- USS Circe (AKA-25)
USS "Circe" (AKA-25) was an "Artemis" class
attack cargo ship named after the asteroid "34 Circe ," which in turn was named after "Circe ," a goddess or sorceress in Greek mythology. USS "Circe" served as a commissioned ship for 18 months."Circe" (AKA-25) was launched
4 August 1944 byWalsh-Kaiser Co., Inc. ,Providence, R.I. , under aMaritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. R. E. Dougherty; acquired by the Navy10 November 1944 ; and commissioned the same day, Lieutenant Commander V. J. Barnhart, USNR, in command.Circe reached
Pearl Harbor from the East Coast3 January 1945 . Twenty days later she put to sea with Marine reinforcements and explosives forGuadalcanal , and through February, ferried troops in the Guadalcanal area. After practice landings in Savo Sound, she reported atUlithi 21 March to stage for the assault of Okinawa.Between
1 April 1945 and6 April , "Circe" was part of the vast armada off Okinawa, closing the coast in daylight to offload men and equipment, and retiring seaward at night. She called atSaipan and Pearl Harbor on her passage toSan Francisco , where from19 May to27 May she loaded cargo for a voyage to Pearl Harbor. Sailing again from San Francisco24 June , she carried pilots and ground crews toEniwetok ,Kwajalein , Saipan, andTinian , returning with men thus relieved to Pearl Harbor13 August .Clearing Pearl Harbor
25 September 1945 , "Circe" supported the occupation on cargo duty which took her to ports inJapan andKorea , returning with homeward bound servicemen to San Francisco20 December 1945 . Here she was decommissioned20 May 1946 , and transferred to theWar Shipping Administration for disposal26 June 1946 ."Circe" received one battle star for
World War II service.References
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c9/circe-ii.htm Naval Historical Center: USS "Circe" II]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/02025.htm NavSource Online: AKA-25 "Circe"]
* [http://ussrankin.org/id352.htm 51 Years of AKAs]
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