USS Supply ( IX - 147 ) The third USS " Supply " ( IX - 147 / AVS - 1 ) was a freighter and aviation supply ship of the United States Navy during World War II . The ship was built in 1921 by Doullet and Williams of New Orleans , Louisiana , and was operated by the American Pioneer and American Export Lines as MS " Ward . " Ward " sailed from Hoboken , New Jersey , to Pearl Harbor , on 25 November 1943 , after calling at Norfolk , Virginia , and Oakland , California , to load aviation material . Upon her arrival at Pearl Harbor the ship was to be allocated to the Navy , on a bareboat basis , by the War Shipping Administration . " Ward " was acquired by the Navy at Pearl Harbor on 5 February 1944 and commissioned on 8 February 1944 as Supply " ( IX - 147 ) , Lt . Comdr . A . J . F . Schmidt , USNR , in command . Service history . The ship entered the Navy Yard there for repairs , alterations , and conversion into an auxiliary aviation supply ship . " Supply " departed Pearl Harbor on 25 March for Majuro , Marshall Islands , to replenish aircraft carriers for further strikes west of those islands . After the fleet sailed , " Supply " steamed to Roi - Namur , on 22 April , and operated as an aviation supply depot there until early July . " Supply " sailed for Pearl Harbor on 7 July , where she underwent extensive alterations to enable her to double the amount of stores that could be kept in a ready - for - issue status . The ship sailed for Yap , Caroline Islands , to assist in setting up an aviation supply depot there . Pending the military operation against the island , the supply ship was routed to Peleliu , via Funafuti , Tulagi , and Manus , arriving on 14 October , the day the island was declared secure . As she could not anchor there , " Supply " moved up to Kossol Passage . The ship remained there for a month supplying Marine Air Group ( MAG ) 11 with aircraft stores . On 15 November , she steamed to the fleet anchorage at Ulithi where she assisted PBM tenders and MAG 45 for several weeks . At this time it was decided that Yap was to be bypassed , and the ship ' s destination was changed to Guam , M . I . " Supply " arrived at Guam on 7 December 1944 , and by 7 February 1945 had stripped herself of all supplies . She returned to Roi to replenish and then sailed for Saipan on 3 March . Her next mission was to assist in establishing an aviation supply depot at Okinawa . However , due to the kamikaze attacks on the fleet there , it was decided to retain the ship in the Mariana Islands until the island was secured . On 25 May , " Supply " was redesignated from Unclassified Miscellaneous IX - 147 to Aviation Supply Ship AVS - 1 . " Supply " finally sailed for Okinawa on 8 July and arrived there a week later . She first discharged her top - loaded cargo to seaplane tenders and then began transferring bulk stores to the beaches . The ship was at Okinawa when hostilities with Japan ceased . She remained there until 3 November when she weighed anchor en route to the United States , via Pearl Harbor . " Supply " arrived at San Diego and unloaded her cargo at the naval air base before proceeding to San Francisco for inactivation . The ship arrived at San Francisco on 19 December 1945 and was decommissioned on 4 February 1946 . " Supply " was returned to the War Shipping Administration the same date she was decommissioned and struck from the Navy List on 25 February 1946 . " Supply " was sold by the Maritime Commission on 26 January 1947 to the Florida Pipe and Supply Co . Awards . " Supply " received one battle star for World War II service .