USS Comfort (AH-6)
_at_Hollandia_in_1945.jpg)
USS Comfort arrives at Hollandia, February 1945
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| History | |
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 United States
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| Builder: | Bethlehem Steel Company, San Pedro, California |
| Launched: | 18 March 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 5 May 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 19 April 1946 |
| Notes: | Transferred to the United States Army 19 April 1946 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 6,000 tons |
| Length: | 417 ft 9 in (127.33 m) |
| Beam: | 60 ft (18 m) |
| Draught: | 27 ft 8 in (8.43 m) |
| Speed: | 14 kts |
| Complement: | 233 |
The second USS Comfort (AH-6) was launched 18 March 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by First Lieutenant E. Hatchitt, USAMC; transferred to the Navy the same day; converted to a hospital ship by Bethlehem Steel Co., San Pedro, Calif.; and commissioned 5 May 1944 with Commander Harold Farnham Fultz in command.
Comfort was one of three hospital ships, the others being USS Hope (AH-7) and USS Mercy (AH-8), built, commanded and crewed by the Navy for the Army. These ships, unlike the Navy hospital ships, were intended for evacuation and transport of patients after primary care had been given. Medical equipment and personnel were provided by the Army. The Army medical complement table of organization provided for the temporary reinforcement of the staff if the ship directly supported amphibious operations.
Comfort operated throughout World War II with a Navy crew and Army medical personnel. She sailed from San Pedro, 21 June 1944 for Brisbane, Australia, and Hollandia, New Guinea. Operating from Hollandia, where a major Army hospital center had been established to handle casualties from the Philippine operations, the hospital ship evacuated wounded from Leyte, Philippine Islands on two voyages in October and November and then brought patients back to San Pedro, Calif., in December. Returning by way of Leyte, Comfort reached Hollandia 6 February 1945. Following a voyage to Subic Bay and Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, for evacuees in March, the hospital ship stood by off Okinawa from 2 to 9 April, receiving wounded for evacuation to Guam. Returning to Okinawa 23 April, 6 days later she was struck by a Japanese suicide plane. The plane crashed through three decks exploding in surgery which was filled with medical personnel and patients. Casualties were 28 killed (including six nurses), and 48 wounded, with considerable damage to the ship. After temporary repairs at Guam Comfort sailed for Los Angeles, Calif., arriving 28 May.
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