USS Mercy (AH-8)

USS Mercy (AH-8) underway in San Pedro Bay, California, 15 August 1944
History
Name:	USS Mercy
Builder:	Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, Los Angeles, California
Laid down:	4 February 1943
Launched:	25 March 1943
Sponsored by:	Lieutenant (j.g) Doris M. Yetter, NC, USN
Acquired:	25 March 1943
Commissioned:	7 August 1944
Decommissioned:	17 May 1946
Struck:	25 September 1946
Fate:	Transferred to the US Army
General characteristics
Class and type:	Comfort-class hospital ship
Displacement:	9,800 long tons (9,957 t)
Length:	416 ft (127 m)
Beam:	60 ft 2 in (18.34 m)
Draft:	24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
Propulsion:	Geared turbine, single screw, 4,000 shp (2,983 kW)
Speed:	15.3 knots (17.6 mph; 28.3 km/h)
Capacity:	400 patients
Complement:	516
Armament:	None
Service record
Operations:	World War II
Awards:	2 battle stars

The second USS Mercy (AH-8) was a Comfort-class hospital ship laid down under Maritime Commission contract by Consolidated Steel Corporation at the Wilmington Yard, Wilmington, California, on 4 February 1943. She was acquired by the US Navy from the Maritime Commission on 25 March 1943 and launched the same day, sponsored by Lieutenant (junior grade) Doris M. Yetter, NC, USN, who had been a prisoner of war on Guam in 1941. She was converted from a cargo ship to a hospital ship by Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, San Pedro, California and commissioned 7 August 1944, with Captain Thomas A. Esling, USNR, in command.

Mercy was one of three hospital ships, the others being USS Comfort (AH-6) and USS Hope (AH-7), 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.

After shakedown beginning 17 August, Mercy, staffed by the US Army's 214th Hospital Ship personnel, was assigned to NTS to operate with the 5th and 7th Fleets. She departed San Pedro 31 August for the South Pacific and, after calls at Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, arrived Hollandia, New Guinea, 14 October. Five days later the hospital ship departed for the Philippines for the initial landing at Leyte on 20 October, arriving off Leyte Gulf the morning of 25 October to find the Battle for Leyte Gulf still raging for another day.