USS Mellena
,_11_May_1947.jpg)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Mellena |
| Namesake | The asteroid Mellena |
| Builder | Walsh-Kaiser Company, Providence, Rhode Island |
| Laid down | 25 September 1944 |
| Launched | 11 December 1944 |
| Commissioned | 20 January 1945 |
| Decommissioned | 11 June 1946 |
| Stricken | 3 July 1946 |
| Fate | Transferred to the California Maritime Academy and commissioned as TS Golden Bear in 1946. Decommissioned in 1971 and sold for scrap. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | attack cargo ship |
| Type | S4–SE2–BE1 |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 426 ft (130 m) |
| Beam | 58 ft (18 m) |
| Draft | 16 ft (4.9 m) |
| Speed | 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) |
| Complement | 303 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
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USS Mellena (AKA-32) was an
attack cargo ship named after the minor planet 869 Mellena, which in turn was named after Werner von Melle, mayor of Hamburg
. She served as a commissioned ship for 16 months.
Mellena (AKA-32) was laid down under
Providence, R.I., 25 September 1944; launched 11 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Paul P. Neal; acquired by the Navy 20 January 1945; and commissioned
the same day.
Service history
After shakedown out of
occupation troops to Japan
.
Assigned to Transport Squadron 24, Mellena embarked 242 MPs and Army Engineers of the
1st Marine Division. Operating with the 7th Amphibious Group, she sailed for Chinese waters 29 September to support the U.S. program of assisting the Chinese Nationalists
in their efforts to regain control of the Chinese mainland following the defeat of Japan.
Mellena entered the
"Magic Carpet" duty. Steaming via Qingdao and Okinawa, she sailed with a capacity load of returning troops and arrived Portland, Oregon
, 12 December.
From 14 December to 9 January 1946, Mellena underwent repairs at Willamette Iron & Steel Co. Thence she sailed 18 January for
San Pedro where she arrived the 29th via San Francisco and San Diego. Designated for conversion to a surveying ship (AGS) 26 January, she operated out of San Pedro under Service Force, Pacific Fleet, until 6 March when she was ordered to be disposed of rather than converted. Assigned to the 12th Naval District 9 April, she reached Vallejo, California
, the 15th.
She decommissioned there 11 June 1946 and simultaneously was transferred to
California Maritime Academy. Mellena was struck from the Navy list 3 July 1946. Subsequently, she was recommissioned for the Academy as T.S. Golden Bear
. She was sold for scrap following her decommissioning in 1971.
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
 United States Navy | |
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 Chilean Navy |
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