USS Alnitah ( AK - 127 ) The USS " Alnitah " ( AK - 127 ) was a " Crater " - class cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy in World 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 as liberty ship SS " John A . Logan " ( MCE hull 451 ) by Permanente Metals Corporation , Yard No . 2 , Richmond , California , under a Maritime Commission contract ; launched on 14 January 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . T . W . Ludington ; acquired by the Navy on a bareboat basis on 7 October 1943 ; converted for naval service at San Pedro , California , by Los Angeles Shipbuilding Corp . ; renamed " Alnitah " on 11 October 1943 and simultaneously designated AK - 127 ; and placed in commission at San Pedro on 27 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 on 12 December and reached Espiritu Santo on 3 January 1944 . On that same day , " Alnitah " reported to Service Squadron 8 for duty as an interisland transport . Among her ports of call were Guadalcanal and Florida 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 and Guam , Mariana Islands ; and Okinawa . " Alnitah " continued her routine of transporting cargo and personnel throughout the Pacific theatre of operations into late July 1945 . The ship departed Saipan on 28 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 at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , the cargo ship arrived at San Francisco , California , on 21 August and received voyage repairs before the vessel resumed action on 25 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 , and Majuro Atoll s in October . She touched back at Pearl Harbor on 12 November before continuing on to San Diego , California . " Alnitah " debarked her passengers before getting underway on 29 November for Okinawa . The vessel arrived there on 22 December and discharged her cargo and passengers . She operated in the Okinawa area through 4 February 1946 ; then sailed for the Philippines . The ship reached Subic Bay on 8 February and there embarked troops for transportation to Japan . " Alnitah " left Philippine waters on 16 February and arrived at Yokosuka , Japan , on 23 February . Upon her arrival preparations were begun to deactivate the ship . She was decommissioned on 11 March 1946 and was transferred to the War Shipping Administration representative at Yokohama , Japan . Her name was struck from the Navy list on 28 March 1946 . " Alnitah " was scrapped in 1961 .