Return to Naval Historical Center home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # 19-N-24236:  SS Robin Kettering undergoing conversion to USS Alhena, June 1941

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Alhena (AK-26, later AKA-9), 1941-1946

USS Alhena, a 15,080-ton cargo ship, was built in 1940-41 as the civilian freighter Robin Kettering at Sparrows Point, Maryland. The Navy purchased her at the end of May 1941 and placed her in commission in mid-June. Following completion of her conversion, she operated along the U.S. and Canadian east coasts until February 1942, when she made a trans-Atlantic voyage to the British Isles. In April, after her return to the U.S., Alhena was sent through the Panama Canal and made two trips to the south Pacific in the next three months.

In July 1942 Alhena joined the Pacific Fleet's Amphibious Force in order to participate in the upcoming invasion of the southern Solomon Islands. On 7-9 August, she landed U.S. Marines and their equipment on Guadalcanal and continued to support the campaign to sustain the U.S. lodgement there during the following weeks. On 29 September, while south of Guadalcanal, Alhena was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Badly damaged aft, she had to be towed to port and was under repair locally and in Australia until June 1943. While this work was in progress, she was reclassified as an attack cargo ship and received the new hull number AKA-9.

Upon her return to service, Alhena continued to serve in the south Pacific for some nine more months. In addition to transportation duties between Allied bases, she participated in amphibious landings on Bougainville in November 1943. In March 1944, the cargo ship went to the central Pacific, where in mid-June she took part in the invasion of Saipan. Following an overhaul during July-October, Alhena carried cargo to the Admiralty Islands. At Manus on 10 November 1944, she was extensively damaged when the ammunition ship Mount Hood accidently blew up near by.

In January-March 1945, Alhena played an active role in the Lingayen Gulf invasion and the fight for Iwo Jima. She was held in reserve during the Okinawa campaign that followed, then made logistics runs between New Guinea and the Philippines. She supported the occupation of Japan in October and November 1945 and carried cargo from the U.S. to China in early 1946. USS Alhena was decommissioned at New York City in May 1946 and transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal in September of that year.

This page features all the views we have of USS Alhena (AK-26, later AKA-9).


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: 19-N-24236

SS Robin Kettering
(U.S. Freighter, 1941)

At the Tietjen-Lang Dry Dock Company, Hoboken, New Jersey, undergoing conversion to a Navy ship, 6 June 1941. She was commissioned as USS Alhena (AK-26) on 15 June 1941.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 86KB; 740 x 530 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: NH 95405

Explosion of USS Mount Hood (AE-11) in Seeadler Harbor, Manus, Admiralty Islands, 10 November 1944


Small craft gathered around USS Mindanao (ARG-3) during salvage and rescue efforts shortly after Mount Hood blew up about 350 yards away from Mindanao's port side. Mindanao, and seven motor minesweepers (YMS) moored to her starboard side, were damaged by the blast, as were USS Alhena (AKA-9), in the photo's top left center, and USS Oberrender (DE-344), in top right.
Note the extensive oil slick, with tracks through it made by small craft.

Copied from the War Diary, Manus Naval Base, for November 1944

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 140KB; 635 x 675 pixels

 


In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Alhena (AK-26). The following list features some of these images:

The images listed below are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."



  • Photo #: 80-G-457843
    USS Alhena (AK-26) at anchor, probably in 1941.
    Starboard bow surface view. The ship appears to be painted in a horizontal "three-tone" camouflage, possibly Measure 2 or Measure 12.

  • Photo #: 80-G-18020
    USS Alhena (AK-26) in harbor, 1942, painted in pattern camouflage.
    Port bow surface view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-18021
    USS Alhena (AK-26) in harbor, 1942, painted in pattern camouflage.
    Surface view from directly off the bow.

  • Photo #: 80-G-18022
    USS Alhena (AK-26) in harbor, 1942, painted in pattern camouflage.
    Surface view from directly off the stern.

  • Photo #: 80-G-18023
    USS Alhena (AK-26) in harbor, 1942, painted in pattern camouflage.
    Port quarter surface view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-18024
    USS Alhena (AK-26) in harbor, 1942, painted in pattern camouflage.
    Port broadside surface view.

    Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center.

    The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


  • If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    Page made 21 January 2002