- USS Alnitah (AK-127)
The USS "Alnitah" (AK-127) was a "Crater"-class
cargo ship in the service of theUnited States Navy inWorld War II . Named a spelling variation of the star Alnitak in the constellation Orion, it was the only ship of the Navy to bear this name."Alnitah" was laid down
10 December 1942 asliberty ship SS "John A. Logan " (MCE hull 451) byPermanente Metals Corporation , Yard No. 2,Richmond, California , under a Maritime Commission contract; launched on14 January 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs. T. W. Ludington; acquired by the Navy on a bareboat basis on7 October 1943 ; converted for naval service at San Pedro, California, by Los Angeles Shipbuilding Corp.; renamed "Alnitah" on11 October 1943 and simultaneously designated AK-127; and placed in commission at San Pedro on27 November 1943 , Lt. Comdr. E. J. Youngjohns in command.Following a brief period of shakedown training, the ship took on cargo and personnel at
Port Hueneme, California , for transportation to the South Pacific. She departed the California coast on12 December and reachedEspiritu Santo on3 January 1944 . On that same day, "Alnitah" reported to Service Squadron 8 for duty as an interisland transport. Among her ports of call wereGuadalcanal andFlorida Island ,Solomon Islands ; Espiritu Santo,New Hebrides ;Treasury Islands ;Russell Islands ; Fiji Islands;Auckland ,New Zealand ;Nouméa ,New Caledonia ;Milne Bay ,New Guinea ;Ulithi ,Caroline Islands ;Tinian andGuam ,Mariana Islands ; andOkinawa ."Alnitah" continued her routine of transporting cargo and personnel throughput the Pacific theatre of operations in to late July 1945. The ship departed
Saipan on28 July and shaped a course for the west coast of the United States. During her homeward voyage,Japan capitulated in mid-August ending World War II. After a two-day visit en route atPearl Harbor ,Hawaii , the cargo ship arrived atSan Francisco, California , on21 August and received voyage repairs before the vessel resumed action on25 September . She was subsequently assigned to "Magic-Carpet" duty, which involved shuttling American military personnel from various points in the Pacific back home to the United States.The cargo ship made a voyage from San Francisco to Roi,
Kwajalein , andMajuro Atoll s in October. She touched back at Pearl Harbor on12 November before continuing on toSan Diego, California . "Alnitah" debarked her passengers before getting underway on29 November for Okinawa. The vessel arrived there on22 December and discharged her cargo and passengers. She operated in the Okinawa area through4 February 1946 ; then sailed for thePhilippines . The ship reachedSubic Bay on8 February and there embarked troops for transportation to Japan. "Alnitah" left Philippine waters on16 February and arrived atYokosuka , Japan, on23 February . Upon her arrival preparations were begun to deactivate the ship. She was decommissioned on11 March 1946 and was transferred to the War Shipping Administration representative atYokohama , Japan. Her name was struck from the Navy list on28 March 1946 ."Alnitah" was scrapped in 1961.
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