View source for USS Merapi

{{short description|Cargo ship of the United States Navy}}

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|Ship image=USS Merapi (AF-38) underway on 17 January 1958 (USN 1033595).jpg
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1944}}
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|Ship laid down=14 August 1944
|Ship launched=4 October 1944
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|Ship acquired=5 March 1945
|Ship commissioned=21 March 1945
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|Ship fate=Sold by the [[Maritime Administration]] in 1966, converted to fish factory ship
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|Ship tonnage={{DWT|2,120|long|disp=long}}
|Ship displacement=3,139 t.(lt) 6,240 t.(fl)
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'''USS ''Merapi'' (AF-38)''' was an [[Type R ship|Adria stores ship]] acquired by the [[U.S. Navy]] for service in [[World War II]], named after [[Mount Merapi]], the mountain in [[Java]], [[Indonesia]]{{Citation needed|date=December 2010}}. Her task was to carry stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to ships in the fleet, and to remote stations and staging areas.

''Merapi'' was laid down 11 August 1944 by [[Pennsylvania Shipyards]] Inc., [[Beaumont, Texas]], under a Maritime contract; launched 4 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. A. B. Matthews; transferred to the Navy 5 March and commissioned 21 March 1945.

== World War II service ==

Converted at Todd Galveston Dry Dock Co., ''Merapi'' hastened through [[shakedown cruise|shakedown]] and departed [[Mobile, Alabama]], 11 April, for the [[Pacific Ocean]] war zone. Specializing in refrigerated stores, she sailed via [[Pearl Harbor]] to [[Kerama Retto]], [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]] where in the midst of numerous air alerts she unloaded 14 to 19 June. Having retired to Pearl Harbor for more supplies she got underway again on 20 July and spent the final month of the war at [[Eniwetok]] [[Atoll]] disbursing cargo.

== Post-war activity ==

In the postwar period ''Merapi'' provided logistic support for U.S. occupation forces, initially using [[Auckland, New Zealand]], as her supply base. Spending much of 1946 and part of 1948 on the [[China]] coast she remained active through the central and western Pacific until 1950.

== Korean War operations ==

During the [[Korean War]] she operated with units of the [[U.S. 7th Fleet]] in [[Korea]]n and [[Japan]]ese waters. While employed as a support vessel, she saw action off the [[Pusan]] Perimeter, participated in the [[Wonsan]] and [[Inchon]] invasions, and assisted in the evacuation of troops from [[Hungnam]].

== Vietnam operations ==

A return to the [[United States]] in the latter half of 1953 preceded assignment to the mid Pacific logistic support group home ported at Pearl Harbor. Support of facilities at [[Kwajalein]], [[Marshall Islands|Marshalls]], Eniwetok, [[Caroline Islands|Carolines]], and [[Midway Island]] was temporarily interrupted in September 1954. For 3 months ''Merapi'' provided food stocks to the ships engaged in the evacuation of civilians and troops from [[North Vietnam]] to [[Saigon]] in [[Operation Passage to Freedom]].

== Supporting nuclear testing activity ==

Interruptions also occurred March to July 1956 as AF-38 appeared in support of the nuclear testing exercise [[Operation Redwing]], and the following April as she sailed on a [[good will visit]] to [[Australia]]. She then participated in [[Operation Hardtack I]] in the Marshall Islands.

The ship departed 5 August 1958 for a brief two-month WestPac tour before steaming back to the United States for her first appearance in over four years.

== Inactivation and decommissioning ==

Arriving in [[Astoria, Oregon]] on 6 November, inactivation began almost immediately. She was decommissioned 16 January 1959, joining the [[Pacific Reserve Fleet]], until struck from the [[Naval Vessel Register|Navy List]] 1 July 1960. She was then sold by the [[Maritime Administration]] in 1966, and converted to a fish [[factory ship]] and renamed ''Northern Venture''.

== Military awards and honors ==

''Merapi'' received one [[battle star]] for World War II service, five for the Korean War, and was twice awarded the Korean Presidential Unit Citation. Her crew was eligible for the following medals shown in order of precedence:
* [[China Service Medal]] (extended)
* [[American Campaign Medal]]
* [[Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal]] (1)
* [[World War II Victory Medal]]
* [[Navy Occupation Service Medal]] (with Asia clasp)
* [[National Defense Service Medal]]
* [[Korean Service Medal]] (5)
* [[Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation]] (2)
* [[United Nations Service Medal]]
* [[Republic of Korea War Service Medal]] (retroactive)

== References ==
{{DANFS|https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/merapi.html}}

== External links ==
* {{navsource|09/06/0638|Merapi}}

{{Commons category|USS Merapi (AF-38)}}

{{Adria class stores ship}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merapi (Af-38)}}
[[Category:Adria-class stores ships]]
[[Category:World War II auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Cold War auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Korean War auxiliary ships of the United States]]
[[Category:Ships built in Beaumont, Texas]]
[[Category:1944 ships]]