USS Bauxite

USS Bauxite (IX-154), a Trefoil-class concrete barge designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for bauxite, a mineral compound of several hydrous aluminum oxides. Her keel was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (T. B7 D1, MC hull 1326) on 9 July 1943 at San Francisco, California, by Barrett and Hilp, Belair Shipyard. She was launched on 11 October as "Onyx"^[1] sponsored by Mrs. E. J. Rapley. Accepted by the Navy on 22 June 1944 as "Bauxite", and placed in service the same day under command of Lt. Aubie R. Robinson USNR.^[2]

History
United States
Name	USS Bauxite
Builder	Barrett and Hilp, Belair Shipyard, San Francisco, California
Laid down	9 July 1943
Launched	11 October 1943
In service	22 June 1944
Out of service	May 1947
Stricken	23 June 1947
Fate	Sold, May 1947
General characteristics
Class & type	Trefoil-class cargo barge
Displacement	10,960 long tons (11,136 t) full
Length	366 ft 4 in (111.66 m)
Beam	54 ft 0 in (16.46 m)
Draft	33 ft (10 m)
Propulsion	None
Speed	Not self-propelled
Complement	58 officers and men
Armament	1 × 40 mm AA gun 4 × 20 mm AA guns 2 × .30 cal. machine guns

Service history

Assigned to the Service Force, Pacific Fleet, as a floating storage facility for general naval stores and provisions, Bauxite served at advanced naval bases in the Pacific theater, issuing supplies to ships as needed. The concrete barge was one of 13 controlled by Service Squadron 10. She carried over 7,000 different items and served an average of 600 ships a month. With a diesel electric power plant, she was able to generate her own power for refrigeration, cooking, lighting, ventilation, and distilling water. The barges provided much needed storage space afloat and released a number of self-propelled cargo ships to carry supplies to the forward areas.

Following the war, Bauxite was towed to Shanghai, China, where she continued to serve as a stores barge until authorized for disposal. She was sold at Shanghai to a Chinese purchaser in May 1947, probably Asia Development Corporation,^[3] and her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 23 June 1947. Future fate unknown.