The SS Albert Gallatin was an American Liberty ship constructed during World War II, representing the vital maritime effort of the United States. Built by the California Shipbuilding Corporation at Terminal Island in Los Angeles, California, she was designated Hull No. 277 and was delivered in April 1942 to the War Shipping Administration. The vessel's call sign was LERH. As a Liberty ship, she was part of a large fleet of cargo vessels designed for rapid construction to support wartime logistics. Upon completion, Albert Gallatin entered service in the United States Merchant Marine, initially operated by the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company. The ship's service history includes an attack by a German U-boat, U-107, on August 28, 1943, while she was on a northbound voyage in the Atlantic. The U-boat fired three torpedoes, with one striking her propeller, though it failed to detonate and caused only minor damage. She was escorted at the time by the U.S. Navy blimp K-34. By 1944, Albert Gallatin was operated by the Isthmian Steamship Company of New York City. Her final voyage began on January 2, 1944, when she was unescorted and carrying nearly 8,000 tons of cargo and mail from Aden to Bandar Shahpur in Iran. In the Arabian Sea, just outside the Gulf of Oman, she was attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine I-26, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Toshio Kusaka. I-26 fired four torpedoes, most missing, and then surfaced to engage with her 140-millimeter deck gun. As the ship began to sink, a Royal Air Force Bristol Blenheim aircraft arrived and dropped bombs on I-26, inflicting minor damage. All 71 crew members—including 43 merchant mariners and a 28-man U.S. Navy Armed Guard detachment—abandoned ship in lifeboats. The sinking occurred approximately 60 nautical miles off the Arabian Peninsula at coordinates 21°21′N 59°58′E. The crew was later rescued by the Norwegian motor tanker MV Britannia. The SS Albert Gallatin's service and her sinking exemplify the perilous and vital role of Liberty ships during WWII in maintaining Allied supply lines across hostile waters.

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