USS Majaba ( AG - 43 ) USS " Majaba " ( AG - 43 / IX - 102 ) was a commercial cargo ship acquired by the U . S . Navy during World War II . She was assigned to operations in the South Pacific Ocean , where , during dangerous operations at Guadalcanal , she was struck by a torpedo and beached . She was eventually salvaged sufficiently to serve as a barracks ship and as a storage ship , until she was finally disposed of post - war . Constructed in Oregon . " Majaba " ( AG 43 ) was built as " SS Meriden " by Albina Engine & Machine Works , Portland , Oregon , in 1919 ; acquired by the Navy under charter as " SS El Capitan " from her owner , E . K . Wood Lumber Co . , of San Francisco , California , 23 April 1942 ; renamed " Majaba " and commissioned the same day . World War II service . " Majaba " completed conversion to a miscellaneous auxiliary 14 May and subsequently steamed to the Hawaiian Islands for cargo runs to islands of Polynesia and the South Pacific Ocean . Departing Honolulu 24 June , she operated during the next several months out of Honolulu and completed supply missions to Palmyra Island , Christmas Island , and Canton Island . Thence , she reached Efate , New Hebrides , to bolster the vital ocean supply line to American forces engaged in the bitter struggle for control of Guadalcanal . " Majaba " departed the New Hebrides 26 October and steamed to meet two supply convoys bound for the Solomon Islands . However , heavy weather prevented the rendezvous , and she returned to Espiritu Santo 29 October . Later that day she sailed once again for Guadalcanal where she arrived 2 November . Screened by , she crossed Ironbottom Sound and unloaded cargo at Tulagi that same day . Guadalcanal operations . Despite the menace of powerful Japanese naval forces , " Majaba " shuttled cargo between Tulagi and Guadalcanal during the next few days . She arrived off Lunga Point , Guadalcanal , early 7 November ; and , while her escort , , patrolled for enemy submarine s off Lunga Point , she began final unloading operations prior to her planned departure for Espiritu Santo . Shortly before 0930 , lookouts in , anchored near " Majaba " , spotted a submarine periscope followed by two torpedo wakes . One torpedo , which apparently passed under " Lansdowne " , hit the beach but failed to explode . The other curved toward " Majaba " and exploded against her starboard side amidships , destroying her engine room and boilers . She settled and listed slightly but did not sink . While " Lansdowne " and " Woodworth " searched for the enemy sub , went to " Majaba ' s " aid . The tug towed the disabled ship east along the coast of Guadalcanal and beached her that afternoon off the month of the Tenaru River . Reclassified as IX - 102 . On 8 January 1943 and " Bobolink " freed " Majaba " from her beached position and towed her to Tulagi . Reclassified " IX - 102 " and placed in an in - service status on 1 July 1943 , she remained at Florida Island , Solomons , and during the remainder of World War II served as a floating quarters and material storage ship . Post - war inactivation . Following the end of the war , " Majaba " was towed to the Philippines . She remained at San Pedro Bay , Leyte , until early in 1946 when she was towed to Subic Bay , Luzon . There , she was placed out of service 14 March 1946 and delivered to War Shipping Administration ( WSA ) for return to her owner . Her name was struck from the Navy List 28 March 1946 . Honors and awards . " Majaba " received one battle star for World War II service .