M/V Star Betelgeuse

M/V Star Betelgeuse

• Built as hull number 180 by Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Chester, Pa. as Mormaclark for MooreMcCormack Lines. 
• Equipped with one 2-stroke, 4 cylinder single-acting Doxford Diesel delivering 6.000 i.h.p. and she had a speed at 15,5 knots. 
• Launched 18 July 1939.
• Purchased by the Navy 29 May 1941; converted by Brewer Dry Dock Co, Staten Island, N.Y. and classified as USS BETELGUESE (AK28) and commissioned 14 June 1941.
• Betelgeuse operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean with the Atlantic Fleet through 1941.
• During 19 February - 25 March 1942 she made one voyage from New York to Great Britain and return.
• And then departed for Tongatabu, Tonga Islands, 9 April. After unloading at Tongatabu 8 May - 7 June, she proceeded to San Diego, Calif., and Pearl Harbor to embark Marine equipment for the invasion of Guadalcanal.
• Unloading her cargo at Guadalcanal and Tulagi 30 August - 2 September.
• Betelgeuse remained in the South Pacific hauling supplies to Guadalcanal from Espiritu Santo and Efate, New Hebrides, Noumea, New Caledonia and Wellington and Aucland, New Zealand, until departing for San Pedro, Calif., 25 December 1942
• Between 10 January and 17 February 1943 she underwent overhaul and repairs at San Pedro and Long Beach, Calif.
• She was reclassified AKA-11, 1 February 1943.
• She departed San Diego 18 February, transited the Panama Canal, and arrived at Charleston, S. C., 8 March to rejoin the Atlantic Fleet..
• Betelgeuse departed Norfolk 10 May for the Mediterranean. During 6 - 12 July she took part in the invasion of Cicily and then returned to the United States for repairs.
• She arrived at Norfolk 14 August 1943 and remained there under repair until April 1944.
• Departing for the Mediterranean 4 May, she ferried supplies from North Africa to Italy and France until 25 October.
• She arrived at Philadelphia 10 November 1944 and departed New Year’s Day 1945 for Pearl Harbor where she arrived on the 24th. Proceeding to the Russel Islands, she loaded cargo 19 - 27 February and, after training exercises, took part in the invasion of Okinawa 1 - 9 April.
• Returning to San Francisco 12 May, she spent the next two months shuttling cargoes between there and Pearl Harbor.
• Departing San Francisco 22 August she steamed to the Philippines and loaded troops at Batangas, Luzon 20 - 25 September for the occupation of Japan. After landing her troops at Otaru, Hokkaido 5 - 7 October she returned to Samar, Philipine Islands to load Seabees for Tientsin, China and delivering her passengers 10 November.
• Betelgeuse returned to the west coast, arriving at San Francisco 20 December.
• She departed 28 December for New York, was decommissioned there 15 March 1946.
• Sold 27 June 1946 to Compania Naviera Republica, Panama owned by Johnson.
• Rebuilded at Lindholmens Shipyard, Gothenburg 1948.
•  Sold for scrapping, she arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan 7 April 1972 for dismantling.  
•  Betegeuse recived six battle stars for her participation in World War II