The USS Chatham (AK-169) was an Alamosa-class cargo ship constructed for the U.S. Navy during World War II, primarily tasked with transporting troops, supplies, and equipment to various locations in the Pacific theater. Launched on 13 May 1944 by Froemming Brothers, Inc., in Milwaukee, Wisconsin under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2142), she was sponsored by Mrs. G. C. Salisbury. The Navy acquired her on 20 January 1945, and she was commissioned at Galveston, Texas, on 22 February 1945. The vessel’s service record begins with her arrival at Pearl Harbor on 6 May 1945, where she undertook cargo missions to Eniwetok, Saipan, and Guam. After a brief overhaul in San Francisco in July 1945, Chatham resumed operations, departing San Francisco on 13 August and, until 30 January 1946, transporting cargo from Okinawa to Guam, Manus, Saipan, Eniwetok, and the Philippines. Her operations supported the redeployment of American forces in the Pacific following the end of hostilities. Decommissioned on 2 April 1946 at Baltimore, Maryland, Chatham was returned to the Maritime Commission two days later. She subsequently changed ownership and was acquired by the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij, N.V., of Amsterdam, where she was renamed Helena. Operating under the Dutch flag from 1949 to 1963, she served as a commercial cargo vessel. In 1963, she was sold to the Bahamas Line in Panama and renamed Lincoln Express. Her maritime career ended when she broke in two and sank on 15 December 1972 west of San Juan, Puerto Rico, during heavy weather, carrying a load of gypsum. The sinking resulted in the loss of her crew, though most were rescued by the US Coast Guard buoy tender Sagebrush. While she did not receive battle stars, her crew was eligible for various service medals, reflecting her contribution to post-war logistics and maritime operations.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.