Name USS Camano Length 54 m Displacement 499,000 kg Beam 10 m | Decommissioned 26 July 1951 Weight 558.8 tons Draft 3.05 m Builder Whitestone | |
Namesake An island off the State of Washington Laid down date unknown, as FS-256 for the U.S. Army Acquired by the US Navy, 16 July 1947, at Apra Harbor, Guam, as Miscellaneous Auxiliary Commissioned 16 July 1947 as USS Camano (AG-130) | ||
USS Camano (AG-130/AKL-1) was an Army Design 381 coastal freighter acquired by the U.S. Navy 16 July 1947 at Apra Harbor, Guam and became the lead ship of her class of cargo ship. She was configured as a Navy transport and cargo ship and operated with the U.S. Pacific Fleet until 1951, when she was turned over to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
History
FS-256 was constructed as a Design 381 coastal freighter by Wheeler Shipbuilding, Whitestone NY for the U.S. Army as FS-256 in 1944 and delivered in 1945. FS-256 was a Coast Guard-manned Army vessel until the end of World War II. She left New York 16 June 1944 for the Southwest Pacific under the command of LT C. E. Thorsen, USCGR. On 3 October 1945 LTJG K. F. Erickson, USCGR took command until the Army vessel was decommissioned 14 October 1945.
FS-256 was acquired by the Navy at Apra Harbor, Guam, 16 July 1947; renamed Camano and commissioned the same day with Lieutenant (junior grade) J. J. Daly in command. First designated as Miscellaneous Auxiliary with the designation of AG-130 the ship underwent conversion to Navy specifications until 8 October 1947. Camano began cargo and passenger duty out of Guam to the Caroline Islands. She was reclassified as a Light Cargo Ship to become AKL-1, the class lead, on 31 March 1949.
On 2 June 1949 she sailed to Pearl Harbor for overhaul, then resumed duty at Guam on 24 September and remained there, except for another overhaul at Pearl Harbor, until 26 July 1951. On that date, she was decommissioned and transferred to the U.S. Department of the Interior. Camano was returned to the Navy 22 December 1952. She was struck from the Navy List at an unknown date. Her subsequent fate is not known.