From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

A county in Florida.

(AK - 182: dp. 2,382 (lt.); l. 338'6"; b. 50'; dr. 21'; s. 12 k.; cpl. 85; a. 1 3"; cl. Alamosa; T. C1-M-AV1)

Gadsen was launched 8 April 1944 under Maritime Commission contract by Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc., Superior, Wis.; sponsored by Mrs. Morgan Murphy of Superior; acquired by the Navy on loan-charter basis 26 December 1944; and commissioned at New Orleans, La., 28 February 1945, Lt. W. J. Sattel in command.

After shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico, Gadsen departed New Orleans 31 March 1945 with a cargo of frozen meat and ammunition for Ulithi, Western Caroline Islands, where she arrived on 11 May after 34 days at sea. From there she proceeded to Kossol Roads, Palau Islands for a 3-day stay marked by alerts for enemy suicide swimmers. She was convoyed by way of Leyte to Morotai Island, Netherlands East Indies, where she spent 3 months as ammunition ship for units of the 7th Fleet. At times she serviced six to eight ships a day as she handled much of the ammunition used by fleet units for the Brunei Bay - Balikpapan invasions of Borneo.

Gadsen arrived at Leyte 31 July 1945 with about one-third of her cargo. She served as ammunition ship there until announcement of the Japanese capitulation. On 21 August 1945 she departed Leyte on a shuttle cargo run to Subic Bay, P.I., and Hollandia, New Guinea, thence back to Leyte and was routed onward to Manila, P.I.

Gadsen put to sea from Manila 26 November 1945; transited the Panama Canal 8 January 1946; and reached Norfolk, Va., on the 19th for inactivation. She decommissioned 31 January 1946 and was redelivered to the Maritime Commission on 1 February 1946 for lay-up in the Maritime James River fleet. She was subsequently sold to the Korean Shipping Corp. and renamed Yosu.

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT (hubertypc@aol.com)