USS Hydra (AK-82) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

USS Hydra (AK-82) was an Enceladus-class 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. She was responsible for delivering goods and equipment to locations in the war zone.

Hydra (AK-82), formerly SS Eben H. Linnell, was launched 23 January 1943 under Maritime Commission contract by Penn-Jersey Ship Building Corp., Camden, New Jersey

Camden, New Jersey

The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...

; acquired by the Navy 1 January 1943; and commissioned 25 September 1943, Lt. E. F. McCotter, USCGR, in command.

Hydra arrived at Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....

, 1 October to prepare for her shakedown

Shakedown (testing)

A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...

. For the next month she engaged in various operations, including speed trials and target runs in the Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake 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...

. She departed Norfolk in early November and sailed into Boston, Massachusetts, Harbor 5 November to begin transferring process. She decommissioned 19 November 1943 and transferred to the U.S. Army the same day.

Hydra served in the Army as the Port Repair ship

U.S. Army Port Repair ship

The U.S. Army acquired ten ships during World War II as Engineer Port Repair Ships, also sometimes known as Port Rehabilitation ships, for use by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to clear war damaged harbors...

Madison Jordan Manchester. The ship was returned to the Maritime Commission.and arrived in the James River

James River (Virginia)

The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...

20 August 1947 where she is berthed as part of 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...

Military awards and honors

Hydra’s crew was eligible for the following medals:

American Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal

External links

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