The USS Cassiopeia (AK-75) was a Crater-class cargo ship constructed to support the United States Navy during World War II. Originally launched as the liberty ship SS Melville W. Fuller on 15 November 1942 by Permanente Metals Corporation in Richmond, California, she was built under a Maritime Commission contract (MCE hull 504). The vessel was sponsored by Mrs. C. F. Calhoun and was acquired by the Navy on 27 November 1942, commissioning shortly thereafter on 8 December 1942. Designed for logistical support, the Cassiopeia’s service history was centered in the South Pacific theater. She departed San Francisco on 21 December 1942, carrying cargo to Nouméa, New Caledonia, arriving on 12 January 1943. From this strategic base, she played an essential role in the consolidation of the northern Solomon Islands, transporting various supplies critical to ongoing military operations. Her routine involved repeated voyages between Nouméa and Guadalcanal, with periodic trips to Auckland, New Zealand, for reloading supplies. Between June and July 1943, she traveled to Auckland, then continued her supply runs until 9 August, after which she underwent a brief repair period in New Zealand before resuming her missions in November. Throughout her service, Cassiopeia maintained a pattern of alternating resupply missions in the South Pacific with reloads in New Zealand until June 1945. Her final voyage from Auckland took her to San Francisco, the Panama Canal Zone, and Norfolk, where she arrived on 25 October 1945. After the war, she was decommissioned on 21 November 1945, transferred to the Maritime Commission, and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at James River, Virginia. In 1961, the vessel was briefly reactivated for testing purposes and was used as a target ship by the USS Cutlass in the VACAPES area. For her wartime service, USS Cassiopeia earned one battle star, marking her contributions to the Allied efforts in the Pacific theater during World War II.

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