USS Hyades (AF-28)
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USS ''Hyades'' (AF-28) was the lead ship of her class of stores ships acquired by the U.S. Navy for service in World War II. Her task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet and to remote stations and staging areas. ''Hyades'', ex.-''SS Iberville'', was launched under Maritime Commission contract by Gulf Shipbuilding Co.,
Chickasaw, Alabama Chickasaw is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 6,457, up from 6,106 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Mobile metropolitan area. History Company town In the early 20th century bef ...
, 12 June 1943; sponsored by Mrs. L. R. Sanford; and commissioned at Bethlehem Steel,
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, after conversion, 1 August 1944.


World War II service

''Hyades'' got underway 11 September 1944 for Trinidad and the Panama Canal, escorted by destroyer ''Warrington'' (DD-383).


Rescuing survivors of ''Warrington''

In the
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''Hyades'' and ''Warrington'' encountered a severe hurricane. By 13 September was foundering. The heavy weather had separated the two ships. When the destroyer went down, ''Hyades'' proceeded to her last known position to pick up survivors. She rescued 61 before proceeding to Panama, where she arrived 19 September.


Transfer to the Pacific Fleet

The refrigerator ship steamed to Majuro to supply the fleet with foodstuffs 10 October, touching at Kwajalein, Eniwetok, and other bases before returning to San Francisco, California. Underway again 1 December 1944, the ship made two more voyages to the advance bases and the Philippines with stores, returning to Seattle, Washington, from the second cruise 13 April 1945. She continued on this duty, so vital to the support of the huge U.S. Pacific Fleet, until well after the surrender of
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. In addition to supplying ships she brought food and supplies to many shore bases.


Post-war operations

In 1946 ''Hyades'' brought supplies to American ground troops in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, spending March at Tsingtao and April at Hong Kong. In 1947 she spent several months at Shanghai. She then operated out of San Francisco, bringing supplies to the various occupation groups and island outposts in the Pacific Ocean.


Return to the Atlantic Ocean

The ship sailed through the Panama Canal to
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, to join the Atlantic Fleet, arriving 14 June 1948. She departed for her first cruise to the Mediterranean 12 July 1948, during which she operated with the fast Carrier forces serving as a mobile replenishment ship. ''Hyades'' brought supplies and showed the flag in many Mediterranean ports, including Piraeus, Greece, Naples, Italy,
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, and
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.


Suez crisis operations

As tension mounted in the Mediterranean in early 1956, ''Hyades'' replenished destroyers patrolling the eastern Mediterranean, returning to Norfolk 28 February. She later rendezvoused with powerful fleet units in July, including ''Iowa'' (BB-53), ''New Jersey'' (BB-62), ''Des Moines'' (CA-134), and ''Macon'' (CA-132), as American naval power moved in to prevent the widening of the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
. In April 1957 the ship replenished carrier ''Lake Champlain'' (CV-39) during moves to support the threatened government of Jordan and took part in an important NATO fleet exercise during September–October in northern European waters.


Visiting Crete and Turkey

In the years that followed, ''Hyades'' continued to support the
U.S. 6th Fleet The Sixth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy operating as part of United States Naval Forces Europe. The Sixth Fleet is headquartered at Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy. The officially stated mission of the Sixth Fleet in ...
in its cold war operations in the Mediterranean. During August–September 1958, she visited Crete and Turkey when the latter country was threatened. In 1959, she sailed 11 May for fleet replenishment in response to the heightened Berlin crisis. The veteran stores ship returned twice more to the Mediterranean in 1959, and again in 1960 and 1961.


Cuban Missile Crisis operations

''Hyades'' responded quickly in the
Cuban Missile Crisis The Cuban Missile Crisis, also known as the October Crisis (of 1962) ( es, Crisis de Octubre) in Cuba, the Caribbean Crisis () in Russia, or the Missile Scare, was a 35-day (16 October – 20 November 1962) confrontation between the United S ...
of 1962, arriving at Guantanamo Bay 22 October to evacuate dependents as the introduction of offensive missiles resulted in a U.S. naval quarantine of Cuba. After the safe evacuation, the ship returned to the quarantine line for underway replenishment of the ships patrolling off the island. After the easing of the situation in December, ''Hyades'' entered Home Bros. Shipyard in
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, for the installation of a helicopter deck aft to increase her versatility and replenishment capabilities.


Participating in Operation Springboard

During 1963 the ship cruised with the 6th Fleet in July and August. In 1964 she took part in Operation Springboard in the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
, returning to Norfolk 1 February 1964. ''Hyades'' continued to serve the Fleet through the mid-1960s and in late 1967 was based at
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
. In May 1968, the Hyades was near the Azores en route to the Mediterranean when she received word of the disappearance of the U.S. Navy submarine ''USS Scorpion''. She was the first to arrive, finding nothing. When other ships joined the search, the Hyades continued on. A lookout aboard the Hyades had earlier reported spotting an orange distress buoy in the water, but it did not get reported to the captain, and as a result of the responsible lieutenant's inaction, he was later court-martialed.


Decommissioning

''Hyades'' was decommissioned in late 1968 at the Naval shipyard in Philadelphia, and struck from the
Naval Register A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval author ...
, 1 October 1976. After being laid up in the
Reserve Fleet A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed; they are partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; a ...
, she was transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for disposal, 13 October 1983. She was sold to the Jacobson Metal Co on 17 January 1984 and broken up.


Military awards and honors

''Hyades’'' crew was eligible for the following medals and ribbons: * China Service Medal (extended) * American Campaign Medal * Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal * World War II Victory Medal *
Navy Occupation Service Medal The Navy Occupation Service Medal is a military award of the United States Navy which was "Awarded to commemorate the services of Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel in the occupation of certain territories of the enemies of the U.S. durin ...
(with Asia clasp) * National Defense Service Medal * Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2-Cuba & 1-Lebanon) * Philippine Liberation Medal


References


External links


NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AF-28 Hyades
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyades (AF-28) Hyades-class stores ships Ships built in Chickasaw, Alabama 1943 ships World War II auxiliary ships of the United States