Newcastle Victory AK-233

Newcastle Victory
(AK-233: dp. 4,420; 1. 455' 3"; b. 62'; dr. 28'6". s. 15.5 k. cpl. 100; a. 1 5", 1 3", 4 40mm.; cl. Boulder Victory; T. VC2-S-AP2)

Newcastle Victory, built by Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond, Calif., was laid down 21 August 1944, launched 17 October, and named 29 October. One of many Victory ships ordered by the Maritime Commission, she was one of ten taken over by the Navy to carry ammunition; and commissioned 23 November, Lt. Comdr. J. D. Edwards, USNR, in command. After shakedown off the California coast, she put in at San Francisco 12 December and took on a cargo of ammunition. Upon completion of loading at Port Chicago and San Pablo, Calif., she steamed for Pearl Harbor 28 December.

Newcastle Victory departed Pearl Harbor 17 January 1945, arrived Guam 1 February, departed 6 February in a small convoy bound for Ulithi, where she anchored 8-17 February. She then returned to Guam and offloaded ammunition for the newly commissioned ammunition depot there.

She departed 7 March for San Francisco via Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor. At Pearl Harbor she received a three-week availability, which brought new ordnance and radar equipment and habitability improvements. She departed Pearl Harbor 17 April, arrived San Francisco 23 April, and then took on a new cargo of ammunition at Port Chieago, Calif.

She steamed towards Leyte 15 May, via Pearl Harbor, Saipan, and Ulithi. During June she serviced ships in San Pedro Bay, Leyte; during July she returned to Ulithi and there assumed duties as station issues ship.

Newcastle V*tory was directed to proceed to Seattle in November 1945, where she was laid up in a reduced manning status until May 1946, when she was directed to report to the 3d Naval District for disposal. She steamed in early May via the Panama Canal and Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, where she offloaded her ammunition. She reported to Commander, 3d Naval District, New York, 30 May and decommissioned 21 June. She was stricken from the Navy List 3 July 1946. Returned to the Maritime Commission, she was laid up in the Hudson River, New York. She was reactivated in 1955 and leased to the United Fruit Lines under a general agency agreement.