USS Mercury ( AK - 42 ) USS " Mercury " ( AK - 42 ) was a cargo ship commissioned by the U . S . Navy for service in World War II . She was responsible for delivering necessary goods and equipment to ships and stations in the war zone . Service career . The fifth ship to be named " Mercury " by the Navy , " AK - 42 " was launched as SS " Lightning by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Go . , Kearny , New Jersey , 15 July 1939 ; sponsored by Mrs . Royal S . Copeland ; purchased on the ways by Moore McCormack Lines and placed in operation by them as SS " Mormactern 30 October 1940 ; acquired by the Navy 20 June 1941 ; converted , and commissioned as " Mercury " 1 July 1942 , Lt . Comdr . G . W . Graber , UK MERCHANT FLEET , in command . Throughout her World War II service , " Mercury " operated in the Pacific Ocean , beginning with long runs from the west coast to the South Pacific and ending with underway replenishments for the fast carrier forces . The converted merchantman completed her maiden wartime voyage at San Francisco , California , 27 September 1942 having carried a mixed cargo , which included drummed petroleum products , landing mats , dynamite , engineering equipment , and food , to Noumea and Guadalcanal . Over the next 15 months she continued to carry essential materiel to the South Pacific , supporting Allied forces as they pushed through the Solomons and the Gilberts . On 7 January 1944 , as plans for the Marshall Islands campaign reached completion , she reported for duty with the U . S . 5th Fleet at Pearl Harbor . Two weeks later , with U . S . Army assault units and combat cargo , she sailed with TG 51 . 1 , the reserve force for Operation Flintlock . Arriving in Kwajalein lagoon 2 February , she remained anchored there , with her passengers and cargo uncommitted , until 15 February , when the island hopping pace was stepped up . The Eniwetok assault date was pushed forward and the Kwajalein Reserve Force became the expeditionary force for Operation Catchpole . On the 17th , " Mercury " entered the lagoon of strategic Eniwetok , which would become the temporary naval and air base needed to take the Carolines and Marianas . The cargo ship landed men and supplies on both Engebi Island and Eniwetok Island and then returned to Kwajalein to embark Marine casualties for transportation back to the United States . Arriving at San Francisco 17 March , " Mercury " underwent overhaul and then resumed cargo runs between Pearl Harbor and the U . S . West Coast and among the Hawaiian Islands . On 7 June she got underway once more for the war zone , anchoring south of Garapan , Saipan , on the 26th . Less than 5 hours later , at 2131 , a Japanese bomber came through the smokescreen at an altitude of about 92 feet and headed for the ship ’ s superstructure . The plane ’ s torpedo hit the amidships living compartments on the port boat deck and continued on , breaking in two without detonating . The torpedo ’ s main body was found in the 1st lieutenant ’ s room and its fuse was located in the engine room , while the explosive components ( TNT ) of its warhead were spread over the port boat and bridge decks . The plane itself fell victim to the after starboard boom which stood passively in the enemy ’ s path , knocking the plane out of control upon collision and causing it to crash 500 yards off the starboard quarter . Following repairs at Pearl Harbor , " Mercury " returned to the western Pacific . She arrived at Manus 3 October and 5 days later became a unit of the U . S . 7th Fleet as task force TF 33 became TF 79 for the reconquest of the Philippines . On the 14th , with Army assault personnel again embarked , she sailed for Leyte Gulf . A week later she discharged her cargo and passengers off the Dulag beachhead and then sailed for Hollandia . Through November and into December she carried reinforcements to Leyte from New Guinea and the Admiralties . On 30 December she got underway for another invasion , this time Luzon . Arriving in Lingayen Gulf 9 January 1945 , she unloaded in 2 days and returned to Leyte to embark units of the 38th Infantry Division , assigned to cut off a Japanese retreat into the Bataan Peninsula . Completing the mission off the coast of Zambales Province 29 January , she steamed for Ulithi , joined ServRon 10 , and underwent alterations to enable her to transfer cargo at sea . On 26 February she completed her first such operation and for the next 51 days remained at sea replenishing the fast carriers off Okinawa . She then proceeded to San Francisco , California , arriving 12 June for conversion to a store - issues ship . She was reclassified AKS 20 , 31 July and completed conversion in September 1945 . Detached from the U . S . Pacific Fleet , " Mercury " sailed from San Francisco 12 October and transited the Panama Canal to begin operations with Service Force , Atlantic fleet . For the next 4 years she plied between the United States and Europe , supporting ashore and afloat units of naval forces , eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean . In 1950 she began operating with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean as the on station fleet issue ship with Underway Support Group , alternating tours in that role with . Arriving at Norfolk , Virginia , 16 October 1958 , she completed her last mission in that capacity , a 10 month tour during which she set records for underway transfer rates while supporting the 6th Fleet during the Lebanon crisis . " Mercury " remained at Norfolk until March 1959 when she steamed to Orange , Texas . There she decommissioned 28 May . Struck from the Naval Register 1 August 1959 , she was transferred to the Maritime Administration 5 April 1960 . She entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet in February 1961 and was berthed in Beaumont , Texas , in 1969 . Military awards and honors . " Mercury " received five battle stars for World War II service : Her crew was eligible for the following medals :