USS Hydrus ( AKA - 28 ) USS " Hydrus " ( AKA - 28 ) was an named after the southern constellation " Hydrus . " She served as a commissioned ship for 15 months . " Hydrus " ( AKA - 28 ) was launched under Maritime Commission contract by Walsh - Kaiser Co . , Inc . , Providence , R . I . , 28 October 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . Alexander Hylek ; and commissioned 9 December , Lt . Comdr . R . J . Wissinger in command . Service history . 1944 . " Hydrus " departed Providence 22 December for Hampton Roads and her shakedown training , completing this phase of her operations early in January 1945 . The attack transport got underway 7 January for the Pacific theater , sailing via the Canal Zone to Pearl Harbor , where she arrived 27 January . 1945 . With the island campaign in the Pacific then entering its final phases , " Hydrus " sailed 1 February for Guadalcanal to participate in the extensive training operations for the projected invasion of Okinawa , the last objective before the mainland itself . Arriving 11 February , she took part in practice landings on Guadalcanal until 15 March , when her group , Task Force 53 , sailed for the final staging area , Ulithi . The period after her arrival 21 – 26 March , was spent in final preparations for the giant invasion , and 27 March found " Hydrus " and other transports of Task Force 53 steaming toward Okinawa with Marines and their equipment . They arrived off the beaches 1 April and under the command of Vice Adm . Kelly Turner carried out the successful assault . " Hydrus " discharged her troops and equipment off the Hagushi beaches . Between 1 – 9 April the ship remained off the bitterly - contested island , often undergoing heavy air attack . She departed 10 April for Guam and Pearl Harbor , arriving in Hawaii 26 April 1945 . " Hydrus " got underway 5 May for the United States , and arrived San Francisco six days later . After loading fresh cargo she once again sailed for Pearl Harbor , arriving 26 May . The next two months saw " Hydrus " operate temporarily as an inter - island cargo carrier , transporting supplies of various types among the myriad islands in the Hawaiian chain . After brief repairs , she sailed with a cargo for Christmas Island and Canton Island , but returned to Honolulu 3 August . Slated for return to the western Pacific , " Hydrus " sailed 7 August for Ulithi and Okinawa . During this passage she received word of the war ' s end , and arrived Okinawa to unload her cargo 3 September . Except for 16 – 18 September , when she got underway to ride out the great typhoon , " Hydrus " remained at anchor off Okinawa until 25 September . She then sailed to Manus to embark units of a Marine Air Group for the occupation of the Chinese mainland . The transport arrived Tsingtao 17 October to put ashore her cargo and passengers , thus helping to speed the occupation and help stabilize the explosive internal situation in China . She subsequently embarked additional troops in the Philippines and carried them to Taku , China , 14 November . Her role in the Chinese occupation over , " Hydrus " was assigned duty with " Magic Carpet " , the gigantic operation for the return of Pacific veterans . She sailed from Shanghai 6 December and arrived Seattle 23 December . Post - war . Designated for return to the Maritime Commission , the ship sailed 11 January for the East Coast and arrived New York 2 February . There " Hydrus " was selected as a training ship for the New York State Maritime Academy , and steamed up the East River to Fort Schuyler 6 March 1946 . She decommissioned there 26 March and became " Empire State II " . After a 10 - year career as a training ship for future maritime officers , the ship was placed in the Maritime Commission ' s National Defense Reserve Fleet in June 1956 . She remained there until being sold in April 1964 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp . , of New York , and scrapped . " Hydrus " received one battle star for World War II service .