • Laid down, 14 October 1943, as SS Sanford B. Dole, a Maritime Commission type (Z-ETl-S-C3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 1907) at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA.
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 27 October 1943, renamed Giraffe (IX-118)
  • Launched, 11 November 1943
  • Commissioned USS Giraffe (IX-118), 12 December 1943, LCDR. Frederick F. Daly, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Giraffe was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 7 to 10 August 1944
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 3 to 29 May 1945

  • Decommissioned, and delivered to the WSA, 17 June 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA., name reverted to SS Sanford B. Dole
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 3 July 1946
  • USS Giraffe (IX-118) earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Merchant Service
    Acquired, 3 April 1948, by Lavino Shipping Corp, 3 February 1948 as agents for Forddon Trading Corp.
    Resold, 1 June 1948, to Metro Petroleum Shipping Co., Inc., of Wilmington, DL., renamed SS Kileen
    Converted to a dry cargo carrier at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Va., in August 1949
    Resold to Sea Transport Corp. in October 1951, renamed SS Seapender
    Resold to Naess Wejlander and Co., Inc., in August 1953, renamed SS Ragnar Naess
    Resold to Norlo Shipping Co. Inc. in September 1954
    Resold to Ocean Liberties, Inc., Monrovia, Liberia, in June 1955, renamed SS Ocean Daphne, Liberian flagged
    Renamed SS Orient Lakes in 1961
  • Final Disposition, SS Orient Lakes was scrapped at Moji, Japan in 1967
    Specifications:
    Displacement 3,665 t.(lt) 14,500 t.(fl)
    Length 441' 6"
    Beam 56' 11"
    Draft 28' 4"
    Speed 11 kts
    Cargo Capacity 8,500 DWT
    Oil 63,000 Bbls
    Complement
    Officers 11
    Enlisted 97
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal. dual purpose gun mount
    one single 3"/50 cal. purpose gun mount
    eight single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 13,700 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one vertical single cylinder triple-expansion reciprocating steam engine
    two Babcock and Wilcox boilers, 220psi, 450°
    three recip-drive 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single four blade, 18' 6" propeller, 2,500shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    United States Maritime Commission
    Gemsbok
    094611702
    140k United States Maritime Commission Tanker Design Z-ET-1-S-C3.
    US National Archives photo thanks to Auke Visser's Famous T-Tanker Pages
     
    USS Giraffe (IX-118)
    Giraffe
    094611805
    82k
    Namesake
    Giraffe - is an African artiodactyl mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. It is traditionally considered to be one species, Giraffa camelopardalis, with nine subspecies.
    Tommy Trampp
    Jaguar 181k Liberty Ships fitting out at California Shipbuilding Co., Wilmington, CA., 25 November 1943. From left to right:
    Dry Cargo Ships
    SS John A. Roebling
    SS Ralph A. Cram
    Armadillo Class Mobile Station Tankers
    Caribou (IX-114)- ex SS Nathaniel B. Palmer
    Elk (IX-115) - SS William Winter
    Gazelle (IX-116)- SS Cyrus K. Holliday
    Gemsbok (IX-117) - SS Carl R. Gray
    Giraffe (IX-118) - SS Sanford B. Dole
    Ibex (IX-119) - SS Nicholas Longworth
    Jaguar (IX-120) - SS Charles T. Yerkes
    Gerard Mueller-Debus
    Dixie 39k Line drawing of USS Giraffe (IX-118) by Jon Hall. Phyllis Carpenter
    Merchant Service
    316k Ex-USS Giraffe (IX-118) renamed SS Sanford B. Dole moored pierside circa 1946-48, location unknown.
    Photo ©World Ship Society
    Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Dixie 39k Ex-USS Giraffe (IX-118) underway as the Sea Transport Corp.'s. SS Seapender at anchor, circa October 1951 to August 1953, location unknown. Phyllis Carpenter
    Dixie 84k Ex-USS Giraffe (IX-118) as the Liberian registered Ocean Liberties, Inc. SS Ocean Daphne moored at the off shore bunker station at The Straits Settlements in August 1957.
    Photo ©World Ship Society.
    Photo -Gerhard Mueller-Debus and
    Phyllis Carpenter
    Caption - Jerome W. Burke

    USS Giraffe (IX-118)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

    Additional 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 Miscellaneous Ship (IX) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 9 July 2021