USS Alchiba ( AKA - 6 ) USS " Alchiba " ( AKA - 6 ) was an of the United States Navy , named after " Alchiba , " a star in the Constellation " Corvus . " She served as a commissioned ship for 4 years and 7 months . Operational history . Laid down as " Mormacdove " under a Maritime Commission contract ( MC hull 21 ) on 15 August 1938 at Chester , Pennsylvania , by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co . , Hull 178 ; launched on 6 July 1939 ; sponsored by Miss Alice W . Clement ; delivered 21 September 1939 to owner / operator Moore - McCormack Lines , Inc . ; acquired by the Navy on 2 June 1941 ; renamed " Alchiba " the next day and simultaneously designated AK - 23 ; converted by the Boston Navy Yard for naval service as a cargo ship ; and placed in commission at Boston on 15 June 1941 , Comdr . Allen P . Mullinix in command . 1941 . " Alchiba " was assigned to the Naval Transportation Service and sailed to Charleston , South Carolina , for shakedown training . She then carried out training exercises along the East Coast through early October and sailed — via Quonset Point , Rhode Island — for Halifax , Nova Scotia , to take on cargo and personnel for transportation to Iceland . She departed Halifax on 22 October in convoy HX 156 and reached Reykjavík , Iceland , on 30 November . The vessel discharged cargo there before sailing back to the United States . She reached New York City on 26 December , and was briefly drydocked there for repairs . 1942 . The ship got underway on 11 January 1942 , arrived at Charleston — via Norfolk , Virginia — on the 19th , took on supplies and equipment destined for the Pacific theater , and set sail on 27 January . She transited the Panama Canal on 2 February ; joined the Base Force , Pacific Fleet ; and continued on to the Society Islands . " Alchiba " reached Bora Bora on the 17th and began discharging her cargo . She departed that port on 14 March and shaped a course for Chile . She reached Antofagasta , Chile , on 29 March and took on a load of ingot and electrolytic copper . After transiting the Panama Canal on 8 April , the cargo ship arrived back in New York City on 19 April and unloaded her cargo . One week later , " Alchiba " moved to Charleston and underwent a period of repairs and alterations . She resumed duty late in May and sailed for Hampton Roads to take on cargo and personnel destined for service in the South Pacific . The ship then got underway on 10 June , transited the Panama Canal on the 17th , and reached Wellington , New Zealand , on 11 July . The vessel was assigned to Amphibious Force , Pacific Fleet , and became a member of Transport Division 10 . On 22 July , she sailed for Korp Island , Fiji Islands , to participate in amphibious landing exercises — the rehearsal for the first American assault landing in the Pacific theater . Upon completing this training , she embarked marines and filled her holds with ammunition , amphibious tractors , gasoline , and general supplies and got underway for operations in the Solomon Islands . The vessel arrived off Guadalcanal on 7 August , disembarked her troops , unloaded her cargo , and left the Solomons two days later , bound for New Caledonia . After her arrival at Nouméa on the 13th , the ship loaded on more cargo and , nine days later , commenced a voyage which took her to Pago Pago , American Samoa ; Tongatapu , Tonga Islands ; and Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides . " Alchiba " returned to Guadalcanal on 18 September . After unloading cargo to support Marines struggling for that island , she sailed back to New Caledonia ( 7 – 10 October ) for more supplies and returned to Guadalcanal on 1 November . During November the ship shuttled supplies and personnel between Guadalcanal and Tulagi . She was anchored off Lunga Point at 0616 on 28 November , when two torpedo es from Japanese Ko - hyoteki class midget submarine " Ha - 10 " ( launched from submarine ) exploded on the vessel ' s port side . At that time , her hold was loaded with drums of gasoline and ammunition , and the resulting explosion shot flames 150 feet in the air . The commanding officer , James Shepherd Freeman , ordered the ship to get underway to run her up on the beach . This action undoubtedly saved the ship . Hungry flames raged in the ship for over five days before weary fire fighting parties finally brought them under control . Captain Freeman was awarded the Navy Cross and executive officer Commander Howard R . Shaw the Silver Star for their leadership in saving this vessel . Salvage operations began soon thereafter . Most of her cargo was saved , and temporary repairs were in progress when " Alchiba " was torpedoed again on 7 December , this time by midget submarine " Ha - 38 " ( launched from ) . An enemy submarine ' s conning tower had been spotted shortly before two torpedoes were fired . One passed close under the cargo ship ' s stern , but the other struck her port side near the engine room . The blast killed three men , wounded six others , and caused considerable structural damage . Once the fires and flooding were controlled , salvage operations resumed and enabled the ship to get underway for Tulagi on 27 December 1942 . 1943 . " Alchiba " remained at Tulagi through 18 January 1943 . On that day , she was moved to Espiritu Santo for further repair work . While at that island , the ship was redesignated AKA - 6 on 1 February . She left Espiritu Santo on 6 May , bound for the West Coast of the United States , and entered the Mare Island Naval Shipyard , Vallejo , California , on 2 June . Her refurbishing there lasted until early August when she conducted sea trials off the California coast before sailing on 13 August for Port Hueneme , California , to take on cargo . Six days later , she headed for the South Pacific to continue her service providing logistics support for Allied fighting men . " Alchiba " left Espiritu Santo on 12 September . She made runs to New Caledonia and Guadalcanal and in mid - November , participated in the landings on Bougainville . " Alchiba " returned to Espiritu Santo on 13 December . 1944 . " Alchiba " continued her supply duties in the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia through late March 1944 . In April , " Alchiba " was assigned to carry elements of the 25th RCT ( Regimental Combat Team ) , 4th Marines , for the invasion of Saipan as part of Transport Division 20 . However , during the rehearsal in mid - May she had to return to Pearl Harbor for major repairs , and her place was taken by AKA 19 ( USS Thuban ) . On 25 May , the ship left Pearl Harbor for the West Coast of the United States . On 30 May , " Alchiba " entered the Moore Dry Dock Company , Oakland , California , to undergo extensive alterations and repairs . The work was completed late in August , and the cargo ship got underway for sea trials in San Francisco Bay . Engine trouble developed during these tests , and the ship returned to the yard on 1 September for further repairs . She took on cargo at the Hunters Point Navy Yard on the 22d and sailed once again for Espiritu Santo . While en route , the ship experienced more engine problems , but she reached her destination on 9 October and commenced repair work . This process continued until early November , when the vessel shaped a course back to San Francisco . She arrived at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard , Vallejo , California , on the 29th and underwent extensive repairs to her main engine . 1945 . On 24 February 1945 , " Alchiba " commenced sea trials but was forced to return to Mare Island two days later for still more work . Two weeks later , the ship sailed to Morehaven ( ? ) , California , to load cargo and got underway on 20 March for Pearl Harbor . During the run to Hawaii , the engines continued to give trouble , and " Alchiba " returned to San Francisco for further repairs , this time by the General Engineering & Drydock Corp . The cargo ship left the shipyard on 3 June ; sailed to the Naval Supply Depot , Oakland , California ; took on cargo there ; and put to sea on the 15th , bound for Ulithi . While she was en route there , her destination was changed to Pearl Harbor because of still more engine trouble . Upon her arrival at Hawaii on the 24th , repair work was resumed . The ship sailed again on 8 July for Eniwetok , Marshall Islands ; Ulithi , Caroline Islands ; Guam , Mariana Islands ; and Manila , Philippines . The end of World War II in mid - August found " Alchiba " in port at Ulithi unloading cargo . She remained on duty in the western Pacific through 26 October , when she was ordered back to the United States . " Alchiba " arrived at San Francisco on 19 November . Eight days later , she began a voyage to the East Coast , transited the Panama Canal on 10 December , and sailed for Norfolk where she arrived on the 18th . Preparations for her deactivation then began . Decommissioning and sale . The ship was decommissioned at Portsmouth , Virginia , on 14 January 1946 ; and her name was struck from the Navy List on 25 February 1946 . She was transferred on 19 July 1946 to the Maritime Commission for disposal . She was sold in 1948 and refitted for merchant service in the Netherlands as " Tjipanas " , later renamed " Tong Jit " , and scrapped in 1973 . Awards . " Alchiba " won three battle stars for her World War II service , and was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation for her service at Guadalcanal from August through December 1942 .