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Tranquillity (AH-14)

1945-1961 

Tranquillity was given a name in keeping with the mission of hospital ships. 

(AH-14: displacement 15,400; length 520'0"; beam 71'6"; draft 24'0"; speed 17.5 knots (trial); complement 568; class Haven; type C4-S-B2)

Marine Dolphin was laid down on 20 August 1943 at Chester, Pa., by the Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co.under a Maritime Commission contract (M.C. Hull 745) ; renamed Tranquillity on 22 June 1944 and designated as a hospital ship, AH-14; launched on 25 July 1944; sponsored by Miss Carol P. Meekins; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on 14 August 1944; converted into a hospital ship at New York City by the Atlantic Basin Iron Works; and commissioned on 24 April 1945, Capt. Merrittt D. Mullen, USNR, in command.

The hospital ship got underway for Hampton Roads on 5 May 1945 and arrived at Norfolk, Va., the next morning. Following shakedown training from 8 to 18 May and a short yard period for alterations, she stood out to sea on 6 June, bound for the Territory of Hawaii; transited the Panama Canal on 14 June; and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 27th to join the Service Force, Pacific Fleet.

On 11 July 1945, Tranquillity proceeded to Ulithi and served as the base hospital ship from 22 July to 3 August. On the latter date, she was sent to the Palaus to take on board the survivors from the heavy cruiser Indianapolis (CA-35) which had been sunk by a Japanese submarine several days earlier. She arrived at Peleliu the next morning; embarked 166 survivors; and headed for Guam where the patients were disembarked on the 8th.

Tranquillity returned to Ulithi on 10 August 1945 but was ordered to sea the next day to rendezvous with the Third Fleet some 350 miles off the coast of Japan. Following a fortnight with the Third Fleet, the hospital ship headed for Guam. On the 27th, she took on 766 patients at Apra Harbor and stood out for the United States. She disembarked the patients at San Francisco on 11 September and then returned to Hawaii, arriving at Pearl Harbor on the 26th. She was attached to the Magic Carpet fleet, returning armed forces personnel from overseas bases to the United States. The ship arrived at Guam on 18 October, picked up 788 patients, and disembarked them at San Francisco on 3 November. On 9 November, the ship was reclassified as a hospital transport and redesignated APH-114. The ship made two more voyages with the Magic Carpet fleet and returned to San Francisco on 30 January 1946.

Tranquility got underway for the east coast on 18 February and arrived at Philadelphia on 22 March. Three days later, she was redesignated AH-14. Tranquillity was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 26 July 1946.

The Navy delivered Tranquillity to the Maritime Commission Reserve Fleet's James River Group  at 1300 on 6 March 1961, and struck her from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 September 1961. Permanently transferred to the Maritime Administration (formerly the Maritime Commission) on 1 September 1962, ex-Tranquillity was purchased by the Northern Metal Co. on 15 July 1974  for scrap, and physically delivered to her purchaser at 2:10 p.m. on 5 August 1974. 

 Tranquillity received one battle star for her World War II service supporting the Third Fleet's operations against Japan (12-15 August 1945)..

Updated, Robert J. Cressman

1 April 2020 

Published: Mon Apr 06 18:27:43 EDT 2020