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USS Crockett (APA-148)
Encyclopedia
USS Crockett (APA-148) 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.
Crockett (APA-148) was launched 28 November 1944 by Kaiser Shipbuilding, Inc., Vancouver, Washington
, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. L. D. Whitgrove, wife of Captain Whitgrove; acquired by the Navy 18 January 1945; and commissioned the same day, Commander J. R. Bagshaw, Jr., USNR, in command.
, 5 April 1945, Crockett discharged troops and cargo at Pearl Harbor
from 12 to 27 April, then carried men of a Naval construction battalion to Samar
, arriving 17 May.
for Okinawa where from 24 to 27 June she unloaded under air attack and embarked survivors of ships lost at Okinawa for transfer to San Francisco, California
.
, carrying passengers and cargo to Guam
, and transporting soldiers from Manila
to Aomori
, Japan
, for occupation duty. She was assigned to "Operation Magic Carpet" duty, returning men eligible for discharge, and arrived at San Diego, California
, 21 October with her first group of veterans. Crockett returned from a second voyage to Okinawa on 8 December, sailed from Seattle, Washington
, 12 January 1946, and arrived at Norfolk, Virginia
, 1 February.
.
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.
Crockett (APA-148) was launched 28 November 1944 by Kaiser Shipbuilding, Inc., 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...
, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. L. D. Whitgrove, wife of Captain Whitgrove; acquired by the Navy 18 January 1945; and commissioned the same day, Commander J. R. Bagshaw, Jr., USNR, in command.
World War II service
Departing San Diego, CaliforniaSan 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...
, 5 April 1945, Crockett discharged troops and cargo at 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...
from 12 to 27 April, then carried men of a Naval construction battalion to Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
, arriving 17 May.
Unloading troops under enemy fire
Embarking Army troops, Crockett sailed by way of UlithiUlithi
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...
for Okinawa where from 24 to 27 June she unloaded under air attack and embarked survivors of ships lost at Okinawa for transfer to 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...
.
End-of-war activity
After a short availability in the States (17–30 July), Crockett returned to transport duty in the Pacific OceanPacific 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...
, carrying passengers and cargo to 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...
, and transporting soldiers from 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,...
to Aomori
Aomori, Aomori
is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 302,068 and a density of 366 persons per km². Its total area was 824.52 km².- History :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, for occupation duty. She was assigned to "Operation Magic Carpet" duty, returning men eligible for discharge, and arrived at 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...
, 21 October with her first group of veterans. Crockett returned from a second voyage to Okinawa on 8 December, sailed from Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, 12 January 1946, and arrived at 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....
, 1 February.
In reserve and decommissioning
She was placed in commission, in reserve 5 June, and out of commission in reserve 15 October 1946. She was transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal 1 October 1958.Military awards and honors
Crockett received one battle star for service in 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...
.