The USS Haven (AH-12) was a prominent hospital ship built for the U.S. Navy during World War II, serving as the lead vessel of her class. Originally launched as SS Marine Hawk under a Maritime Commission contract by Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Chester, Pennsylvania, she was transferred for conversion into a hospital ship and commissioned on May 5, 1945. The vessel measured approximately 455 feet in length, with a beam of around 63 feet, designed to facilitate medical and evacuation duties during wartime. Following her shakedown, USS Haven departed for the Pacific Theater in June 1945, arriving at Pearl Harbor in July. She provided medical services and transport, bringing wounded personnel from Okinawa and Nagasaki following Japan's surrender. Notably, she participated in transporting prisoners of war and survivors from atomic-bomb-affected areas, including scenes off Nagasaki in September 1945. During 1945 and early 1946, she was involved in repatriation missions across the Pacific, including Guam, Saipan, and Pearl Harbor. In 1946, USS Haven was modified for Operation Crossroads, the atomic tests at Bikini Atoll, acting as a supervising medical vessel during the nuclear tests. She was redesignated APH-112 briefly for this role before reverting to her original designation, AP-12, and resumed troop transport duties until her decommissioning in July 1947. Recommissioned in September 1950 due to the Korean War, she served off Inchon and Pusan, providing medical care to battle casualties, including through helicopter-equipped landing pads added during her service. Haven's service in Korea earned her nine battle stars. She operated multiple tours, including a notable round-the-world voyage in 1954, which included missions in French Indochina. After her final deployment in 1954, she remained active in fleet maneuvers and hospital services until her decommissioning at Long Beach in June 1957. She was struck from the Navy List in 1967 and sold for commercial conversion in 1968, becoming the chemical carrier Clendenin (later Alaskan) until her scrapping in 1987. USS Haven's maritime legacy includes her contributions to wartime medical services and her role in atomic testing and Korean War efforts.

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