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USS Eastland (APA-163)
Encyclopedia
USS Eastland (APA-163) 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.
Eastland (APA-163) was launched 19 September 1944 by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, Oregon
, for the Maritime Commission; sponsored by Mrs. Allan Hunger; transferred to the Navy and commissioned 26 October 1944, Commander G. L. Harriss in command.
, where she arrived on New Year's Day
1945. She continued west on 17 January transporting men to Eniwetok, Kossol Roads
, and Peleliu
before arriving at Leyte
, 9 February. After amphibious training, Eastland sailed from Leyte
21 March for Kerama Retto
, the islands which proved the indispensable stepping stone and logistic base for invading and holding nearby Okinawa.
until 26 April. Several times during that period, Eastland fired on planes which attacked the anchorage; though not damaged herself, the transport splashed at least three enemy aircraft.
After a month at Ulithi
, Eastland sailed into San Francisco Bay
on 11 June 1945. She replenished her stores and embarked passengers and cargo at Eniwetok, Ulithi
, San Pedro Bay
and Leyte
, from which she returned to the Golden Gate
, 13 August.
, where she discharged occupation troops and their supplies from 4 to 7 October.
, lifting U.S. Marines from Guam
to Taku
Bar, then reached Inchon to embark homeward-bound servicemen for Portland, Oregon
, arriving in the Columbia River
2 December 1945. She made another such "Operation Magic Carpet" voyage between Seattle, Washington
, and Yokosuka, Japan, from 17 December 1945 to 28 January 1946. Two days later, she sailed for San Francisco, California
, and Norfolk, Virginia
, arriving 24 February.
the following day for disposal.
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.
Eastland (APA-163) was launched 19 September 1944 by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, for the Maritime Commission; sponsored by Mrs. Allan Hunger; transferred to the Navy and commissioned 26 October 1944, Commander G. L. Harriss in command.
World War II service
Eastland sailed from San Pedro, California, 26 December 1944, carrying 64 naval aviators to Pearl HarborPearl 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...
, where she arrived on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
1945. She continued west on 17 January transporting men to Eniwetok, Kossol Roads
Kossol Roads
Kossol Roads, Palau is a large body of reef-enclosed water north of Babeldaob. During World War II, it was used by the United States Navy as the location of a floating resupply and repair base....
, and 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....
before arriving at 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...
, 9 February. After amphibious training, Eastland sailed from 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...
21 March for Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
, the islands which proved the indispensable stepping stone and logistic base for invading and holding nearby Okinawa.
Eastland shoots down three attacking planes
Arriving Kerama, 26 March, she landed her troops without opposition on Yakabi Shima and remained in the archipelagoArchipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
until 26 April. Several times during that period, Eastland fired on planes which attacked the anchorage; though not damaged herself, the transport splashed at least three enemy aircraft.
After a month 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...
, Eastland sailed into 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 11 June 1945. She replenished her stores and embarked passengers and cargo at 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...
, San Pedro Bay
San Pedro Bay (Philippines)
San Pedro Bay is a bay in the Philippines, at the northwest end of Leyte Gulf, about 15 km east-west and 20 km north-south. The bay is bounded on the north and east by Samar and on the east by Leyte Island. It is connected by San Juanico Strait to Carigara Bay of the Samar Sea. The...
and 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...
, from which she returned to the Golden Gate
Golden Gate
The Golden Gate is the North American strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge...
, 13 August.
End-of-war activity
She sailed again 24 August to carry replacement soldiers to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, arriving 14 September. After interisland transport duty until September, she put out for Hakodate, JapanEmpire 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...
, where she discharged occupation troops and their supplies from 4 to 7 October.
Bringing the troops home on a Magic Carpet
Eastland continued on transport duty in the western 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...
, lifting U.S. Marines from 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...
to Taku
Taku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
Bar, then reached Inchon to embark homeward-bound servicemen for Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, arriving in the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
2 December 1945. She made another such "Operation Magic Carpet" voyage between 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...
, and Yokosuka, Japan, from 17 December 1945 to 28 January 1946. Two days later, she sailed for 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...
, and 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....
, arriving 24 February.
Post-war decommissioning
Eastland was decommissioned there 15 April 1946 and delivered to the War Shipping AdministrationWar Shipping Administration
The War Shipping Administration was a World War II emergency war agency of the US Government, tasked to purchase and operate the civilian shipping tonnage the US needed for fighting the war....
the following day for disposal.
Military awards and honors
Eastland 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.