General -
Constructed under a Maritime Commission contract. Throughout WWII the Hope was manned by a Navy crew but staffed by Army medical personnel.
1943 -
Launched on 30 August 1943.
1944 -
Commissioned 15 August. Departed 23 September via Pearl Harbor and Manus, and arrived Kossol Passage, in the Palaus, and received soldiers wounded taking the island. On 7 November, the Hope American soldiers, supported by a vast naval task force, returned to the Philippines 20 October. Hopearrived in Leyte Gulf to care for casualties and evacuated them to Hollandia. Thereafter the ship made four more voyages to Leyte to evacuate wounded. During the morning of 3 December she was followed by a Japanese submarine, and that afternoon was attacked unsuccessfully by a torpedo plane. Three days later, as she steamed toward Manus, the ship was again attacked by aircraft. One bomb was dropped but no damage resulted.
1945 -
Continuing to evacuate wounded from the Philippines, Hope arrived at Subic Bay 16 February, just as paratroopers landed on Corregidor. The ship sailed from Leyte 6 March for Ulithi. On 9 April she took part in the Okinawa operation, arriving off the island four days later. During the next month she shuttled between Saipan and Okinawa, often under attack despite her distinctive hospital ship markings. As Japanese suicide planes attempted vainly to stop the invasion, Hope assisted in rescuing sailors from damaged ships and embarked wounded soldiers. Departing 12 May, the ship moved back to the Philippines and arrived 3 July at Tarakan Island to assist in the evacuation of Australian casualties in the invasion of Balikpapan. She then returned to the Philippines, greeting the surrender of Japan 15 August at Manila Bay. Hope then sailed on 20 August for Okinawa and Japan, arriving at Wakayama on 22 September to assist in the occupation. She sailed 22 October with returnees, arriving in San Francisco on 15 November, and subsequently made two more voyages to Guam and the Philippines to bring back the sick and wounded.
1946 -
Hope returned to San Francisco 22 March and was decommissioned on 8 May. From 1946 to 1950 she was in custody of the War Department.
These specifications and ship histories are adapted from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (US Naval Historical Center) and from various other sources. These summaries may not reflect the most recent information concerning the ships' status or operations. If you find an error or discrepancy, please email me at troopships@pier90.org or fill out our online crossing submission form.
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