USS Sirius (AK-15)

	USS Sirius (AK-15) pierside in a tropical location, possibly the Panama Canal Zone. Her bridge structure is in its original configuration, with an open conning position above the pilot house protected only by a canvas cover.
History
United States
Name	Saluda; Sirius;
Namesake	Sirius
Builder	American International Shipbuilding Corp., Hog Island, Pennsylvania
Laid down	1918
Launched	31 December 1918
Acquired	10 December 1921
Commissioned	20 January 1922
Decommissioned	26 April 1946
Stricken	5 June 1946
Identification	Hull symbol: AK-15
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 10 July 1947
General characteristics
Class and type	Sirius-class cargo ship
Type	Design 1022 ship
Displacement	4,037 t (3,973 long tons) (standard); 11,360 t (11,180 long tons) (full load);
Length	401 ft (122 m)
Beam	54 ft (16 m)
Draft	24 ft 5 in (7.44 m)
Installed power	2,500 shp (1,900 kW)
Propulsion	1 × General Electric-Curtis steam turbines; 2 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers header-type boilers, 215psi Sat; 1 × shaft;
Speed	11.5 kn (13.2 mph; 21.3 km/h)
Capacity	4,960 DWT
Complement	19 officers 207 enlisted
Armament	2 × dual purpose guns; 4 × 3 in (76 mm)/50 caliber dual purpose guns; 8 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon cannons anti-aircraft gun mounts;

USS Sirius (AK-15), was a

War Shipping Board

on 10 December 1921 and commissioned on 20 January 1922.

Service history

Operations, 1922–1941

Sirius was assigned to the

Aleutian Island

Survey Expedition and made cruises to many of the islands of Alaska, charting their waters as she went.

Sirius continued her resupply operations to various

San Francisco, California, when war with Japan

was begun, and she was fitted out with guns.

World War II, 1942–1945

In early 1942, Sirius was attached to the

Saipan

.

Sirius returned to San Francisco on 20 November 1944 for an overhaul, departing that port on 12 February 1945 for Pearl Harbor. She continued her previous port calls until September when she was routed to

Philippine Islands

. The cargo ship operated in the Philippine Islands from 29 September until 2 December when she sailed for San Francisco, arriving there on 26 December 1945.