USS ''Beagle'' (IX-112), was an tanker designated an

unclassified miscellaneous vessel The IX (unclassified–miscellaneous) hull classification symbol is used for ships of the United States Navy that do not fit into one of the standard categories. Similar lists of 'miscellaneous' ships can found at : and :. Ship status i ...

. She was the second ship of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

to be named for the

beagle The Beagle is a small breed of scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting rabbit or hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking inst ...

, a breed of small, short-coated hunting hound.

Construction

Her keel was laid down 27 September 1943, under a

Maritime Commission The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 1950. The c ...

(MARCOM) contract, MC hull No. 1901, as the Type T1 tanker ''David Rittenhouse'', by

California Shipbuilding Corporation __NOTOC__ California Shipbuilding Corporation built 467 Liberty and Victory ships during World War II, including ''Haskell''-class attack transports. California Shipbuilding Corporation was often referred to as Calship. History In 1916 the ' ...

Terminal Island Terminal Island, historically known as , is a largely artificial island located in Los Angeles County, California, between the neighborhoods of Wilmington, Los Angeles, Wilmington and San Pedro, Los Angeles, San Pedro in the city of Los Angeles ...

, Los Angeles, California; launched on 29 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Victor Dalton; renamed ''Beagle'' and designated IX-111 on 27 October 1943; delivered to the Navy 20 November 1943, and commissioned the same day.

Service history

Following

shakedown Shakedown or Shake Down may refer to: * Shakedown (continuum mechanics), a type of plastic deformation * Shakedown (testing) or a shakedown cruise, a period of testing undergone by a ship, airplane or other craft before being declared operational ...

early in 1944, the tanker moved to the western Pacific. There she transported fuel among the various island groups. Between 13 October and 9 November, ''Beagle'' operated in the vicinity of

Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has been ...

providing support for the invasion of that island. After that operation, ''Beagle'' resumed her more routine fuel supply missions between bases in the Pacific.

Post-war service

After the war ended, she continued those duties in support of American occupation forces in the Far East. The ship headed back to the United States from

Eniwetok Enewetak Atoll (; also spelled Eniwetok Atoll or sometimes Eniewetok; , , or , ; known to the Japanese as Brown Atoll or Brown Island; ) is a large coral atoll of 40 islands in the Pacific Ocean and with its 296 people (as of 2021) forms a legi ...

on 11 March 1946. She transited the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

on 16 April, and arrived in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

, on 30 April. ''Beagle'' was decommissioned at Norfolk on 13 June 1946, and was turned over to MARCOM for disposal. Her name was struck from the

Navy list A Navy Directory, Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a co ...

on 3 JuIy 1946.

Merchant service

On 14 July 1948, to the Edison Tanker Corporation, Inc., of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, the vessel was renamed ''Edison Skipper''. She saw later merchant service under the names ''George S.'', ''Georgios Sideratos'', and ''Maria G.L.'', before she was scrapped in 1964.

Awards

''Beagle'' earned one

battle star A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or service period. T ...

for her

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

service.

Notes

;Citations

Bibliography

Online resources * * * *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beagle (IX-112) Liberty ships Ships built in Los Angeles Armadillo-class tankers 1943 ships