Iolanda AKS-14

Iolanda

A minor planet, No. 509.

(AKS-14: dp. 5,244; 1. 441'6"; b. 56'11"; dr. 28'4"; s. 12 k.; cpl. 193; a. 1 5", 4 3"; cl. Acuben~; T. EC2-S-C1)

Iolanda (AKS-14), originally a "liberty ship", was launched by New England Shipbuilding Corp., South Portland, Maine, 21 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. J. Cary Jones; acquired and commissioned with a skeleton crew 31 October for transfer to Bethlehem Steel's Simpson Yard, East Boston, Mass. The ship decommissioned 2 November 1944 for conversion to Navy use, and commissioned in full 14 June 1945, Lt. Comdr. E. G. Kelly in command.

Following shakedown in the Chesapeake Bay area Iolanda arrived Bayonne, N.J., 21 July 1945 to load almost 3,000 tons of general stores consisting of the almost 8,000 different items needed by the operating ships of the fleet. She departed 3 August ror Quty in the western Pacitic and sailing via the Canal Zone and Pearl Harbor arrived Ulithi, America's bustling advance base in the western Carolines. Iolanda steamed into Ulithi 24 September to help supply America's victorious fleet. She steamed from Ulithi 30 September, to provision ships at Okinawa, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. The first day of 1946 saw her at Manus loading additional stores, and she departed 1 February to replenish vessels at Guam Hong Kong, and Shanghai. Iolanda supplied both ships and shore stations in support of the occupation until departing Shanghai 10 April 1946. After a stopover at Guam she proceeded to Pearl Harbor, where she decommissioned 11 July 1946. Later towed to San Francisco, Iolanda was returned to the Maritime Commission 24 April 1947 and was placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Calif., where she remains.