This WWII Ship Carried Bombs to the Pacific Theater, Now It Serves Pancakes & Film Screenings

The SS Red Oak Victory Ship, California

Workers at Richmond’s Kaiser Shipyard launched the SS Red Oak Victory on November 9, 1944. They completed the 455-foot vessel in just 87 days during the height of World War II.

Kaiser named the ship after Red Oak, Iowa, a small farming town that lost more young men per capita than almost any place in America during the early war years.

The ship became the 558th vessel built in Richmond’s shipyards and one of only a few Victory ships transferred directly to Navy control.

Birth in the Kaiser Shipyards

Hull #544 took shape at Kaiser Richmond Shipyard No. 1 amid a furious pace of wartime production. Welders joined prefabricated sections using assembly-line techniques pioneered by industrialist Henry Kaiser.

Edna Reiley, wife of Red Oak’s mayor, broke a champagne bottle across the bow at the christening ceremony. The crowd cheered as the massive vessel slid into the water.

Women welders known as “Rosies” performed much of the skilled metalwork on the ship. Their carefully placed welds proved so strong they held firm through decades of ocean service in three wars.

Design and Capabilities

Victory ships improved on the slower Liberty ships that formed the backbone of early wartime cargo fleets. With steam turbine engines, the Red Oak Victory could reach 17 knots, making it harder for German U-boats to intercept.

Naval architects gave the ship a raised forecastle and stronger hull to handle rough seas. The sleek design prevented waves from washing over the forward deck during storms.

Navy crews installed defensive weapons: a five-inch gun on the stern, a three-inch gun on the bow, and eight 20mm anti-aircraft guns around the deck.

Commission Under Naval Command

The Navy commissioned the vessel as USS Red Oak Victory (AK-235) on December 5, 1944. Lieutenant Commander John S. Sayers took command with 13 officers and 91 enlisted men under his authority.

During two weeks of sea trials off California, sailors tested every system and identified mechanical issues. Crews loaded ammunition at Port Chicago Naval Magazine, the same facility where 320 men had died in a massive explosion just months earlier.

The Red Oak Victory joined the 8th Service Squadron, specialized units that kept frontline warships supplied with fuel, food, and ammunition.

Pacific Theater Operations

On January 10, 1945, the Red Oak Victory passed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, heading toward Pearl Harbor with a full cargo of munitions. The crew knew they wouldn’t see American shores again for 18 months.

After reaching Pearl Harbor, they took on more ammunition before departing for the Marshall Islands on February 10. By month’s end, they anchored at Ulithi Atoll, a forward naval base just 1,300 miles south of Tokyo.

At Ulithi, hundreds of warships gathered in the protected lagoon, forming the largest fleet assemblage in naval history.

Ammunition Supply Mission

The Red Oak Victory’s crew began the dangerous work of transferring tons of explosives to combat vessels. Using booms, winches, and cargo nets, they moved bombs, shells, and bullets across shifting waters.

In April 1945, they supplied ships supporting the invasion of Okinawa, one of the bloodiest Pacific battles. American forces needed constant ammunition resupply during the 82-day struggle.

By May, the ship relocated to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines, continuing ammunition deliveries until Japan surrendered in August. Despite handling thousands of tons of high explosives, not a single crew member died in accidents.

Post-War Return and Decommissioning

After Japan’s surrender, the Red Oak Victory continued supplying American occupation forces for months. The ship finally headed home in spring 1946, completing 18 months of continuous overseas service.

On May 21, 1946, at exactly 2:54 pm, the Navy decommissioned USS Red Oak Victory in a formal ceremony. Sailors lowered the commissioning pennant and the Navy Jack one final time.

Three weeks later, officials returned the vessel to the Maritime Commission, changing its designation from USS to SS Red Oak Victory. Workers prepared it for storage at the Olympia Reserve Fleet in Washington state.

Merchant Marine and Commercial Service

American Mail Lines leased the Red Oak Victory in April 1947, beginning its civilian career. Captain Henry Burns commanded its first commercial voyage from Portland to Anchorage and back to Seattle.

Later that year, the ship carried emergency grain to India and Pakistan, where millions faced starvation after partition.

The vessel that once carried weapons now delivered food to prevent human suffering.

Korean and Vietnam War Service

When North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, the Red Oak Victory returned to military service.

From February 1950 to May 1951, the ship transported war materials across the Pacific to support American troops fighting on the peninsula.

After the Korean War ended, authorities placed the vessel in storage at Astoria, Oregon for eight years.

In 1966, American Mail Lines reactivated the ship for the Military Sea Transport Service. Over the next two years, the Red Oak Victory completed thirteen voyages to Vietnam, delivering supplies to American forces fighting in Southeast Asia.

Mothball Fleet Years

After completing its final Vietnam mission in December 1968, the Red Oak Victory returned to San Francisco Bay. Its active military career had spanned three wars and 24 years.

In January 1970, tugs moved the vessel to the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. Workers sealed compartments, applied protective coatings, and dehumidified spaces to prevent deterioration.

For 28 years, the ship rested in this “Mothball Fleet” alongside hundreds of other silent vessels. Sun-bleached and weathered, they waited for reactivation or the scrapyard’s cutting torches.

By 1993, most Reserve Fleet ships faced scrapping, but Richmond Museum Association members recognized the Red Oak Victory’s historical significance.

Preservation and Restoration

In 1996, Representative George Miller added language to the Coast Guard Authorization Act transferring the Red Oak Victory to the Richmond Museum Association. This rare congressional action saved the vessel from becoming scrap metal.

On September 20, 1998, tugs towed the ship to its new home at Richmond Shipyard 3, just a short distance from where workers had built it 54 years earlier.

Museum volunteers began the massive task of restoration. They scraped rust, repaired systems, and rebuilt compartments damaged by years of neglect.

In 2011, the Red Oak Victory entered dry dock for hull repairs, cleaning, and a new propeller. The ship returned to Richmond looking much as it had on its launch day.

Visiting THE SS Red Oak Victory

You can visit the SS Red Oak Victory at 1337 Canal Boulevard in Richmond, California. The ship opens every Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm in summer and 10 am to 3 pm in winter.

Docents lead tours through living quarters, cargo holds, and the impressive engine room. Many guides are veterans who share firsthand stories of life at sea.

The ship hosts monthly pancake breakfasts, classic film screenings, and special events throughout the year.

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