USS Serpens (AK-97)

The USS Serpens (AK-97) was a Crater-class cargo ship commissioned by the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was named after the constellation Serpens. Originally Maritime Commission type (T-AK-46) hull, she was acquired by the Navy and converted for naval service. Her primary role was to transport cargo, including ammunition, supplies, and equipment, to support American forces in the Pacific Theater.

Commissioned in May 1943, USS Serpens served primarily in the South Pacific, delivering essential materials to various island bases and forward operating areas. She played a crucial role in logistical support for major campaigns, including operations in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea.

On January 27, 1945, while loading depth charges at Lunga Roads, Guadalcanal, the USS Serpens suffered a catastrophic explosion that resulted in the deaths of nearly all of her crew. The exact cause of the explosion remains officially undetermined, although the most widely accepted theory attributes it to the spontaneous detonation of one or more depth charges due to instability or improper handling. The incident stands as one of the U.S. Navy's worst single-ship disasters of World War II in terms of casualties.

Following the explosion, the wreck of the USS Serpens was deemed unsalvageable. A memorial to the ship and her crew was erected at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) in Honolulu, Hawaii. The loss of the USS Serpens and her crew serves as a poignant reminder of the dangers faced by support personnel in wartime.