USS ''Corundum'' (IX-164), a 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 ...

, was the only 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

corundum Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide () typically containing traces of iron, titanium, vanadium, and chromium. It is a rock (geology), rock-forming mineral. It is a naturally transparency and translucency, transparent material, but ...

. The ship (a Type B7-D1 barge) was laid down on 19 October 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 ...

contract (MC Hull 1332) by

Barrett & Hilp Barret, Barrett, or Barretts may refer to: People * Barrett (surname), including a list of people with the surname * Barrett Brown (born 1981), American journalist and activist) *Barrett Carter (born 2002), American football player * Barrett Foa, ...

, Belair Shipyard, in

South San Francisco South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is colloquially termed "South City". The population was 66,105 at the 2020 census. History P ...

. She was launched on 31 December 1943, sponsored by Mrs. William O.Neill, and named ''Limestone'' (IX-158) on 7 February 1944, but renamed and redesignated ''Corundum'' (IX-164) on 23 May 1944, prior to acquisition by the

, under command of Lt. F. Brinton Jr., USNR. ''Corundum'' was acquired from the

, converted for use as a landing craft and vehicle spare parts barge and assigned to Service Force, Pacific Fleet. She was placed in service on 18 July 1944, towed to the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

where she rendered assistance to Commander, Service Division 101. On 8 August 1946 she was placed out of service and delivered to the

War Shipping Administration The War Shipping Administration (WSA) was a World War II emergency war agency of the US government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the United States needed for fighting the war. Both shipbuilding under the Maritime C ...

. On 4 February 1947 she was transferred to the U. S. Army. On 28 February 1948 she was scuttled in

Agat Bay Agat Bay is a bay on the west coast of Guam. Its northern boundary is the Orote Peninsula, occupied entirely by Naval Base Guam, which itself lies within the village of Sånta Rita-Sumai. The bay stretches south along the coast of the village of ...

, Guam.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Corundum Trefoil-class concrete barges Ships built in the San Francisco Bay Area 1943 ships