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USS Achernar (AKA-53)
Encyclopedia
USS Achernar (AKA-53) was an Andromeda-class
attack cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy
, named after the star Achernar
. She served as a commissioned ship for 19 years and 5 months.
She was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract on 6 September 1943 at Kearney, New Jersey by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., launched on 3 December 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Adela Rogers St. John, acquired by the Navy on 29 January 1944, and commissioned
on 31 January 1944 with Comdr.
H. R. Stevens in command.
. On 13 March, she arrived at Staten Island
, New York — where she loaded cargo and embarked Army
personnel for transportation to Britain
— and stood out to sea on 19 March, with Convoy CU-18. She arrived at Swansea
, Wales
on 30 March and spent the next two months transporting cargo and personnel between various ports in the United Kingdom
in preparation for the Normandy invasion.
The last week in May found Achernar in Plymouth
, England. On 1 June 1944, she was designated the 1st Army's headquarters ship. On 6 June, she steamed across the English Channel
and anchored in her preassigned position in Baie de la Seine, France
. For the next few days, she acted as a nerve center for troops fighting for a foothold in France. On 11 June, the 1st Army's headquarters disembarked, and Achernar got underway for England. After a three-day respite in Plymouth, the ship moved to Roseneath, Scotland
to take on the cargo and personnel of two construction battalions. On 19 June, she returned to Plymouth to onload materials to repair damaged assault craft and, on 22 June, got underway for the assault area in France. While on station, she underwent several enemy air attacks. The cargo ship again left the French coast on 29 June to return to England and arrived in Plymouth on 1 July. On 5 July, the ship was ordered to sail as a part of Task Group (TG) 120.6, which was bound for the Mediterranean Sea
to support the invasion of southern France. The ship entered the harbor at Oran, Algeria
on 10 July; but, six days later, sailed to Naples
. After loading operations there, she switched to an anchorage at Castellamare, Italy
on 2 August. Here, she embarked personnel of the 36th Division and proceeded to sea on the 13th for the assault in southern France. On the morning of 15 August, her crew commenced discharging her cargo and sending it to the beaches. The next day, after finishing the delivery of cargo, she received casualties on board and embarked 13 German
prisoners of war
before getting underway to return to Naples.
For the next two months, Achernar continued making trips from Naples and Oran to points along the southern coast of France. On 25 October, she sailed from Oran westward through the Strait of Gibraltar
towards the United States
. She arrived at Hampton Roads
on 8 November and underwent repairs and overhaul at the Norfolk Navy Yard. On 7 December, Achernar got underway for a brief period of trials and exercises in Chesapeake Bay. The ship returned to Norfolk on 11 December, took on cargo, and got underway on 18 December. She transited the Panama Canal
on Christmas Day 1944 and arrived at Pearl Harbor
on 10 January 1945.
Following tactical maneuvers off Oahu
from 17 January to 19 January, the cargo ship began loading cargo on 12 February and put to sea on 18 February. Achernar stopped at Eniwetok on 26 February, Kossol Roads
on 4 March, and anchored in San Pedro Bay
, Philippine Islands, from 15 March to 20 March, before arriving off Okinawa on 1 April to support the seizure of that key island. At 0043 the next day, a Japan
ese suicide plane
hit the attack cargo ship's starboard side; and, almost simultaneously, a bomb exploded on her port side. Fires broke out, and the ship began listing slightly to port. Achernar lost five crew members killed and 41 injured.
By 0100, the fires were out and the list had been corrected. At 1525, the battered ship transferred her casualties to USS Solace
and proceeded to anchor off Hagushi beach, where temporary repairs began. On the morning of 3 April, Achernar moved to Kerama Retto
to begin unloading her cargo. She remained at Okinawa until 19 April, when she sailed for the United States via Ulithi
and Pearl Harbor. The vessel arrived at San Francisco on 13 May and began offloading ammunition and fuel. Two days later, she entered drydock for repairs and overhaul. She got underway again on 10 July for shakedown along the California coast. On 4 August, Achernar left San Francisco to return to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived a week later and immediately began discharging her cargo. She was still in Hawaii
when hostilities ended on 15 August. Achernar then shuttled personnel and equipment between Japan, various other Pacific islands, and took part in "Magic Carpet" operations, returning veterans to the United States.
On 28 November, Achernar arrived in Seattle, Washington
. One week later, SS H. H. Raymond collided with her during a storm. As a result of the damage she sustained in the accident, Achernar entered dry dock
on 22 December for repairs. Achernar got underway again on 16 January 1946 and resumed operations between the west coast and various ports in the Far East and the Pacific.
, Achernar was completing overhaul at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. She got underway on 7 July 1950 and soon began onloading troops and cargo for transportation to the war zone. On 14 July, the ship joined TG 53.7 and sailed for Japan. She unloaded her cargo at Kobe
, Sasebo
, and Yokosuka. On 22 September, she left Japan and proceeded to Inchon, Korea
, to support nearby ground operations.
After American forces had liberated the territory near Inchon and Seoul
, elements of the 1st Marine Division and their equipment were loaded on board Achernar for landing on the east coast of Korea at Wonsan. She sailed as part of TG 90.2 and arrived in Wonsan on 25 October. She unloaded her passengers and proceeded to Moji, Japan, arriving there on 31 October. There, she took on men of the 2nd Infantry Division for transportation to Wonsan. Following this mission, she returned to Yokosuka on 20 November.
The attack cargo ship was then ordered to report back to the United States. She left Japan on 27 November accompanying USS Brush
and USS Mansfield
— both of which had been damaged by naval mine
s — ready to assist them, if necessary. They made brief stops at Midway
and Pearl Harbor before reaching San Francisco on 17 December.
Following a short availability period, Achernar went to Port Hueneme, California
on 18 January 1951 to onload cargo and personnel for transportation to the Aleutians. After unloading at Amchitka
, she visited Adak, Whittier, Alaska
, and Kodiak Island
to pick up cargo to be returned to Seattle. On 17 March, Achernar set course for Norfolk. She transited the Panama Canal on 26 March; paused at Morehead City, North Carolina
on 1 April; and finally arrived at Norfolk on 3 April. The ship was assigned to the Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet
, and took part in various fleet exercises and cargo runs in the Caribbean
and along the east coast. On 18 February 1956, Achernar was decommissioned, placed in reserve, and berthed at Orange, Texas
.
capes operating area.
Achernar was again placed out of commission on 1 July 1963 and transferred to the Maritime Administration. She was reacquired by the Navy on 29 January 1964 but saw no active service before she was transferred to the government of Spain
on 2 February 1965. She served the Spanish Navy as Castilla (TA-21) until scrapped in 1982.
Achernar received three battle stars for World War II
service and three battle stars for Korean War
service.
Andromeda class attack cargo ship
An Andromeda class attack cargo ship was an attack cargo ship built by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Kearny, New Jersey and Moore Dry Dock Co., in Oakland, California;during World War II...
attack cargo ship in the service of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, named after the star Achernar
Achernar
Achernar , sometimes spelled Achenar, is the brightest star in the constellation Eridanus and the ninth-brightest star in the night sky. Of the top ten apparent brightest stars —Sirius, Canopus, Alpha Centauri, Arcturus, Vega, Capella, Rigel, Procyon, Achernar and Betelgeuse—Achernar is the hottest...
. She served as a commissioned ship for 19 years and 5 months.
She was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract on 6 September 1943 at Kearney, New Jersey by Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., launched on 3 December 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Adela Rogers St. John, acquired by the Navy on 29 January 1944, and commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
on 31 January 1944 with Comdr.
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
H. R. Stevens in command.
World War II service
Following conversion and fitting out at the New York Navy Yard, the attack cargo ship got underway on 28 February and held shakedown in the Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. On 13 March, she arrived at Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, New York — where she loaded cargo and embarked Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
personnel for transportation to Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
— and stood out to sea on 19 March, with Convoy CU-18. She arrived at Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
on 30 March and spent the next two months transporting cargo and personnel between various ports in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in preparation for the Normandy invasion.
The last week in May found Achernar in Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, England. On 1 June 1944, she was designated the 1st Army's headquarters ship. On 6 June, she steamed across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
and anchored in her preassigned position in Baie de la Seine, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. For the next few days, she acted as a nerve center for troops fighting for a foothold in France. On 11 June, the 1st Army's headquarters disembarked, and Achernar got underway for England. After a three-day respite in Plymouth, the ship moved to Roseneath, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to take on the cargo and personnel of two construction battalions. On 19 June, she returned to Plymouth to onload materials to repair damaged assault craft and, on 22 June, got underway for the assault area in France. While on station, she underwent several enemy air attacks. The cargo ship again left the French coast on 29 June to return to England and arrived in Plymouth on 1 July. On 5 July, the ship was ordered to sail as a part of Task Group (TG) 120.6, which was bound for the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
to support the invasion of southern France. The ship entered the harbor at Oran, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
on 10 July; but, six days later, sailed to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. After loading operations there, she switched to an anchorage at Castellamare, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
on 2 August. Here, she embarked personnel of the 36th Division and proceeded to sea on the 13th for the assault in southern France. On the morning of 15 August, her crew commenced discharging her cargo and sending it to the beaches. The next day, after finishing the delivery of cargo, she received casualties on board and embarked 13 German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
before getting underway to return to Naples.
For the next two months, Achernar continued making trips from Naples and Oran to points along the southern coast of France. On 25 October, she sailed from Oran westward through the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
towards the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. She arrived at Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
on 8 November and underwent repairs and overhaul at the Norfolk Navy Yard. On 7 December, Achernar got underway for a brief period of trials and exercises in Chesapeake Bay. The ship returned to Norfolk on 11 December, took on cargo, and got underway on 18 December. She transited the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
on Christmas Day 1944 and arrived at Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 10 January 1945.
Following tactical maneuvers off Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
from 17 January to 19 January, the cargo ship began loading cargo on 12 February and put to sea on 18 February. Achernar stopped at Eniwetok on 26 February, Kossol Roads
Kossol Roads
Kossol Roads, Palau is a large body of reef-enclosed water north of Babeldaob. During World War II, it was used by the United States Navy as the location of a floating resupply and repair base....
on 4 March, and anchored in San Pedro Bay
San Pedro Bay (Philippines)
San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south. The bay is bounded on the north and east by Samar and on the east by Leyte Island. It is connected by San Juanico Strait to Carigara Bay of the Samar Sea. The...
, Philippine Islands, from 15 March to 20 March, before arriving off Okinawa on 1 April to support the seizure of that key island. At 0043 the next day, a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese suicide plane
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
hit the attack cargo ship's starboard side; and, almost simultaneously, a bomb exploded on her port side. Fires broke out, and the ship began listing slightly to port. Achernar lost five crew members killed and 41 injured.
By 0100, the fires were out and the list had been corrected. At 1525, the battered ship transferred her casualties to USS Solace
USS Solace (AH-5)
The second USS Solace was built in 1927 as the passenger ship SS Iroquois by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, Virginia...
and proceeded to anchor off Hagushi beach, where temporary repairs began. On the morning of 3 April, Achernar moved to Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
to begin unloading her cargo. She remained at Okinawa until 19 April, when she sailed for the United States via Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
and Pearl Harbor. The vessel arrived at San Francisco on 13 May and began offloading ammunition and fuel. Two days later, she entered drydock for repairs and overhaul. She got underway again on 10 July for shakedown along the California coast. On 4 August, Achernar left San Francisco to return to Pearl Harbor, where she arrived a week later and immediately began discharging her cargo. She was still in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
when hostilities ended on 15 August. Achernar then shuttled personnel and equipment between Japan, various other Pacific islands, and took part in "Magic Carpet" operations, returning veterans to the United States.
On 28 November, Achernar arrived in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. One week later, SS H. H. Raymond collided with her during a storm. As a result of the damage she sustained in the accident, Achernar entered dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
on 22 December for repairs. Achernar got underway again on 16 January 1946 and resumed operations between the west coast and various ports in the Far East and the Pacific.
Korean War service
When the Military Sea Transportation Service was formed on 1 October 1949, she was one of a group of attack cargo ships selected for service in the new organization. At the outbreak of the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Achernar was completing overhaul at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. She got underway on 7 July 1950 and soon began onloading troops and cargo for transportation to the war zone. On 14 July, the ship joined TG 53.7 and sailed for Japan. She unloaded her cargo at Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
, Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, and Yokosuka. On 22 September, she left Japan and proceeded to Inchon, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, to support nearby ground operations.
After American forces had liberated the territory near Inchon and Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, elements of the 1st Marine Division and their equipment were loaded on board Achernar for landing on the east coast of Korea at Wonsan. She sailed as part of TG 90.2 and arrived in Wonsan on 25 October. She unloaded her passengers and proceeded to Moji, Japan, arriving there on 31 October. There, she took on men of the 2nd Infantry Division for transportation to Wonsan. Following this mission, she returned to Yokosuka on 20 November.
The attack cargo ship was then ordered to report back to the United States. She left Japan on 27 November accompanying USS Brush
USS Brush (DD-745)
USS Brush , an Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer, is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Charles Brush.Brush was launched 28 December 1943 by Bethlehem Steel Co., Staten Island, New York; sponsored by Miss Virginia Perkins, great-granddaughter of Charles Brush; and commissioned...
and USS Mansfield
USS Mansfield (DD-728)
USS Mansfield , an , is the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for Sergeant Duncan Mansfield, a Marine who, in 1804, during the First Barbary War sailed with Lieutenant Stephen Decatur aboard the on a covert mission to destroy the recently captured .The name Mansfield was canceled for...
— both of which had been damaged by naval mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
s — ready to assist them, if necessary. They made brief stops at Midway
Midway Atoll
Midway Atoll is a atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian archipelago, about one-third of the way between Honolulu, Hawaii, and Tokyo, Japan. Unique among the Hawaiian islands, Midway observes UTC-11 , eleven hours behind Coordinated Universal Time and one hour...
and Pearl Harbor before reaching San Francisco on 17 December.
Following a short availability period, Achernar went to Port Hueneme, California
Port Hueneme, California
Port Hueneme is a small beach city in Ventura County, California surrounded by the city of Oxnard and the Pacific Ocean. The name derives from the Spanish spelling of the Chumash wene me, meaning "Resting Place". The area was discovered by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in the mid 16th century...
on 18 January 1951 to onload cargo and personnel for transportation to the Aleutians. After unloading at Amchitka
Amchitka
Amchitka is a volcanic, tectonically unstable island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska. It is part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The island is about long, and from wide...
, she visited Adak, Whittier, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, and Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second largest island in the United States and the 80th largest island in the world, with an...
to pick up cargo to be returned to Seattle. On 17 March, Achernar set course for Norfolk. She transited the Panama Canal on 26 March; paused at Morehead City, North Carolina
Morehead City, North Carolina
Morehead City is a port city in Carteret County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 8,661 at the 2010 census. Morehead City celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding on May 5, 2007...
on 1 April; and finally arrived at Norfolk on 3 April. The ship was assigned to the Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
, and took part in various fleet exercises and cargo runs in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and along the east coast. On 18 February 1956, Achernar was decommissioned, placed in reserve, and berthed at Orange, Texas
Orange, Texas
Orange is a city in Orange County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 18,643. It is the county seat of Orange County, and is the easternmost city in Texas. Located on the Sabine River at the border with Louisiana, it is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur...
.
Later service and decommissioning
Achernar was placed back in commission at New Orleans on 1 September 1961. She arrived at Norfolk on 1 December 1961 and became a unit of Amphibious Squadron 6, Atlantic Fleet. Achernar held shakedown in the Caribbean and spent the remainder of her career conducting various training exercises in the VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
capes operating area.
Achernar was again placed out of commission on 1 July 1963 and transferred to the Maritime Administration. She was reacquired by the Navy on 29 January 1964 but saw no active service before she was transferred to the government of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
on 2 February 1965. She served the Spanish Navy as Castilla (TA-21) until scrapped in 1982.
Achernar received three battle stars for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
service and three battle stars for Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
service.