USS Ascella (AK-137)
Encyclopedia
USS Ascella (AK-137) was an Crater-class
cargo ship
commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II
, named after Ascella
, a star in the constellation Sagittarius
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
SS George C. Yount was laid down on 7 January 1943 at Wilmington, California, by the California Shipbuilding Corp. under a Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 708); launched on 4 February 1943; sponsored by Mrs. E. Rickenbacker; delivered to the American President Lines
, for operation by a civilian crew under a War Shipping Administration
contract; acquired by the Navy on a bare-boat basis on 30 November 1943; modified by the Matson Navigation Co., at San Francisco, California
, to prepare her for naval service; renamed Ascella and designated AK-137 on 14 December 1943; and commissioned at Hunters Point, California, on 7 January 1944, Lt. Comdr. Alexander Kusebach, USNR, in command.
, to load stores, provisions, and ammunition. Following brief shakedown training, she departed San Francisco, California
, on 21 January. Nine days later, Ascella entered port at Pearl Harbor
and began discharging her cargo.
in the Marshall Islands
. A week later, the vessel put to sea and, after a nine-day voyage, entered the lagoon
at Kwajalein. She spent the remainder of February unloading her cargo before departing Kwajalein on 3 March. After interrupting her voyage at Pearl Harbor
to drop off three landing craft for repairs, the ship returned to the Naval Supply Depot, Oakland, on the 23d. There she took on another load of supplies, embarked 83 Navy men for passage to Hawaii
, and stood out of San Francisco Bay
. She entered Pearl Harbor
on 10 April and began a four-day visit during which her passengers disembarked and she loaded ammunition and armory equipment. On 14 April, Ascella set sail for the Marshall Islands
with another 44 passengers embarked.
lagoon
, the cargo ship began replenishing the warships of Task Force
(TF) 58. During her sojourn there, she also provided berthing spaces for her officer passengers until the middle of the first week in May. On 6 June, she took on board 47 U.S. Marines for passage to Roi Island at Kwajalein, where the ship remained and loaded defective ammunition and empty shell cases until 21 June. On that day, Ascella embarked 51 Navy passengers and weighed anchor for Hawaii
. She stopped at Oahu
from 30 June to 3 July to debark 24 of her passengers and unload her cargo. Another eight days at sea preceded her 11 July arrival back at San Francisco.
on 1 August. During the next two days, the cargo ship debarked passengers and took on mail bound for the Central Pacific. Returning to sea on the 3d, Ascella resumed the voyage west and stood into the lagoon at Eniwetok Atoll on 15 August for a month's visit. In addition to serving as station stores ship issuing supplies to various units of the fleet, she also provided berthing spaces for transient sailors. After transferring what remained of her cargo to Silica
(IX-151) on 11 September, Ascella embarked 53 hospital patients for transportation to Hawaii
on 16 September and began the voyage that same day. She reached Pearl Harbor
on the 25th, exchanged her patient-passengers for 56 California
-bound sailors, and continued on her way on the 27th. On 6 October, the ship pulled into San Pedro, California, and disembarked her passengers.
to take on fuel and water before continuing on to her first destination, Finschhafen
, New Guinea
. She arrived at that port on 23 November but remained only a few hours. Two days later, the cargoman hauled into Seeadler Harbor
at the island of Manus
in the Admiralties. Her stay there brought more provisioning duty and lasted until 15 December. On that day, the ship cleared Manus for a run to the Palaus and the Carolines.
, she departed the latter port on 10 January 1945 and shaped a course for New Zealand
. Ascella moored at Princess Dock, Auckland
, on 24 January. Another consignment of general stores and provisions hoisted on board, she steamed out of Auckland on 1 February. The cargo ship delivered supplies to Noumea
, New Caledonia
, between 5 and 9 February and, with another group of passengers embarked, resumed her voyage. Ascella entered Seeadler Harbor once more on 16 February and discharged supplies and passengers. Having exchanged one group of passengers for another, the ship returned to sea on the 24th.
Atoll in the Carolines. They arrived there on 28 February, and the cargo ship began her last assignment of World War II
. Throughout the final campaigns -- Okinawa and the U.S. 3rd Fleet–U.S. 5th Fleet air assault on the Japanese
home islands—the cargo ship remained at Ulithi
issuing stores and provisions to the warships prosecuting those actions. One mission—a round-trip voyage from Ulithi to Pearl Harbor
and back in late July and early August—interrupted her service in the lagoon
. Her assignment as station stores ship at Ulithi ended nine days after the formal surrender of Japan.
. After duty at Okinawa from 16 September to 23 October, Ascella moved on to Samar
in the central Philippines
where she issued stores and provisions from 5 November to 24 December. Forced to get underway on Christmas Eve
Day, she celebrated the holiday at sea before entering Shanghai
, China
, on the 30th. The cargo ship served as an accommodation ship at Shanghai through the first week of April 1946. On 10 April, she departed Shanghai and headed for the Marianas. Ascella performed some unspecified duty at Guam
for about three weeks between 16 April and 5 May.
. Following 18 days at sea, she arrived back in San Francisco on 22 May. Later, she moved to Stockton, California
, where she loaded provisions before getting underway on 29 June for Hawaii
. She arrived in the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on 6 July and began inactivation procedures. Ascella was placed out of commission at Pearl Harbor on 13 August 1946.
, to be returned to the Maritime Commission. Her name was struck from the Navy list
on 22 May 1947, and she was transferred to the Maritime Commission for layup with the National Defense Reserve Fleet
at Suisun Bay, California. She remained there under her merchant name, SS George C. Yount, until the mid-1960s when she was scrapped in 1964.
Crater class cargo ship
Crater-class cargo ship is a category of freighter that was constructed for use by the United States Navy during World War II under Maritime Commission EC2-S-C1 type....
cargo ship
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
commissioned by the U.S. Navy for service in 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...
, named after Ascella
Zeta Sagittarii
Zeta Sagittarii is the third brightest star system in the constellation Sagittarius. It has the traditional name Ascella from a Late Latin word meaning armpit....
, a star in the constellation Sagittarius
Sagittarius
Sagittarius may refer to:Astrology* Sagittarius , a Zodiac sign.Astronomy:* Sagittarius , corresponding to the astrological sign...
. She was responsible for delivering troops, goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.
SS George C. Yount was laid down on 7 January 1943 at Wilmington, California, by the California Shipbuilding Corp. under a Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 708); launched on 4 February 1943; sponsored by Mrs. E. Rickenbacker; delivered to the American President Lines
American President Lines
American President Lines Ltd. is the world's seventh-largest container transportation and shipping company, providing services to more than 140 countries through a network combining intermodal freight transport operations with IT and e-commerce...
, for operation by a civilian crew under a War Shipping Administration
War Shipping Administration
The War Shipping Administration was a World War II emergency war agency of the US Government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the US needed for fighting the war....
contract; acquired by the Navy on a bare-boat basis on 30 November 1943; modified by the Matson Navigation Co., at San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, to prepare her for naval service; renamed Ascella and designated AK-137 on 14 December 1943; and commissioned at Hunters Point, California, on 7 January 1944, Lt. Comdr. Alexander Kusebach, USNR, in command.
World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Two days after commissioning, the cargo ship arrived at the Naval Supply Depot, Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, to load stores, provisions, and ammunition. Following brief shakedown training, she departed San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, on 21 January. Nine days later, Ascella entered port 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...
and began discharging her cargo.
Delivering supplies to troops in the South Pacific
On 3 February, she shifted berths and began loading supplies bound for the U.S. Army occupation garrison on newly won KwajaleinKwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. A week later, the vessel put to sea and, after a nine-day voyage, entered the lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
at Kwajalein. She spent the remainder of February unloading her cargo before departing Kwajalein on 3 March. After interrupting her voyage 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...
to drop off three landing craft for repairs, the ship returned to the Naval Supply Depot, Oakland, on the 23d. There she took on another load of supplies, embarked 83 Navy men for passage to 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...
, and stood out of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. She entered 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 April and began a four-day visit during which her passengers disembarked and she loaded ammunition and armory equipment. On 14 April, Ascella set sail for the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
with another 44 passengers embarked.
Replenishing Fifth Fleet ships
Upon her arrival in MajuroMajuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
, the cargo ship began replenishing the warships of Task Force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
(TF) 58. During her sojourn there, she also provided berthing spaces for her officer passengers until the middle of the first week in May. On 6 June, she took on board 47 U.S. Marines for passage to Roi Island at Kwajalein, where the ship remained and loaded defective ammunition and empty shell cases until 21 June. On that day, Ascella embarked 51 Navy passengers and weighed anchor for 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...
. She stopped at 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 30 June to 3 July to debark 24 of her passengers and unload her cargo. Another eight days at sea preceded her 11 July arrival back at San Francisco.
Supporting Central Pacific bases
After disembarking the remaining 27 passengers, the ship started loading dry stores and provisions bound for the fleet in the Central Pacific. She got underway on 24 July and reached Pearl HarborPearl 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 1 August. During the next two days, the cargo ship debarked passengers and took on mail bound for the Central Pacific. Returning to sea on the 3d, Ascella resumed the voyage west and stood into the lagoon at Eniwetok Atoll on 15 August for a month's visit. In addition to serving as station stores ship issuing supplies to various units of the fleet, she also provided berthing spaces for transient sailors. After transferring what remained of her cargo to Silica
USS Silica (IX-151)
USS Silica , a designated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel, was the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for silica. Her keel was laid down as SS Bauxite on 5 December 1943 by Barrett & Hilp, Belair Shipyard, San Francisco, California. She was launched on 31 December 1943...
(IX-151) on 11 September, Ascella embarked 53 hospital patients for transportation to 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...
on 16 September and began the voyage that same day. She reached 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 the 25th, exchanged her patient-passengers for 56 California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
-bound sailors, and continued on her way on the 27th. On 6 October, the ship pulled into San Pedro, California, and disembarked her passengers.
New Guinea operations
Three weeks of voyage repairs and cargo loading operations followed her return to the California coast. She got underway again on the 27th to carry supplies, this time to the fleet in the southwestern Pacific. Ascella made a stop at Pearl HarborPearl 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...
to take on fuel and water before continuing on to her first destination, Finschhafen
Finschhafen
Finschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. It is named after the port of the same name.The port was discovered in 1884 by the German researcher Otto Finsch. In 1885 the German colony of German New Guinea created a town on the site and named it...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. She arrived at that port on 23 November but remained only a few hours. Two days later, the cargoman hauled into Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor
Seeadler Harbor, also known as Port Seeadler, is located on Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea and played an important role in World War II...
at the island of Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
in the Admiralties. Her stay there brought more provisioning duty and lasted until 15 December. On that day, the ship cleared Manus for a run to the Palaus and the Carolines.
New Zealand operations
Following stops at Kossol Passage and at UlithiUlithi
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...
, she departed the latter port on 10 January 1945 and shaped a course for New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Ascella moored at Princess Dock, Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, on 24 January. Another consignment of general stores and provisions hoisted on board, she steamed out of Auckland on 1 February. The cargo ship delivered supplies to Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, between 5 and 9 February and, with another group of passengers embarked, resumed her voyage. Ascella entered Seeadler Harbor once more on 16 February and discharged supplies and passengers. Having exchanged one group of passengers for another, the ship returned to sea on the 24th.
Her last assignment of the war
Ascella and her passengers were bound for the same duty station, UlithiUlithi
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...
Atoll in the Carolines. They arrived there on 28 February, and the cargo ship began her last assignment of 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...
. Throughout the final campaigns -- Okinawa and the U.S. 3rd Fleet–U.S. 5th Fleet air assault on the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
home islands—the cargo ship remained at 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...
issuing stores and provisions to the warships prosecuting those actions. One mission—a round-trip voyage from Ulithi to 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...
and back in late July and early August—interrupted her service in the lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
. Her assignment as station stores ship at Ulithi ended nine days after the formal surrender of Japan.
End-of-war operations
On that day—11 September 1945—she weighed anchor for similar duty at Okinawa in the Ryukyu IslandsRyukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
. After duty at Okinawa from 16 September to 23 October, Ascella moved on to Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
in the central Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
where she issued stores and provisions from 5 November to 24 December. Forced to get underway on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
Day, she celebrated the holiday at sea before entering Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, on the 30th. The cargo ship served as an accommodation ship at Shanghai through the first week of April 1946. On 10 April, she departed Shanghai and headed for the Marianas. Ascella performed some unspecified duty at Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
for about three weeks between 16 April and 5 May.
Post-war assignments
On the latter day, the ship weighed anchor and set sail for the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Following 18 days at sea, she arrived back in San Francisco on 22 May. Later, she moved to Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
, where she loaded provisions before getting underway on 29 June for 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...
. She arrived in the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard on 6 July and began inactivation procedures. Ascella was placed out of commission at Pearl Harbor on 13 August 1946.
Post-war decommissioning
There, she remained until the spring of 1947 when she was towed to San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, to be returned to the Maritime Commission. Her name was struck from the Navy list
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 22 May 1947, and she was transferred to the Maritime Commission for layup with the National Defense Reserve Fleet
National Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...
at Suisun Bay, California. She remained there under her merchant name, SS George C. Yount, until the mid-1960s when she was scrapped in 1964.
Military awards and honors
No battle stars are indicated for Ascella in current Navy records. However, her crew was eligible for the following medals and campaign ribbons:- China Service Medal (extended)
- American Campaign Medal
- Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
- World War II Victory Medal
- Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)