USS Alcyone ( AKA - 7 ) USS " Alcyone " ( AKA - 7 ) was an named after " Alcyone , " the brightest star in the star cluster " Pleiades . " She served as a commissioned ship for 5 years and 1 month . The ship was laid down as " Mormacgull " under a Maritime Commission contract ( MC hull 30 ) on 12 January 1939 at Chester , Pennsylvania , by the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co . , Hull 179 ; launched on 28 August 1939 ; sponsored by Miss Barbara Ann Moore ; delivered 13 October 1939 to owner / operator Moore - McCormack Lines , Inc . ; purchased by the Navy on 31 May 1941 ; renamed " Alcyone " and designated AK - 24 on 3 June 1941 ; converted for naval service by the Boston Navy Yard ; and placed in commission on 15 June 1941 , Comdr . Daniel M . McGurl in command . Service history . 1941 . The cargo ship then reported for duty to Commander , Train , Atlantic Fleet . Following shakedown training , she departed New York City on 4 September and shaped a course for Iceland . The vessel arrived at Reykjavík on the 16th and began disembarking passengers and discharging cargo . Upon the completion of this task , she left Icelandic waters on 5 October , sailed southwest - ward across the Atlantic , and arrived at Charleston , South Carolina , on the 13th . After one month of voyage repairs , the ship moved , via Norfolk , Virginia , to New York City to take on cargo and sailed on 28 November for the Caribbean . Among her ports of call during the cruise were Guantanamo Bay , Cuba ; Jamaica ; San Juan and Vieques , Puerto Rico ; St . Thomas , Virgin Islands ; Antigua ; and Trinidad before she arrived back at New York on 27 December . 1942 . During the first three months of 1942 , " Alcyone " made two more voyages from New York and Norfolk to various points in the Caribbean . Among her assignments during these trips was the evacuation of civilians from Antigua to the United States . On one occasion , her convoy was attacked by German submarine s . Although three consorts fell victim to torpedo attacks , " Alcyone " completed her trip unscathed and arrived back at Charleston on 12 April where she underwent availability . " Alcyone " was assigned to the Naval Transportation Service on 1 June and set sail from Norfolk on the 10th in a convoy bound for New Zealand with troops and equipment of the 1st Marine Division which would land on Guadalcanal early in August . She transited the Panama Canal on 18 June , joined the Pacific Fleet , and reached Wellington on H July . After discharging her cargo , the ship moved to Auckland , New Zealand , to take on material for transportation to advanced bases in the Pacific . " Alcyone " sailed independently from Auckland on 31 July and proceeded to Nouméa , New Caledonia , and Espiritu Santo to distribute her cargo . Following these stops , she arrived at Sydney , Australia , on the 28th and underwent voyage repairs . On 8 September , the vessel left Australia ; shaped a course for the West Coast of the United States ; and reached San Francisco , California , on 29 September . She then entered the Mare Island Navy Yard , Vallejo , California , for conversion to an attack cargo ship . During the yard work , three 30 - ton booms , a boat repair shop , and additional berthing space were added . " Alcyone " was redesignated AKA - 7 on 26 November and was reassigned to Amphibious Forces , Pacific Fleet . The conversion work was completed early in November , and " Alcyone " departed San Francisco on the 6th . She was then involved in amphibious exercises and shakedown training off San Diego , California . The ship left California on 21 December and headed for the East Coast of the United States . 1943 . " Alcyone " retransited the Panama Canal on 2 March , arrived at the Charleston Navy Yard on the 9th , and underwent repairs for a month before sailing to Norfolk in mid - April . Soon after reaching Norfolk , " Alcyone " began a period of training exercises in the Chesapeake Bay which lasted until early June . She sailed with Task Force 65 on the 8th for the Mediterranean . Her convoy repulsed several enemy attacks en route before arriving safely at Oran , Algeria , on 22 June . She took part in amphibious landing exercises and loaded her cargo holds in preparation for the upcoming assault on Sicily . " Alcyone " got underway on 5 July ; arrived off Scoglitti , Sicily , five days later ; and began discharging her cargo despite rough seas and frequent enemy air harassment . She landed her equipment and troops with the loss of only a few small boats , left the area on the 13th , and arrived back at Oran on 16 July . From there , the vessel moved on to Norfolk , where she arrived on 3 August . After a brief period in port , the attack cargo ship proceeded once again to the Pacific . She transited the Panama Canal on the last day of August and stopped at San Francisco before continuing on to Hawaii . " Alcyone " touched at Pearl Harbor on 30 September and participated in training exercises off Maui during October . She got underway on 10 November with Task Group ( TG ) 52 . 11 to participate in the invasion of Makin Island , Gilbert Islands . On the 20th , the vessel reached the transport area off that island and began unloading her cargo . Members of her crew also assisted other vessels in discharging their passengers and supplies . Despite heavy enemy resistance , " Alcyone " successfully completed her operations and left the area on the 24th . After a brief layover at Pearl Harbor , " Alcyone " continued on to San Diego , where she arrived on 19 December . She remained there through the Christmas holidays . 1944 . " Alcyone " sailed for Hawaii on 13 January 1944 . Upon reaching Pearl Harbor , the ship made final preparations for the assault on Kwajalein . She sortied from Oahu on 22 January and reached the transport area off Kwajalein on the 31st . " Alcyone " unloaded her cargo and assisted in the landing of troops from other ships as well . Enemy shore fire and dangerous coral reefs somewhat delayed her operations , and " Alcyone " remained in the area until mid - February . The cargo ship made a port call at Pearl Harbor before continuing on to the California coast . She reached San Pedro on 26 February and proceeded to a shipyard at Terminal Island for overhaul . A series of amphibious landing exercises followed the completion of the yard work , and Alcyone left the West Coast on 18 April , bound for Hawaii . She reached Pearl Harbor and joined forces preparing to attack Guam in the Marianas . The cargo ship anchored off that island on 22 July and commenced unloading operations . Upon completing this assignment , she got underway to return to Hawaii . She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 10 August and , shortly thereafter , entered drydock for minor repairs . The ship got underway again on 15 September and sailed to Manus , Admiralty Islands . After approximately a month of preparations and training , she sailed on 14 October as a member of TG 79 . 2 , which was scheduled to begin the liberation of the Philippine Islands . The attacking force reached waters off the beaches of Leyte on the 20th and began the landing operations that same day . " Alcyone " discharged her cargo while undergoing enemy air attack and mortar fire from shore batteries . She completed her unloading operations on the 22d and proceeded to Hollandia , New Guinea , to reprovision . On 14 November , the ship sailed for Leyte to resupply the beachhead which had been established there . After unloading her cargo at Leyte , she retired to the Admiralties and reached Manus on the 24th . From that island , she moved to Cape Gloucester , New Britain , to take on units of the 40th Infantry Division . The ship carried these troops back to Manus , where she joined TG 79 . 4 . On 16 December the group sailed to Huon Gulf , New Guinea , for a series of amphibious landing exercises . Upon their completion , the ships returned to Manus for final loadout prior to the invasion of Luzon , the largest island of the Philippines . 1945 . On the last day of 1944 , " Alcyone " sortied with TG 79 . 4 , for the assault on the Lingayen beaches which began on 9 January 1945 . The task of unloading her cargo was made more difficult by rough seas , Japanese suicide boat attacks , and enemy air raids . " Alcyone " remained in the area for five days before she finished emptying her holds . On the 13th , she set a course for Leyte where she replenished her stores before returning to Luzon on the 29th with a small attacking force for a landing at Zambales . The assault was unopposed , and operations were completed on 31 January . " Alcyone " left Philippine waters on 11 February , bound for the United States . She made port calls at Manus and at Pearl Harbor before reaching San Francisco on 12 March . The ship then entered the Moore Dry Dock Company , Oakland , California , for overhaul . During this yard period , her kingposts were replaced by quadruped masts , her troop berths were removed , and temporary cargo storage cages were installed . Upon completion of the yard work on 2 June , the ship was assigned to Service Forces , Pacific Fleet . On the 8th , " Alcyone " was routed to Seattle , Washington , for loading . She departed Seattle on 21 June and shaped a course for Ulithi . After pausing there briefly on 9 July , she got underway to rendezvous with logistic support ships provisioning the warships of the Fast Carrier Task Force in waters off the Japanese home islands . " Alcyone " completed unloading at sea on 2 August and set sail for Guam to replenish . While the ship was in the Marianas , Japan capitulated . " Alcyone " rejoined the logistics group on 23 August ; and , three days later , she and her consorts entered Tokyo Bay . After unloading , " Alcyone " left Japan and returned to Guam to take on more cargo and supplies . She arrived back in Tokyo Bay on 1 October and began replenishing ships of the occupation forces . 1946 . " Alcyone " remained in Japanese waters through early March 1946 . She shuttled supplies and equipment among the ports of Yokosuka , Ominato , Aomori , Otaru , Wakayama , Sasebo , and Kure . The ship departed Yokosuka on 11 March and headed back to the United States . She arrived at San Francisco on 29 March and began a period of upkeep . On 15 May , the vessel proceeded to San Diego where she remained for two weeks . " Alcyone " continued sailing southward and transited the Panama Canal on 9 June . Five days later , she made port at Norfolk , Virginia . Preparations to deactivate the ship soon began . " Alcyone " was decommissioned at the Norfolk Navy Yard , Portsmouth , Virginia , on 23 July 1946 and was transferred to the War Shipping Administration on 24 July 1946 for disposal . Her name was struck from the Navy List on 15 August 1946 . The ship was sold to the Johnson Line on 17 March 1947 , and refitted for service as the merchant vessel " Star Alcyone " , and later scrapped in 1969 . " Alcyone " earned eight battle stars for her World War II service .