Kars

[shipstamps]

The 90k stamp issued by Turkey in 1959, shows the ship, Kars, her name being legible on the bows between the legs of the crane. She is the second ship to be shown in this 1959 issue, the Karadeniz appearing on the 5 k. value. I believe the Kars is one of the "Pocket Liberty" type. She was built in 1944 as the Antrim by the Kaiser Cargo Inc. Shipyard at Richmond (Cal.). Her gross tonnage is 3,805, net tonnage 2,123, deadweight 5,792 tons. Her length is 323 ft. 9 in., beam 50 ft lin, draft 23 ft. 4 in. Cargo capacity is 250,000 cub. ft., of which 9,830 cub. ft. is refrigerated. The vessel is owned by Denizoilik Bankasi, T.A.O, and she is registered at Istanbul.
SG1865 Sea Breezes 7/65

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a cargo vessel of the C1-M-AV1 design under yard No 61 by Kaiser Cargo Inc., Richmond, California for the United States Maritime Commission.
18 April 1944 keel laid down
17 July 1944 launched under the name ANTRIM (AK 159)
Tonnage 3.805 gross, 2.123 net, 5.032 dwt., dim. 103.2 x 15.2 x 8.85m., length bpp. 97.53m., draught 5.49m.
Powered by one diesel engine 1.750 bhp., speed 11 knots.
Armament 1 – 3 inch and 6 – 20mm guns.
Crew 79
31 October 1944 completed.

USS Antrim (AK-159) was an Alamosa class cargo ship in the United State Navy Unit. She was named for Autrim Couinty, Michigan. .
ANTRIM was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 2104) on 18 April 1944 at Richmond California by Kaiser Cargo, Inc.; launched on 17 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. F. H. Horstman; and, after her delivery to and acceptance by the Navy on 31 October 1944, was commissioned the same day, Lieutenant Glen Martin, USNR, in command.

After the completion of her fitting out, the cargo ship conducted her shakedown training out of San Pedro, California, completing this by 13 December. Subsequently pushing on for Haway, she reached Pearl Harbor on New Year's Day, 1945, but got underway again three days later, bound for the Western Pacific. After calling at Eniwetok, Ulithi, and Kossol Roads, ANTRIM reached Leyte on 9 February to unload her cargo.
Operating under the aegis of Service Squadron 9 through the end of the war with Japan, the vessel carried cargo between Manus, in the Admiralty Islands, and Philippine ports. She conducted three such voyages during the periods from 19 March to 27 April; from 30 May to 22 June; and from 6 to 30 August. After supporting the occupation of Japan through the autumn, ANTRIM departed the Western Pacific on 4 January 1946 and proceeded singly to the Pnama Canal Zone, reaching Cristobal on 20 February. Ultimately, ANTRIM arrived at Norfolk, Virginia, on 4 March where she decommissioned on 3 April.

Delivered to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) three days later, ANTRIM's name was struck from the Navy list on 17 April 1946. Records indicate that the ship briefly operated under the United States flag, with the firm of Dichmann, Wright, and Pugh of San Francisco, Califonia, in 1947, before being transferred to Turkish registry the following year.

Renamed KARS and homeported at Istanbul, Turkey, the erstwhile Navy cargo ship operated under the Turkish flag into the 1980's.

1947 Sold to Turkish Governement, and renamed KARS.
1952 Sold to Denizeilik Bankasi TAO, Istanbul, not renamed.
1955 Sold to DB Deniz Nakliyati TAS, Istanbul, same name.
1983 Sold to Turkish shipbreakers at Aliaga-Izmir where she was beached 17 August 1983, and scrapped by Bozerlei Metal Ticaret.

Source: Marine News. From America to United States by Sawyer and Mitchell.
Dictionary of American Fighting Ships. MIRAMAR, Wikipedia.
Turkey 1959 90k sg1865, Scott 1454.