Amador (AK-158)
1941-1946
A county in the state of California.
(AK-158: displacement 7,450; length 338'6"; beam 50'0"; draft 21'1"; speed 11.5 knots; complement 79; armament 1 3-inch, 6 20 millimeter; class Alamosa; type C1-M-AV1)
Amador (AK-158) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (M.C. Hull 2103) on 27 December 1943 at Richmond, Calif., by Kaiser Cargo Inc.; launched on 15 June 1944; sponsored by Mrs. S. J. Davis; acquired by the Navy on 10 August 1944; commissioned on 9 October 1944; decommissioned at Portland, Oregon, on 23 October 1944 to undergo conversion to an ammunition tender by the Commercial Iron Works; and recommissioned on 25 November 1944, Lt. Fred W. Beyer in command.
Amador got underway early in December 1944 for shakedown training off San Pedro, Calif. She loaded cargo and ammunition at the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, Calif., then sailed for Eniwetok on 11 January 1945. The ship reached Eniwetok on the 29th and was routed on to Ulithi. Upon her arrival there on 18 February, Amador was assigned to Service Squadron 10.
Amador remained at Ulithi through 15 March 1945 for ammunition handling operations. She next set sail on the 16th for Leyte, Philippines, via Kossol Roads. The ship anchored in San Pedro Bay on 22 March and began issuing ammunition to ships of the fleet, as well as reworking defective projectiles and fuses. On 23 October, she moved to Guinan roadstead, Samar, and began receiving ammunition from lighters for transportation back to the United States.
On 12 November 1945, Amador got underway for Seattle, Wash. She arrived in Puget Sound on 8 December and remained in that area until 29 March 1946, when she began preparations for deactivation. She was decommissioned on 20 June 1946, and her name was struck from the Navy Register on 19 July 1946. The ship was transferred to the Maritime Commission on 23 July 1946. She was subsequently sold and fitted out for service as a merchant ship.
Luann Parsons
Updated, Robert J. Cressman
14 September 2022
