View source for USS Lesuth

{{short description|Cargo ship of the United States Navy}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=Lesuth (AK-125).jpg
|Ship caption=Bow on view of USS ''Lesuth'' (AK-125) off [[San Francisco]], 11 November 1943.
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1946}}
|Ship name=''William M. Gwin''
|Ship namesake=[[William M. Gwin]]
|Ship owner= [[War Shipping Administration]] (WSA)
|Ship operator= [[American President Lines]] (APL)
|Ship registry=
|Ship route=
|Ship ordered=as a [[Liberty ship|Type EC2-S-C1]] hull, [[Maritime Commission|MCE]] hull 1638{{sfn|CalShip|2010}}
|Ship awarded=
|Ship builder=[[California Shipbuilding Corporation]], [[Terminal Island]], Los Angeles, California
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=171{{sfn|CalShip|2010}}
|Ship way number=4{{sfn|CalShip|2010}}
|Ship laid down=24 March 1943
|Ship launched=17 April 1943
|Ship sponsor=Miss M. B. Follis
|Ship christened=
|Ship completed=
|Ship in service= 29 April 1943
|Ship fate= transferred to the [[US Navy]], 9 October 1943
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=title
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1946}}
|Ship name=''Lesuth''
|Ship namesake=The star [[Lesuth]]
|Ship acquired=9 October 1943
|Ship commissioned=1 November 1943
|Ship recommissioned=
|Ship decommissioned=16 August 1946
|Ship maiden voyage= 
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=
|Ship renamed= ''Lesuth'', 11 October 1943
|Ship reclassified=
|Ship refit=converted for Naval service at [[United Engineering]], [[Alameda, California]]
|Ship struck=17 July 1947
|Ship reinstated=
|Ship homeport=
|Ship identification=*[[Hull classification symbol#Support type|Hull symbol]]: AK-125
*[[International Code of Signals|Code letters]]: NHCF
*{{ICS|November}}{{ICS|Hotel}}{{ICS|Charlie}}{{ICS|Foxtrot}}
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honors=1 × [[Battle star#Navy warships|battle star]]
|Ship captured=
|Ship fate= Sold for scrapping, 31 July 1964, withdrawn, 20 August 1964
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption={{sfn|Navsource|2014}}
|Ship class={{sclass|Crater|cargo ship}}
|Ship type=[[Liberty ship|Type EC2-S-C1]]
|Ship displacement={{Crater cargo displacement}}
|Ship length={{Crater cargo length}}
|Ship beam={{Crater cargo beam}}
|Ship draft={{Crater cargo draft}}
|Ship power={{Crater cargo power CE}}
|Ship propulsion={{Crater cargo propulsion JH}}
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|Ship speed={{Crater cargo speed}}
|Ship range=
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|Ship capacity= {{Crater cargo capacity}}
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=15 officers 222 enlisted
|Ship crew=
|Ship time to activate=
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|Ship EW=
|Ship armament={{Crater cargo armament}}
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|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''USS ''Lesuth'' (AK-125)''' was a {{sclass|Crater|cargo ship}} commissioned by the [[US Navy]] for service in [[World War II]]. ''Lesuth'' was named after the star [[Lesuth]] in the constellation [[Scorpius]]. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the [[Asiatic-Pacific Theater]].

==Construction==
''Lesuth'' was laid down 24 March 1943, under a [[Maritime Commission]] (MARCOM) contract, MC hull No. 1638, as the [[Liberty ship]] SS ''William M. Gwin'', by [[California Shipbuilding Corporation]], [[Terminal Island]], Los Angeles, California; launched 17 April 1943; sponsored by Miss M. B. Follis; acquired by the Navy 9 October 1943; renamed ''Lesuth'' 11 October 1943; converted at United Engineering, [[Alameda, California]]; and commissioned 1 November 1943.{{sfn|DANFS}}

==Service history==
After loading cargo, ''Lesuth'' departed [[San Pedro, California]], 14 November, arriving [[Pago Pago]], [[Samoa]], on 30 November. Four days later she arrived [[Funafuti]], [[Ellice Islands]] and for the next 3 months engaged in training exercises in the South Pacific.{{sfn|DANFS}}

=== Serving South Pacific island bases ===
From [[Funafuti]] she steamed to the [[Marshall Islands]], arriving [[Kwajalein]] 6 March 1944, as a unit of [[Service Squadron]] 8. ''Lesuth'' remained in the [[Marshall Islands]] until she departed [[Kwajalein]] 6 August, for [[Guadalcanal]]. She loaded cargo in the [[Solomon Islands|Solomons]] and [[Russell Islands]], then sailed from [[Manus Island|Manus]] 14 September, en route to the [[Palau]]-Western [[Caroline Islands|Caroline]] campaign.{{sfn|DANFS}}

=== Supporting the Philippine invasion ===
The [[Palau Islands]] were of strategic importance as an advance base for the invasion of [[Leyte]]. The initial landings took place 15 September, 5 days before ''Lesuth'' arrived off [[Kossol Passage]]. For the next 2 months she remained off [[Peleliu]] unloading cargo needed for the Philippine assault. Sailing to [[Tulagi]] and [[Guadalcanal]] in late November, the cargo ship departed on 26 November for [[San Francisco, California]].{{sfn|DANFS}}

After overhaul, ''Lesuth'' rejoined Service Squadron 8 at [[Eniwetok]] 11 February 1945. Later that month she sailed for the [[Philippines]], arriving [[San Pedro Bay (Philippines)|San Pedro Bay]], [[Leyte]], on 28 February. Following 6 weeks of cargo operations off Leyte, she steamed to the [[United States]] during May and June, for additional supplies, then returned to [[Ulithi]] 25 July.{{sfn|DANFS}}

=== End-of-war activity ===
When the [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] surrender ended World War II, ''Lesuth'' was used to carry provisions to the occupation troops in the [[Far East]]. From September 1945 to May 1946, she made cargo runs to Japan, the Philippines, [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]], and [[Saipan]], finally departing Saipan 5 May. Arriving [[San Francisco, California]], on 24 May, ''Lesuth'' remained there until 2 July, when she sailed for [[Pearl Harbor]].{{sfn|DANFS}}

== Post-war decommissioning ==
She decommissioned at Pearl Harbor 16 August 1946. ''Lesuth'' was returned to MARCOM 29 May 1947, and was struck from the [[Navy list]] 17 July.{{sfn|DANFS}}

==Fate==
She was placed in the [[National Defense Reserve Fleet]], [[Suisun Bay|Suisun Bay Group]], until purchased by [[Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation]], on 31 July 1964, for $49,660. She was physically removed from the Reserve Fleet on 8 August 1964.{{sfn|MARAD}}

==Awards==
''Lesuth'' received one [[Battle star#Navy warships|battle star]] for World War II service. Her crew was eligible for the following medals:{{sfn|Navsource|2014}}
* [[American Campaign Medal]]
* [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] (1)
* [[World War II Victory Medal]]
* [[Navy Occupation Service Medal]] (with Asia clasp)
* [[Philippines Liberation Medal]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}
;Citations
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
'''Online resources'''
* {{cite DANFS
  | url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/l/lesuth.html
  | title = Lesuth
  | publisher = Naval History and Heritage Command
  | access-date = 16 February 2017
  | ref = {{sfnRef|DANFS}}
  }}{{PD-notice}}
* {{cite web
  | url = http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/kcalifornia.htm
  | title = California Shipbuilding, Los Angeles CA
  | publisher =  www.ShipbuildingHistory.com
  | date = 13 October 2010
  | access-date = 16 February 2017
  | ref = {{sfnRef|CalShip|2010}}
  }}
* {{cite web
  | url = http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130125.htm
  | title=USS Lesuth (AK-125)
  | publisher=Navsource.org
  | date=  11 July 2014
  | access-date= 16 February 2017
  | ref={{sfnRef|Navsource|2014}}
  }}
* {{cite web
  | url = https://vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov/sh/ShipHistory/Detail/3007
  | title = LESUTH (AK-125)
  | publisher = United States Department of Transportation
  | access-date = 16 February 2017
  | ref = {{sfnRef|MARAD}}
  }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{navsource|09/13/130125|USS Lesuth (AK-125)}}

{{Crater class cargo ship}}
{{California Shipbuilding Corporation, Los Angeles Shipyards}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lesuth (AK-125)}}
[[Category:Crater-class cargo ships]]
[[Category:World War II auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet]]