A History of The USS Mauna Loa (AE-8)

The first Mauna Loa, a motor yacht, was built by George Lawley & Sons, Neponset, Massachusetts

in 1916; acquired by the Navy under free-lease contract from A. C. James 10 May 1917; and

commissioned the next day.

Mauna Loa was called in for special duty during World War I, operating off the 1st Naval District

until the Armistice. She decommissioned 5 December and was returned to her owner the same day.

The second Mauna Loa (AE-8) was laid down by Tampa Shipbuilding Co., Tampa, Florida, 10

December 1942: launched 14 April 1943: sponsored by Mrs. Robert E. Friend; and commissioned

27 October 1943, Commander George D. Martin in command.

After shakedown in the Chesapeake Bay, Mauna Loa loaded on 5,600 tons of ammunition at

Norfolk and departed Hampton Roads, Virginia 19 December with a stopover at San Francisco for

2 days, arriving Pearl Harbor 17 January 1944. Assigned to the service force, on 1 February she

continued on to the Marshalls escorted by Manlove (DE-36), reaching Majuro 7 days later to begin

rearming the fleet.

On February 1, 1944, she began her first mission into enemy waters, her destination: the Marshall

Islands. On 9 February a near disaster occurred while transferring ammunition to the cruiser

Indianapolis and battleship Pennsylvania. With the men on Mauna Loa moving the powder

containers over faster than they could be removed to the magazines of the battleship, the cans

gradually piled up to more than a hundred on Pennsylvania's forward deck. At 1635 a flash of

flame leaped out across her deck, accompanied by a dull boom-one of the cans had exploded!

Grains of burning powder were hurled about, many of them streaking down Mauna Loa's open

hold. Without a moment's hesitation, Boatswain F. B. Wilson seized a hose and turned it on the

burning can. This stream of water checked the fire until Pennsylvania's men could get the can over

the side before it ignited the others. Two of Pennsylvania's men suffered broken legs and the man

handling the powder can was blinded. Courageous performance of their duties under such

hazardous conditions had become mere routine to the officers and men of the ammunition ship.

On 2 March Mauna Loa sailed for the west coast, via Pearl Harbor, arriving San Francisco the 21st

to replenish her cargo of ammunition. She got underway 10 April again for the South Pacific, her

destination being the New Hebrides. She reached Espiritu Santo 28 April for a month of operations,

then proceeded to Eniwetok, Marshalls, where from 13 June to 23 July she supported the Marianas

operation.

After a return trip to San Francisco, on 8 September Mauna Loa joined company with Shasta

(AE-6). She then began a 24-hour-a-day rearming of the 3rd fleet, while swept mines exploded all

around the anchorage. After an unidentified plane strafed her during the night of 19 September

while Portland (CA-33) was alongside, night operations were halted.

By November she was en route to the Carolines, arriving Ulithi the 30th. Mauna Loa remained

there until the beginning of the Okinawa campaign. During the late winter of 1944, Mauna Loa

made preparations for the new experiment of rearming the fleet at sea. This had never been done

before except for a few brief trials, and it was with anxious anticipation that the Logistic Support

Group put to sea 13 March 1945 to rendezvous with Task Force 58 for rearming. Thus, on 22

March 1945 Mauna Loa entered upon what would soon become a familiar routine; Replenishment at

sea. For 5 successful months, Mauna Loa replenished some 99 ships underway. The Japanese

capitulation 14 August found her at San Pedro, Philippines.

Mauna Loa departed San Pedro for the west coast 4 October, arriving Tiburon, California the 21st.

She moved up to Bremerton, Washington, 12 November. She then entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet

at San Diego 15 May 1946 and decommissioned 2 June 1947

Mauna Loa was recommissioned at San Diego on 31 January 1955, Captain Elgin B. Hurlbert in

command, and in March, departed San Diego for the east coast reporting to the U.S. Atlantic 2nd

Fleet for duty. After docking at Norfolk Naval Shipyard for alterations, she began refresher

training out of Newport, Rhode Island, 8 September; then served out of Earle, New Jersey, through

the end of the year.

On 5 January 1956 Mauna Loa departed Earle for Europe. The ammunition ship operated with the

6th Fleet in the Mediterranean until 28 May when she steamed from Tangiers for home. She

reached Yorktown, Virginia, 13 June for supply duty along the east coast from Gravesend Bay to

Norfolk into September 1957.

On 27 September she again got underway from Earle for another tour in the Mediterranean until

her return to Norfolk 17 November for 2nd Fleet operations. From 1 February to 27 June 1958

Mauna Loa made a third visit to the Mediterranean, returning to New York 7 July. She shifted to

Beaumont, Texas, 15 September for inactivation and 16 December again decommissioned this time

entering the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Orange, Texas.

After temporarily joining the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Philadelphia 12 November 1960,

Mauna Loa was acquired and recommissioned the third time 27 November 1961, Captain Vernon P.

O'Neil in command. She sailed from Philadelphia 8 October for her home port, Bayonne, New

Jersey.

On 15 January 1962 the ammunition ship got underway from Norfolk for shakedown off

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to late February. In December 1963 Mauna Loa commenced her biennial

overhaul during which a Helo platform was completed which made Mauna Loa directly involved in

a revolutionary concept of ammunition transfer; Vertical Replenishment. During the fiscal year

1964, operating in the Atlantic, Mauna Loa won the Battle Efficiency Pennant for Atlantic Fleet

ammunition ships; and, in July 1965 she was, for the second straight year awarded the Battle

Efficiency Pennant. For the next few years Mauna Loa continued a pattern of upkeep and supply

service along the east coast out of Norfolk and Earle, interspersed with training cruises and

exercises in the Caribbean.

Mauna Loa started 1967 in Hoboken, New Jersey undergoing shipyard repair and upkeep. Ready

for sea in April and after a stop in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, she departed Bayonne 9 October 1967

for a new and vital mission, supply operations off South Vietnam. She transited the Panama Canal

the 16th on her way to the Pacific, and soon thereafter arrived off the troubled Southeast Asian area

to begin service to the fleet fighting to repel Communist aggression. Mauna Loa operated almost

continually for five months "on-the-line" in the Gulf of Tonkin, replenishing 142 ships with over

14,000 tons of ammunition to units of the U.S. 7th Fleet.

Returning to Bayonne and the Atlantic Fleet in May 1968, she went through a series of inspections

and trials in preparation for once again becoming an active member of the 6th Fleet.

Mauna Loa cast off once again for a tour in the Mediterranean on 6 January 1969. During this

seven month deployment Mauna Loa was privileged to entertain a visit from Admiral Thomas, H.

Moorer, Chief of Naval Operations, along with Admiral Rivero, CINCSOUTH and Admiral

Richardson, COMSIXTHFLT. She returned to her homeport in July 1969.

After a leave and upkeep period, Mauna Loa sailed for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for refresher

training in October 1969 and returned to Bayonne in late November. In February 1970 she again

departed Bayonne to rejoin the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. Upon successfully completing this

deployment in September 1970 Mauna Loa returned stateside to begin preparations for her

impending decommissioning.

In December 1970, Mauna Loa moved from Bayonne to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard to complete

inactivation. Mauna Loa hauled down her commission pennant on 26 February 1971 and joined the

reserve fleet.

On 1 October 1976, Mauna Loa was sold for scrap.

Mauna Loa received the following awards:

Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with three battle stars

World War II Victory Medal

National Defense Service Medal with one star

Vietnam Service Medal with one star

Philippine Liberation Medal

Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.