USS Electra ( AKA - 4 ) USS " Electra " ( AKA - 4 ) was an " Arcturus " - class attack cargo ship named after Electra , a star in the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus . She served as a commissioned ship for seven years . " Electra " ( AK - 21 ) was launched 18 November 1941 as " Meteor " by Tampa Shipbuilding Co . , Tampa , Fla . , under a Maritime Commission contract ; sponsored by Mrs . C . O . Andrews , wife of the Senator from Florida ; transferred to the Navy 16 April 1941 ; and commissioned 17 March 1942 , Commander J . J . Hughes in command . She was reclassified AKA - 4 , 1 February 1943 . Service history . World War II . After a fast voyage from Norfolk , Va . , to Wellington , New Zealand , between 10 May and 18 July 1942 , to deliver men of the 1st Marines , " Electra " , upon her return trained in the Chesapeake Bay with troops assigned to the initial north African landings . On 23 October she sailed for French Morocco and saw action during the invasion landings off Safi on 8 November . Although several of her landing boats were lost under intensive fire from the beach , she unloaded her cargo by the 14th and got underway with wounded soldiers on board . Bound for Fedhala , she was torpedo ed on the starboard side by German U - boat U - 173 . took off all of " Electra ' s " crew and passengers except for a ship ' s salvage party , and with the assistance of several ships , " Electra " was beached at Casablanca two days later . Her remaining cargo was discharged , and her ship ' s company with the aid of salvage facilities ashore performed a herculean repair job which enabled her to return to Charleston 30 April 1943 . Following an overhaul and permanent repairs , " Electra " carried out amphibious training in Chesapeake Bay until the end of the year , then sailed from Norfolk on 11 December 1943 for the Pacific . She departed Pearl Harbor 23 January 1944 for the invasion of the Marshalls , and during the capture of Kwajalein furnished her boats for the occupation of the small islands north of the atoll , and refueled minecraft and small craft of the invasion force . After discharging part of her cargo , she sailed to Eniwetok where she supplied boats and equipment for the initial landings 18 February . After unloading the remainder of her cargo , " Electra " returned to Pearl Harbor 8 March . In June 1944 , " Electra " served in the assault landings on Saipan , debarking her troops 15 June and unloading cargo and embarking casualties for return to Pearl Harbor until 26 June . She arrived at Guadalcanal in August to stage for the invasion of the Palaus , and on 15 September took part in the feint assault on Babelthuap to divert attention from the main landings on Peleliu . Two days later she was engaged as control boat for the initial assault on Angaur , remaining there to unload cargo until the 23d . After a brief respite at Manus , " Electra " sortied for the invasion of the Philippines , landing her troops and cargo at Tacloban , Leyte , 20 October 1944 , sailing 2 days later for the Palaus . She lifted troops from Guam for support landings on 23 November , then sailed to Hollandia , New Guinea , to prepare for the next invasion . On 9 January 1945 , " Electra " arrived at Lingayen Gulf , Luzon for the initial assault , made under air attack , and successfully offloaded her troops and cargo by the 17th . She returned to New Guinea briefly to embark Army troops for transfer to support operations at Mindoro , then sailed to Ulithi , arriving 19 February . On 18 March 1945 , " Electra " arrived off Iwo Jima to embark men of the fighting 5th Marines for transportation to Pearl Harbor , arriving 15 April . The transport then continued on to the West Coast of the United States for overhaul . When the war ended , " Electra " was back at Pearl Harbor . She carried occupation troops to Wakayama and Hiro Wan from Pearl Harbor and the Philippines , then embarked returning veterans for the States , arriving at San Francisco 10 November 1945 . She was placed out of commission in reserve 19 March 1946 , and returned to the Maritime Commission 1 July 1946 . Korea . Reacquired from the Maritime Commission 16 October 1951 as a result of the Korean War , " Electra " was recommissioned 3 May 1952 . She operated along the West Coast of the United States , taking part in amphibious exercises and acting as a submarine target vessel . In June 1953 she loaded cargo at Long Beach for a supply mission in the Arctic , then sailed from Seattle 10 July with TF 9 to arrive at Icy Cape on the 21st . " Electra " furnished provisions , fuel , and water to other ships in the force , as well as unloading cargo for northern bases . She returned to San Diego 2 September , and except for a supply mission to the Pribilof Islands from 10 July to 7 September 1954 , " Electra " continued training and upkeep along the west coast until placed out of commission in reserve again 13 May 1955 . " Electra " was sold for scrap on 7 June 1974 to Van Komodo International Inc . " Electra " received six battle stars for World War II service .