USS Hope (AH-7)
_underway_on_30_August_1944_(80-G-246912).jpg)
USS Hope (AH-7)
|
|
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
|
|
| Name: | USS Hope |
| Builder: | |
| Launched: | 30 August 1943 |
| Sponsored by: | Miss Martha L. Floyd |
| Acquired: | 30 August 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 15 August 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 9 May 1946 |
| Nickname(s): | Lucky 7 |
| Fate: | Sold for Scrap 1978 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Comfort-class hospital ship |
| Displacement: | 6,000 GRT, 9,800 GRT fully loaded |
| Length: | 419 ft 9 in (127.94 m) |
| Beam: | 60 ft (18 m) |
| Draft: | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
| Propulsion: | Geared Turbines, Single Screw |
| Speed: | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h) (max) |
| Capacity: | 400+ patients |
| Complement: | 516 crew |
USS Hope (AH-7) was a Comfort-class hospital ship launched under Maritime Commission contract by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California, 30 August 1943; sponsored by Miss Martha L. Floyd; acquired by the Navy the same day for conversion to a hospital ship by U.S. Naval Dry Dock, Terminal Island, Calif.; and commissioned 15 August 1944, Commander A. E. Richards in command.
Hope was one of three hospital ships, the others being USS Comfort (AH-6) 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.
Hope completed her shakedown cruise and sailed 23 September 1944 to render medical care during the climactic phase of the campaign against Japan. Steaming via Pearl Harbor and Manus, the ship arrived Kossol Passage, in the Palaus, and received soldiers wounded taking the islands of the group.
American soldiers, supported by a vast naval task force, returned to the Philippines 20 October. Hope arrived Leyte Gulf 7 November, to care for casualties and evacuated them to Hollandia. Thereafter the ship made four more voyages to Leyte to evacuate wounded. During the morning of 3 December she was followed by a Japanese submarine, and that afternoon was attacked unsuccessfully by a torpedo plane. Three days later, as she steamed toward Manus, the hospital was again attacked by aircraft. One bomb was dropped close aboard but no damage resulted. Continuing to evacuate wounded from the Philippines, Hope arrived Subic Bay 16 February 1945, just as paratroopers landed on Corregidor. The ship sailed on to Lingayen Gulf for evacuation, and sailed from Leyte 6 March for Ulithi.
...
Wikipedia