The USS Hyades (AF-28) was a stores ship and the lead vessel of her class, serving the U.S. Navy during and after World War II. Originally launched as SS Iberville under Maritime Commission contract by Gulf Shipbuilding Co. in Chickasaw, Alabama, on June 12, 1943, she was later converted for naval service and commissioned on August 1, 1944, at Bethlehem Steel in Baltimore, Maryland. Hyades was designed to transport stores, refrigerated items, and equipment to fleet units, remote bases, and staging areas. Her early service began with a voyage to Trinidad and the Panama Canal, during which she encountered a severe hurricane on September 13, 1944. The heavy weather separated her from the escorting destroyer Warrington; after Warrington foundered, Hyades proceeded to her last known position and rescued 61 survivors before heading to Panama. Throughout 1944 and 1945, Hyades operated in the Pacific, supplying fleet units at Majuro, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, and other bases, supporting U.S. operations in the Pacific Theater until well after Japan's surrender. Post-war, she delivered supplies to American ground troops in China, visiting Qingdao and Hong Kong, and later operated out of San Francisco, supporting occupation groups and island outposts. In June 1948, Hyades joined the Atlantic Fleet and began Mediterranean deployments, supporting NATO operations and fleet movements during tensions such as the Suez Crisis and the Berlin Crisis. She continued to operate in the Mediterranean through the 1950s and early 1960s, providing logistical support to U.S. naval forces and participating in exercises. Hyades played a notable role during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, evacuating dependents at Guantanamo Bay and resupplying ships during the quarantine. In 1963, she cruised with the 6th Fleet, and in 1964, participated in Operation Springboard in the Caribbean. In May 1968, Hyades was near the Azores en route to the Mediterranean when she responded to the USS Scorpion submarine's disappearance, although she did not locate the sub. The vessel was decommissioned later that year in Philadelphia and struck from the Naval Register in 1976. Sold for scrap in 1984, Hyades served as a vital logistical support ship throughout her career, exemplifying the essential role of auxiliary vessels in naval operations.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.