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USS Bowie (APA-137)
Encyclopedia
USS Bowie (APA-137) was a acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II
for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.
Bowie (APA-137) was laid down on 28 August 1944 at Wilmington, California, by the California Shipbuilding Corp. under a Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 53); launched on 31 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. J. Shaw; delivered to the Navy on 21 December 1944: and commissioned on 23 December 1944 at Terminal Island, California, Comdr. Frank L. Durnell in command.
, and set sail on 20 February for the Mariana Islands
. She made a refueling stop at Eniwetok in the Marshalls
before arriving at Guam
on 10 March. The attack transport completed cargo operations there on 16 March and then moved to Saipan
on the 17th to embark casualties. She put to sea for Hawaii
that same day and entered Pearl Harbor
on 27 March. The ship conducted local operations in Hawaiian waters and engaged in upkeep in Pearl Harbor until mid-April. At that time, she began combat loading elements of the 10th Army bound for duty in the Okinawa campaign.
. She arrived off the Hagushi
beaches on Okinawa on 10 May. The troops went ashore immediately, and the attack transport began unloading cargo and taking on casualties. During her stay in the Ryūkyūs
, Bowie witnessed a number of air raids but did not come under attack herself. On 15 May, the attack transport left Okinawa in a Hawaii-bound convoy. She made two stops, one at Ulithi
and the other at Guam, before arriving back in Pearl Harbor on 3 June. She remained there overnight and, on the 4th, headed for the west coast. Bowie reached San Francisco, California
, on 10 June and disembarked the casualties and other passengers. Later in the month, she loaded cargo and took on troops. The ship loosed her moorings on 17 June and stood out of San Francisco Bay
. On her way across the Pacific Ocean
to the Philippines
, Bowie stopped at Eniwetok and Ulithi for fuel. She arrived at Tacloban, on Leyte
, on 9 July and began discharging cargo and troops. Five days later, the attack transport headed back to Hawaii.
, Japan, on the 22d. Her troops went ashore on the 24th, and Bowie cleared Sasebo the next day. She took on boats at Subic Bay
on 30 September and then moved to Manila
. The attack transport moved to Lingayen Gulf
on 2 and 3 October and began embarking troops destined for occupation service in Japan. She departed Lingayen Gulf in convoy on 9 October and arrived in Sasebo on the 14th. She did not, however, disembark her passengers until 18 October. On the 22d, Bowie departed Sasebo and proceeded to Guam where she stopped on the 27th. Continuing her voyage that same day, the ship reached San Diego, California
, on 12 November.
. On 16 January 1946, Bowie departed San Pedro on her way to the U.S. East Coast. Steaming via San Diego and the Panama Canal
, she arrived in Norfolk, Virginia
, on 4 February. There, the ship began preparations for inactivation.
on 28 March 1946. She was berthed with the National Defense Reserve Fleet
at James River, Virginia, and remained there until 9 April 1973 at which time she was sold to the Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., New York City
, for scrapping.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.
Bowie (APA-137) was laid down on 28 August 1944 at Wilmington, California, by the California Shipbuilding Corp. under a Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 53); launched on 31 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. J. Shaw; delivered to the Navy on 21 December 1944: and commissioned on 23 December 1944 at Terminal Island, California, Comdr. Frank L. Durnell in command.
World War II service
Outfitting, shakedown, and amphibious training occupied Bowie until the second week in February 1945. After post-shakedown availability at Terminal Island, she loaded cargo at the Naval Supply Depot, Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, and set sail on 20 February for the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
. She made a refueling stop at Eniwetok in the Marshalls
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
before arriving at Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
on 10 March. The attack transport completed cargo operations there on 16 March and then moved to Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
on the 17th to embark casualties. She put to sea for Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
that same day and entered Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 27 March. The ship conducted local operations in Hawaiian waters and engaged in upkeep in Pearl Harbor until mid-April. At that time, she began combat loading elements of the 10th Army bound for duty in the Okinawa campaign.
Putting troops ashore at Okinawa
Bowie stood out of Pearl Harbor on 17 April in a convoyConvoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
. She arrived off the Hagushi
Hagushi
Hagushi bay was the primary unloading point for American supplies during the invasion of Okinawa during World War II. The bay, at the mouth of the Bishi River , was the dividing line between the First and Sixth US Marine divisions, which landed on the Hagushi beaches to the north, and the Seventh...
beaches on Okinawa on 10 May. The troops went ashore immediately, and the attack transport began unloading cargo and taking on casualties. During her stay in the Ryūkyūs
Ryukyu Islands
The , also known as the , is a chain of islands in the western Pacific, on the eastern limit of the East China Sea and to the southwest of the island of Kyushu in Japan. From about 1829 until the mid 20th century, they were alternately called Luchu, Loochoo, or Lewchew, akin to the Mandarin...
, Bowie witnessed a number of air raids but did not come under attack herself. On 15 May, the attack transport left Okinawa in a Hawaii-bound convoy. She made two stops, one at Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
and the other at Guam, before arriving back in Pearl Harbor on 3 June. She remained there overnight and, on the 4th, headed for the west coast. Bowie reached San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, on 10 June and disembarked the casualties and other passengers. Later in the month, she loaded cargo and took on troops. The ship loosed her moorings on 17 June and stood out of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
. On her way across the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Bowie stopped at Eniwetok and Ulithi for fuel. She arrived at Tacloban, on Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
, on 9 July and began discharging cargo and troops. Five days later, the attack transport headed back to Hawaii.
End-of-war operations
Bowie spent almost two months in the Hawaiian Islands. When not in port at either Pearl Harbor or Honolulu, she conducted rehearsal landings at various locations in the islands. On 1 September, she left Pearl Harbor in a convoy bound ultimately for Japan. She stopped at Saipan to take on fuel and provisions from 13 to 16 September and arrived at SaseboSasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, Japan, on the 22d. Her troops went ashore on the 24th, and Bowie cleared Sasebo the next day. She took on boats at Subic Bay
Subic Bay
Subic Bay is a bay forming part of Luzon Sea on the west coast of the island of Luzon in Zambales, Philippines, about 100 kilometers northwest of Manila Bay. Its shores were formerly the site of a major United States Navy facility named U.S...
on 30 September and then moved to Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. The attack transport moved to Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
on 2 and 3 October and began embarking troops destined for occupation service in Japan. She departed Lingayen Gulf in convoy on 9 October and arrived in Sasebo on the 14th. She did not, however, disembark her passengers until 18 October. On the 22d, Bowie departed Sasebo and proceeded to Guam where she stopped on the 27th. Continuing her voyage that same day, the ship reached San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, on 12 November.
Post-war activity
The attack transport made a round-trip voyage from the west coast to Guam and back between 27 November and 27 December bringing veterans of the Pacific theater home to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On 16 January 1946, Bowie departed San Pedro on her way to the U.S. East Coast. Steaming via San Diego and the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
, she arrived in Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, on 4 February. There, the ship began preparations for inactivation.
Post-war decommissioning
On 8 March 1946, Bowie was placed out of commission at Norfolk. She was returned to the Maritime Commission on 14 March 1946, and her name was struck from the Navy listNavy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
on 28 March 1946. She was berthed with the National Defense Reserve Fleet
National Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...
at James River, Virginia, and remained there until 9 April 1973 at which time she was sold to the Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, for scrapping.