USS Artemis ( AKA - 21 ) USS " Artemis " ( AKA - 21 ) was an named after the asteroid 105 Artemis , which in turn was named after the Greek goddess Artemis . She served as a commissioned ship for 2 years and 4 months . " Artemis " ( AKA - 21 ) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract ( MC hull 1882 ) on 23 November 1943 at Providence , R . I . , by the Walsh - Kaiser Co . , Inc . ; launched on 20 May 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . Thomas J . Walsh ; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on 28 August 1944 ; and placed in commission that same day , Lt . Comdr . Thomas J . Rattray in command . Service history . 1944 . After fitting out at Boston , Mass . , the attack cargo ship proceeded to the Chesapeake Bay for shakedown training . She then sailed to the naval supply depot at Bayonne , N . J . , to embark naval passengers and supplies for transportation to the Pacific . The ship got underway on 12 October and transited the Panama Canal on the 17th . On that same date , she reported to Amphibious Forces , Pacific Fleet , and continued on toward the west coast . She reached San Diego , California , on the 26th and remained in port for one day . The vessel then shaped a course for Hawaii . " Artemis " reached Pearl Harbor on 3 November and unloaded her passengers . One day later , she left Hawaiian waters to return to California . On 13 November , the ship arrived at Port Hueneme to take on pontoon equipment and carried this cargo to Pearl Harbor . While in Hawaii , she participated in a series of training exercises held off Pearl Harbor . On 5 December , " Artemis " left Hawaiian waters to return to the west coast . Once again , cargo was taken on at Port Hueneme , and the ship proceeded back to Hawaii , and " Artemis " spent the Christmas holidays in port at Pearl Harbor . 1945 . On 4 January 1945 , she proceeded to Kahului , Maui , to embark marines . The vessel got underway on 12 January with units of Task Force ( TF ) 51 for amphibious training exercises off Maui and arrived back at Pearl Harbor on the 18th . Nine days later , she sailed for Eniwetok with Task Group 53 . 2 . After spending two days at that atoll , " Artemis " got underway to participate in the invasion of the Volcano Islands . Steaming via Saipan , the ship anchored in Transport Area " Baker " off the southeast coast of Iwo Jima on 19 February . She then sent her boats to assist the transports during the initial assault . The attack cargo ship remained in the area through the 27th discharging troops and cargo and taking casualties on board during the day and retiring out to sea each night . " Artemis " touched back at Saipan on 3 March . Three days later , she got underway for Ulithi and remained in port there during the next three weeks to resupply and undergo minor repairs . On 29 March , the vessel paused at Manus before getting underway for New Caledonia . She arrived at Noumea on 4 April where she took on passengers and cargo before sailing on 3 May for Leyte , Philippine Islands . The vessel reached Leyte on 16 May and began unloading operations the next day . " Artemis " headed for " New Guinea " on the 30th and touched at Hollandia on 3 June . Two days later , she moved to Oro Bay to take on cargo and troops . The ship sailed for the Philippines on 9 June , discharged her cargo at Manila , and then sailed to the Admiralty Islands . After pausing at Manus to refuel , " Artemis " proceeded to Lae , New Guinea , to pick up more troops and cargo . The loading was completed on 3 July , and the vessel got underway to return to the Philippines . She unloaded at Manila in mid - July before proceeding to Tacloban , Philippine Islands , to pick up troops and equipment for transportation to Hawaii . " Artemis " sailed eastward on 31 July and reached Pearl Harbor two weeks later . She was discharging her cargo there when word of the Japanese capitulation was announced on 15 August . The vessel entered drydock at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard on the 24th for overhaul . This work was completed in mid - September , and she embarked occupation troops for transportation to the Japanese home islands . On 3 October , Artemis moored at Yokosuka , Japan , and began discharging her passengers . She operated in Japanese waters until 24 November , when she set a course for the west coast of the United States . The vessel reached San Francisco , California , on 10 December and , ten days later , set out for the Philippines . Upon her arrival at Samar , " Artemis " embarked military personnel for transport back to the United States . 1946 . She got underway on 21 January 1946 and made San Francisco on 9 February . The ship remained in port there until 20 March , when she headed for Hawaii . Upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor , the ship conducted logistic support operations for nearby naval activities until 15 May , when she was assigned to Joint Task Force 1 to support " Operation Crossroads , " tests conducted at Bikini Atoll to learn of the effects of atomic bomb explosions upon warships . This assignment occupied the cargo ship through mid - August when she returned to Pearl Harbor and resumed local operations . On 6 November , " Artemis " departed Hawaiian waters and shaped a course for the west coast . She reached San Francisco one week later , but left that port on the 23rd and proceeded to the Panama Canal Zone . After retransiting the canal , the ship continued on to Norfolk , Va . , where she was decommissioned on 10 January 1947 . Decommissioning . Her name was struck from the Navy list on 25 February 1947 . The ship was transferred to the Maritime Administration on 1 April 1948 and was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in the James River . She was later sold during the 1960s to the Union Minerals & Alloys Corp . , of New York City , and was subsequently scrapped . " Artemis " earned two battle stars for her World War II service .