- USS Hennepin (AK-187)
USS "Hennepin" (AK-187) was an "Alamosa"-class
cargo ship that served theU.S. Navy during the final months ofWorld War II . Post-war she served briefly with theU.S. Army as USAT "Hennepin", and then as USNS "Hennepin" (T-AK-187) with theMilitary Sea Transportation Service where she was awarded abattle star . She was declared excess-to-needs on27 March 1959 .Built at Superior, Wisconsin
"Hennepin" (AK-187) was laid down under
U.S. Maritime Commission contract by Walter Butler Shipbuilders, Inc.,Superior, Wisconsin ,29 December 1943 ; launched27 June 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs. F. P. Heffelflnger; acquired by the Navy7 June 1945 ; and commissioned3 July 1945 atGalveston, Texas , Lt. Comdr. Gavin L. Field in command.World War II-related service
After shakedown in the
Gulf of Mexico , "Hennepin" departed Galveston22 July to load cargo atGulfport, Mississippi , andNew Orleans, Louisiana . She departed New Orleans6 August , steamed via thePanama Canal and theMarshall Islands , and arrivedCebu ,Philippines ,23 September . Assigned toService Squadron 8, she operated in the Philippines until19 November when she departedTacloban ,Leyte , forAustralia .During the next month she loaded cargo at Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane before sailing
17 December with provisions for occupation troops inKorea . Steaming viaOkinawa , she reachedJinsen 7 January 1946 ; then sailed for Japan the 25th. She arrivedYokosuka 30 January , decommissioned16 February , and transferred to theU.S. Army .Reacquired from the U.S. Army
"Hennepin" was operated by the
U.S. Army for the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Japan until1 July 1950 when she was reacquired by the Navy. After refitting atMitsubishi Shipyard,Kobe , Japan, she was assigned to theMilitary Sea Transportation Service (MSTS)28 February 1951 and designated "T-AK 187".Korean War support
Manned by a civilian crew, she participated in the
Korea n supply run during the American effort to repel Communist aggression inSouth Korea . Operating primarily out ofMoji andSasebo, Japan , she transported vital military cargo to American-held Korean ports during the remainder of the conflict.Post-Korean War support
Following an uneasy truce in Korea, "Hennepin" continued supply runs between Japan and South Korea. In response to the scheduled transfer of
North Vietnam to Communist control, she departedYokohama 30 August 1954 to provide support forOperation Passage to Freedom . She arrivedHaiphong ,North Vietnam ,7 September , and for more than 3 months she transported cargo southward to St. Jacques andSaigon . After completing three runs to Saigon, she departed St. Jacques for Japan22 December and arrived Sasebo3 January 1955 . Between 1955 and 1958 "Hennepin" remained in theFar East , supporting America's determination to keep the peace and contain Communism inAsia . She continued to operate primarily between Japanese and South Korean ports, but cargo runs in 1957 and 1958 again sent her to Southeast Asia.Between
13 May and3 July 1957 she operated out of Saigon andBangkok ,Thailand , and in addition steamed toKarachi, Pakistan , andBahrain Island in thePersian Gulf . During September1957 and April1958 she steamed out of Yokohama, carrying cargo to Saigon.Final deactivation
After returning to Yokohama from
Pusan ,Korea ,21 June 1958 , she was inactivated by the Navy16 July . She transferred to the Maritime Administration27 March 1959 .Honors and awards
"Hennepin" received one
battle star for Korean war service.ee also
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United States Navy
*World War II References
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* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/13/130187.htm NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AK-187 Hennepin]
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