USS Comfort (AH-6)
| 300px USS Comfort (AH-6) | |
| Career (US) | 100x35px |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Bethlehem Steel Company, San Pedro, California |
| Launched: | 18 March 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 5 May 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 19 April 1946 |
| Fate: | Transferred to the United States Army |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 6,000 tons |
| Length: | 417 ft 9 in (127.33 m) |
| Beam: | 60 ft (18 m) |
| Draught: | 27 ft 8 in (8.43 m) |
| Speed: | 14 kts |
| Complement: | 233 |
The second USS Comfort (AH-6) was launched 18 March 1943 by Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by First Lieutenant E. Hatchitt, USAMC; transferred to the Navy the same day; converted to a hospital ship by Bethlehem Steel Co., San Pedro, Calif.; and commissioned 5 May 1944 with Commander Harold Farnham Fultz in command.
History
Comfort operated throughout World War II with a Navy crew and Army medical personnel. She sailed from San Pedro, 21 June 1944 for Brisbane, Australia, and Hollandia, New Guinea. Operating from Hollandia the hospital ship evacuated wounded from Leyte, Philippine Islands on two voyages in October and November and then brought patients back to San Pedro, Calif., in December. Returning by way of Leyte, Comfort reached Hollandia 6 February 1945. Following a voyage to Subic Bay and Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, for evacuees in March, the hospital ship stood by off Okinawa from 2 to 9 April, receiving wounded for evacuation to Guam. Returning to Okinawa 23 April, 6 days later she was struck by a Japanese suicide plane which killed 28 persons (including six nurses), and wounded 48 others, and caused considerable damage. After temporary repairs at Guam Comfort sailed for Los Angeles, Calif., arriving 28 May.
Comfort arrived in Subic Bay 5 September 1945 and until 11 October served as station hospital ship. Following a voyage to Okinawa she sailed for home by way of Yokohama, Japan, and Guam, reaching San Pedro, Calif., 11 December. She made another voyage to Manila, Yokohama, Inchon, Korea, and Okinawa between 1 January and 4 March 1946 before being decommissioned at San Francisco 19 April 1946. She was transferred to the Army the same day.
Comfort received two battle stars for World War II service.
In pop culture
The ship was mentioned in the JAG episode "Each of Us Angels" (episode 8.14) which aired 4 February 2003. This focused on the United States Navy Nurse Corps in World War II during the Battle of Iwo Jima.
References
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
External links
- Too Close for Comfort - review of book about USS Comfort
- Aboard the U.S.S. Comfort, 1945; personal account of life on the Comfort, including the kamikaze strike, from last known surviving nurse, 1st Lt. Doris Gardner (Howard).
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