Empire State II
TS Empire State II (1945-1956)
[Former USS Hydrus (AKA 28)]
The Empire State II was originally launched as the U.S.S. Hydrus under the Maritime Commission contract by Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc., Providence, R.I., on 28 October, 1944. The Hydrus was destined for the Pacific Theater. The Hydrus sailed for Guadalcanal to participate in training exercises for the eventual invasion of Okinawa; she was a part of Task Force 53 which would transport marines and their equipment to the beaches of Okinawa. They arrived off the beaches 1 April, 1945 and under the command of Vice Adm. Kelly Turner, carried out a successful assault. For her operations in the invasion of Okinawa, the Hydrus received 1 battle star.
May 1945, the Hydrus was a two month operation as an inter-island cargo carrier, transporting supplies to the many islands in Hawaii, Christmas Island, and Canton Island. In August, she finally returned to Okinawa where she remained at anchor until September. The Hydrus' next mission was to help stabilize China. She brought units from the Marine Air Group for the occupation of China. During the years of 1945 and 1946, the Hydrus, now having completed her occupation in China, was assigned to a new mission; operation “Magic-Carpet”, the gigantic operation for the return of our Pacific and European Veterans to America. She sailed from Shanghai, 6 December, and arrived in Seattle, Wash., 23 December, 1945.
The Hydrus’ future was to become the new training ship for the New York State Maritime Academy. She was christened as EMPIRE STATE II in an impressive ceremony attended by Governor Thomas E. Dewey. The Empire State II’s maiden voyage was 1946. Her maiden ports were Bermuda; Cristobal, Panama Canal Zone; Callao, Peru; Balboa, Panama Canal Zone; Havana, Cuba; and St. Petersburg, FL. The Empire State II severed the school for ten years between 1946 and 1955. After her career as the Empire State II, the ship was placed in the Maritime Commission’s National Defense Reserve Fleet. She remained there until being sold in April 1964, to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., of New York, and scrapped. 
