- USS Lumen (AKA-30)
USS "Lumen" AKA-30 was an "Artemis" class
attack cargo ship named after the minor planet141 Lumen , which in turn was named after an 1867 book by astronomerCamille Flammarion . USS "Lumen" served as a commissioned ship for 14 months."Lumen" (AKA–30) was laid down by
Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc. Providence, R.I. ,19 July 1944 under aMaritime Commission contract; launched20 November 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs. Alex Walker; and commissioned29 December 1944 , Lt. Comdr. Thomas A. Marshall, Jr., in command.After shakedown, "Lumen" departed Norfolk
29 January 1945 , loaded troops and equipment atPearl Harbor , then sailed for the Okinawa campaign, the largest amphibious operation of thePacific War . Following brief stops inEniwetok andUlithi , the cargo ship arrived off Okinawa17 April and under the threat of night air raids unloaded the men and cargo which were needed to secure this strategic base so close toJapan .Departing Okinawa, "Lumen" arrived
Saipan 27 April and for the rest of the war shuttled cargo among the islands in the South and centralPacific . She was atPearl Harbor when news of Japan’s acceptance of the surrender terms was announced.Although the major task of winning the war was successfully completed, another important mission lay ahead for the Navy. Returning to the western Pacific in mid-September, "Lumen" carried cargo in the
Philippines andJapan to provide the occupation troops with reinforcements and supplies. Completing her duties in the Pacific, the cargo ship embarked veterans for return to the United States and steamed for the West Coast arriving early in 1946. "Lumen’s" short but useful career ended when she decommissioned at Charleston23 March 1946 . She was turned over to theWar Shipping Administration 5 November 1946 , placed in theNational Defense Reserve Fleet , and was berthed atBeaumont, Texas , until sold for scrap to Luria Bros. Co., Inc.,17 December 1964 ."Lumen" received one
battle star forWorld War II service.References
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/l33/lumen.htm Naval Historical Center: USS "Lumen"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/02030.htm NavSource.org: AKA-30 "Lumen"]
* [http://ussrankin.org/id352.htm 51 Years of AKAs]
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