The vessel known as Norma (AK-86), originally intended as an Enceladus-class cargo ship, was constructed by Penn-Jersey Shipbuilding Corp. as a Maritime Commission type N3-M-A1 cargo vessel. Laid down on December 3, 1943, the ship was initially designated as MV Summer Pierce before being renamed Norma and assigned the hull number AK-86 in October 1942, though it was never commissioned into the U.S. Navy and thus did not bear the USS designation. Norma was delivered to the Navy on June 6, 1944, and immediately transferred to the U.S. Army, where it was renamed Henry Wright Hurley. The Army undertook conversion of the vessel into a U.S. Army Engineer Port Repair ship, a role intended to facilitate the repair and clearance of war-damaged ports. These conversions included significant modifications, notably the installation of heavy lift bow horns capable of lifting forty tons, giving the ship a distinctive appearance. However, Henry Wright Hurley saw little to no service in this capacity, as the conversion was completed in 1945, near the end of World War II. Following its brief service, the ship was returned to the Maritime Administration on August 8, 1947, and placed into the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay near Benicia, California. After nearly two decades in reserve, the vessel was sold for scrapping on March 31, 1965, to Zidell Explorations, Inc., of Portland, Oregon. Throughout its brief and somewhat obscure service history, the ship's significance lies in its role as part of the extensive wartime and postwar logistical and engineering efforts, particularly in port repair and support, though it ultimately remained largely inactive in its intended capacity.

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