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USS Clermont (APA-143)
Encyclopedia
USS Clermont (APA-143) was a Haskell-class
attack transport
acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II
for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.
Clermont (APA-143) was launched 25 November 1944 by California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. F. Wells; acquired by the Navy 27 January 1945; converted at Kaiser Co., Inc.
, Vancouver, Washington
; and commissioned 28 January 1945, Captain F. E. Shoup in command.
, 10 April 1945 for Pearl Harbor
, arriving 16 April. Here she conducted training, then embarked the 126th Construction Battalion
. She cleared Pearl Harbor 20 May, for Eniwetok, Ulithi
, and Okinawa, arriving 24 June to disembark her troops and cargo. She returned to San Francisco 21 July to embark passengers for Pearl Harbor
, arriving there 9 August. After taking Marine units and the 116th Naval Construction Battalion
on board, she cleared 1 September for Saipan
and Sasebo
, where she put her passengers ashore for the occupation of Sasebo Naval Base. After a voyage to the Philippines
to carry additional occupation troops to Japan
, she carried units of the 5th Marines from Sasebo to Peleliu
and sailed on 3 November with homeward bound servicemen to San Diego, arriving 23 November.
, arriving 4 February. Clermont was decommissioned 1 March 1946, and returned to the Maritime Commission 3 March 1946. Her ultimate fate is unknown.
service at Okinawa.
Haskell class attack transport
Haskell-class attack transports were amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy created in 1944. They were designed to transport 1,500 troops and their combat equipment, and land them on hostile shores with the ships' integral landing craft....
attack transport
Attack transport
Attack Transport is a United States Navy ship classification.-History:In the early 1940s, as the United States Navy expanded in response to the threat of involvement in World War II, a number of civilian passenger ships and some freighters were acquired, converted to transports and given hull...
acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II
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.
Clermont (APA-143) was launched 25 November 1944 by California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. F. Wells; acquired by the Navy 27 January 1945; converted at Kaiser Co., Inc.
Kaiser Shipyards
The Kaiser Shipyards were seven major shipbuilding yards located mostly on the U.S. west coast during World War II. They were owned by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, a creation of American industrialist Henry J...
, Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
; and commissioned 28 January 1945, Captain F. E. Shoup in command.
World War II service
Clermont sailed from Port Chicago, CaliforniaPort Chicago, California
Port Chicago was a town on the southern banks of Suisun Bay, in Contra Costa County, California. It was located east-northeast of Martinez, at an elevation of 13 feet...
, 10 April 1945 for 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...
, arriving 16 April. Here she conducted training, then embarked the 126th Construction Battalion
Seabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
. She cleared Pearl Harbor 20 May, for Eniwetok, 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 Okinawa, arriving 24 June to disembark her troops and cargo. She returned to San Francisco 21 July to embark passengers for 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...
, arriving there 9 August. After taking Marine units and the 116th Naval Construction Battalion
Seabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
on board, she cleared 1 September for 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...
and Sasebo
Sasebo, 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...
, where she put her passengers ashore for the occupation of Sasebo Naval Base. After a voyage 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...
to carry additional occupation troops to Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
, she carried units of the 5th Marines from Sasebo to Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
and sailed on 3 November with homeward bound servicemen to San Diego, arriving 23 November.
Final voyage and decommissioning
Clermont made a second "Operation Magic Carpet" voyage between 8 December 1945 and 11 January 1946. Eleven days later she sailed for Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, 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....
, arriving 4 February. Clermont was decommissioned 1 March 1946, and returned to the Maritime Commission 3 March 1946. Her ultimate fate is unknown.
Military awards and honors
Clermont received one battle star for World War IIWorld 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...
service at Okinawa.