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| U.S. Army Former Assignments China Navigation Company British Navy Cargo 4,559 Tons 390' x 52.3' x 24.2' 123.4m x 25.9m x 6.5m |
Ship History Built by Nederlandse Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij (NDSM) / Dutch Dock and Shipbuilding Company in Amsterdam. Laid down March 30, 1925 as a passenger and cargo ship with yard number 183. Launched April 28, 1926 as as MV Cremer. Completed October 26, 1926 and the same day delivered to Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (KPM) / Royal Packet Company and registered in Amsterdam. Call Sign PKEG. In 1938, placed under the command of Captain Hinderikus J. Ahlers. Prewar, MV Cremer operated from Batavia (Jakarta) as a trading vessel with a crew comprised of Dutch officers with Indonesian crewmen that operated in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) and made voyages to Singapore, Brunei, Manila and other ports in Asia. Wartime History At the start of the Pacific War, requisitioned for use as a military transport. In late December 1941, anchored off Tjilatjap and embarked roughly two thousand civilian detainees men, women and children of Japanese and Germany ancestry for detention in Australia. On January 9, 1942 departs bound for Australia. On January 27, 1942 arrives Adelaide and roughly half are unloaded the next day then departs. On January 31, 1942 arrives Melbourne where the remaining civilians were unloaded and transported to Tatura Camp in Victoria. On April 28, 1942 at Brisbane embarks U.S. Army personnel including the 101st Anti-Aircraft Artillery (AW) Battalion and departs bound for New Guinea. On May 2, 1942 arrives arrives Fairfax Harbor off Port Moresby and unloads overnight. On August 12, 1942 departs Brisbane bound for eastern New Guinea with military personnel embarked. On August 21, 1942 arrives Milne Bay. On May 11, 1943 departs Brisbane with the U.S. Army 339th Engineer General Service Regiment bound for New Guinea . On May 16, 1943 at 11:00am arrives Townsville and departs the next day as part of a convoy with SS Taroona, U.S. corvette, and a U.S. liberty ship escorted by an Australian destroyer bound for Milne Bay. On May 18, 1943 anchors in Jock McMillan Bay east of Gili Gili. On June 3, 1943 embarks personnel from RAAF No. 76 Squadron, 14 Fighter Sector Headquarters (14 FSHQ) and No. 26 Repair and Salvage Unit (No. 26 RSU). On June 7, 1943 departs Sydney Harbor bound for Goodenough Island. On June 14, 1943 arrives Goodenough Island and unloads and remains for two days and was again loaded with RAAF personnel but they were immediately unloaded. On August 7, 1943 departs Sydney on a voyage via Townsville. Sinking History On September 5, 1943 while under the command of Captain Hinderikus J. Ahlers the ship was empty after unloading all personnel and cargo and was enroute from Townsville bound for Melbourne steaming off the coast of Queensland when it ran aground on a coral reef and beached on the northeast coast of Saint Bees Island. Aboard, none of the crew were hurt. Afterwards, the crew were rescued by an U.S. ship and transported to nearby Mackay. Later, some of the crew returned to the ship to salvage what they could including the ship's bell. The vessel was abandoned and sunk. References Stichting aritien-Historisch Databank - Cremer Stichting aritien-Historisch Databank - Ahlers, Hinderikus Johannes Contribute
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