US Navy Auxiliary Ships: Haven (AH-12) Class

USS Tranquillity (AH-14) on 29 April 1945
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        HAVEN (AH-12)
Design:        MC C4-S-B2
Displacement (tons):        11,141 light
Dimensions (feet):        520.0' oa, 496.0' wl x 71.5' e x 24.0' lim.
Original Armament:        None
Later armaments:        --
Complement:        --
Speed (kts.):        17.5
Propulsion (HP):        9,000
Machinery:        G. E. turbine, 1 screw

Construction:

AH	Name	Acq.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
12	HAVEN	15 Jul 44	Sun SB & DD	1 Jul 43	24 Jun 44	5 May 45
13	BENEVOLENCE	31 Jul 44	Sun SB & DD	26 Jul 43	10 Jul 44	12 May 45
14	TRANQUILLITY	14 Aug 44	Sun SB & DD	20 Aug 43	25 Jul 44	24 Apr 45
15	CONSOLATION	30 Aug 44	Sun SB & DD	24 Sep 43	1 Aug 44	22 May 45
16	REPOSE	14 Sep 44	Sun SB & DD	22 Oct 43	8 Aug 44	26 May 45
17	SANCTUARY	30 Sep 44	Sun SB & DD	22 Nov 43	15 Aug 44	20 Jun 45

Disposition:

AH	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
12	HAVEN	30 Jun 57	1 Mar 67	Jan 68	MA/S	12 Jan 68
13	BENEVOLENCE	13 Sep 47	20 Dec 50	26 Aug 50	Lost	--
14	TRANQUILLITY	26 Jul 46	1 Sep 61	1 Sep 62	MA/T	15 Jul 74
15	CONSOLATION	30 Dec 55	16 Sep 74	22 Jan 75	MA/S	22 Jan 75
16	REPOSE	15 Aug 70	15 Mar 74	18 Apr 75	MA/S	18 Apr 75
17	SANCTUARY	28 Mar 75	16 Feb 89	28 Jul 89	MA/D	18 Sep 89

Class Notes:
FY 1944. On 9 Nov 43 JCS requested that the Maritime Commission construct 130 standard APAs and 30 standard AKAs for the Navy for completion as early in the fourth quarter of 1944 as practicable. On 6 Dec 43 the MC informed the Secretary of the Navy that 11 of the APAs would be C3s and the other 119 (APA 117-235) would be Victory ships built at four West Coast yards. On 20 Dec 43 CominCh reviewed the needs of the Navy and Army for hospital ships and concluded that five more were needed. After noting in early March 1944 that this requirement, now increased to 6 ships, could only be met at the expense of either AP or APA lift, he asked on 20 Mar 44 that the JCS approve the diversion of six of the Victory APAs for conversion by the Navy to hospital ships. This would have little impact on APA requirements because attrition had been less than had been expected when the program for the 130 ships was drafted. As the result of conferences and discussions between the Navy, Army, and MC, an agreement was reached that, instead of allocating the six Victory ships as hospital ships, six ships of the C4-S-B2 type under construction as tank carriers at Sun SB, Chester, Pa., would be made available to the Navy for conversion. The MC informed JCS on 18 May 44 that, in accordance with this agreement, the hulls that would have been APA 181-186 would be built instead as merchant vessels of the VC2-S-AP3 design. On 22 May 44 the Auxiliary Vessels Board ratified this arrangement by recommending that the number of APAs to be acquired be reduced by six hulls and that the six C4s be acquired as AH 12-17. Their hospital installations were to be similar to those incorporated in REFUGE (AH-11), ex KENMORE (AP-62).

After the Japanese surrender five of these ships were assigned to Operation Magic Carpet to help bring servicemen home from the western Pacific. On 8 November 1945 CNO authorized Commander, Pacific Fleet to use Navy hospital ships in general transport service without changing their special markings but their designation was to be changed to APH (Hospital Transport). They would revert to the AH (Hospital Ship) designation upon termination of this duty. At this time CNO made the temporary designation of APH-112, 113, 114, probably 115, and 117 effective for AH-12, 13, 14, 15, and 17. AH-12 and 13 were directed by CinCPac on 13 and 14 Mar 46 respectively to resume AH status, and CNO informed the other three on 25 Mar 46 that their temporary APH designation was terminated and that they were to resume their original AH designation. During this period AH-16 served as a hospital ship, primarily at Shanghai, China.

Ship Notes:

AH	Name	MC#	Notes
12	HAVEN	743	Ex merc. MARINE HAWK. Delivered 80.3% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 15-19 Jul 44. Converted by Todd Shipyards, Brooklyn, N.Y. In USN reserve 1946-50 (decomm. 1 Jul 47, comm. 15 Sep 50). Assigned to MSTS Sep 50, to the regular Navy 9 Apr 51. In service in reserve 30 Jun 57 as a stationary hospital at Long Beach. To NDRF 5 Jun 67. To buyer 9 Feb 68. Merc. CLENDENIN 1968, ALASKAN 1969. Scrapped 1987.
13	BENEVOLENCE	744	Ex merc. MARINE LION. Delivered 80.3% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 31 Jul-4 Aug 44. Converted by Todd Shipyards, Brooklyn, N.Y. In USN reserve 1946-50. Sunk in collision with merc. MARY LUCKENBACH (ex USS WAUKESHA, AKA-84) in San Francisco Bay in dense fog after completing post-activation trials with a Navy crew before being delivered to MSTS civilian crew. Wreck abandoned by Navy 3 Jan 51 to facilitate removal.
14	TRANQUILLITY	745	Ex merc. MARINE DOLPHIN. Delivered 82.8% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 14-17 Aug 44. Converted by Atlantic Basin IW, Brooklyn, N.Y. In USN reserve 1946-61. To NDRF 6 Mar 61. To buyer 5 Aug 74.
15	CONSOLATION	746	Ex merc. MARINE WALRUS. Delivered 81.5% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 30 Aug-7 (or 3) Sep 44. Converted by Bethlehem Steel, Hoboken, N.J. In USN reserve 1955-60. Chartered between 16 Mar 60 and 16 Sep 74 as the civilian hospital ship HOPE. To buyer 11 Feb 75.
16	REPOSE	747	Ex merc. MARINE BEAVER. Delivered 79.7% complete. In service for ferrying under tow ca. 15-18 Sep 44. Converted by Bethlehem 56th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. In USN reserve 1949-50 and 1954-61. To NDRF 12 Dec 61. Stk. and to MA 1 Sep 62. From MA 17 Jun 65, reinst. 16 Oct 65. To NDRF 3 Jun 74. To buyer 27 May 75.
17	SANCTUARY	748	Ex merc. MARINE OWL. Delivered 77.5% complete. In service for ferrying under tow 30 Sep-4 Oct 44. Converted by Todd Shipyards, Hoboken, N.J. In USN reserve 1946-60. To NDRF 5 Oct 60, stk. 1 Sep 61, to MA 1 Sep 62. From MA 10 Feb 66, reinst. 1 Apr 66. To NDRF Apr 75, to MA 25 Aug 78. Sold to Life International 18 Sep 89 (delivered by MA 6 Feb 90) for use as a civilian hospital ship in Africa but the project fell through. Sold by a court at Baltimore 21 Aug 07.