Kent Island AG-78

Kent Island

An island in the Chesapeake Bay, Md., where a trading post was established in 1631 by William Claiborne.

(AG-78: dp. 5,766; 1. 441'6"; b. 56'11"; dr. 23'; s. 12.5 k.; cpl. 883; a. 15", 12 20mm.; cl. Belle Isle)

Kent Island (AG-78) was launched 9 January 1945 by New England Shipbuilding Corp., South Portland, Maine, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Nan Hatch; transferred to the Navy 19 January 1945; commissioned the same day, ferried to Todd Shipbuilding Co., Hoboken, N.J.; decommissioned 23 January 1945 for conversion to a barracks and issue ship; and recommissioned I August 1945, Comdr. W. C. Ball, USNR, in command.

After shakedown in Chesapeake Bay, Kent Island cleared Norfolk 31 August for duty with the Service Force of the Pacific Fleet. She arrived Pearl Harbor 9 October via San Diego to commence operations in Hawaiian waters. She sailed for Okinawa 17 October to receive Navy veterans for transportation to the United States, and returned San Francisco 30 November. Kent Island cleared San Francisco 3 January 1946, transited the Panama Canal, and arrived Hampton Roads 26 January. Following upkeep, she put into Orange, Tex., 15 March where she was placed out of commission In reserve 22 June 1946. She was redesignated AKS-26 on 18 August 1951 and struck from the Navy List 1 April 1960. Kent Island was sold to Southern Scrap Material Co. 2 November 1960 to be scrapped.