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USS Edgecombe (APA-164)
Encyclopedia
USS Edgecombe (APA-164) 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.
, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Esther S. Wilson; and commissioned 30 October 1944, Commander F. W. Wauchope, USNR, in command.
from Seattle, Washington
, to San Francisco, California
, in November 1944. After training at San Pedro, California, she sailed the last day of 1944 from San Francisco with cargo for Finschhafen
. She joined a convoy
at Hollandia
and arrived at Leyte
6 February 1945 to land reinforcements.
. She sailed on to Pearl Harbor
and reached San Francisco in May.
, Edgecombe was on the second such voyage when the war ended. In September she transported occupation troops from Leyte to Aomori
, Honshū
. Returning to the west coast, Edgecombe was assigned "Operation Magic Carpet" duty, and twice went to the western Pacific Ocean
to bring home servicemen eligible for discharge.
, for Norfolk, Virginia
, which she reached 16 March. There she was placed out of commission in reserve 31 January 1947. Edgecombe was returned to the Maritime Commission 1 October 1958.
Edgecombe received one battle star for World War II
service.
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.
World War II service
The second ship to be named Edgecombe by the Navy, APA-164 was launched September 24, 1944 by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, OregonPortland, 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...
, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Esther S. Wilson; and commissioned 30 October 1944, Commander F. W. Wauchope, USNR, in command.
From the West Coast to New Guinea
Edgecombe began transport duty along with her shakedown when she carried the 68th CB'sSeabee
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...
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...
, 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...
, in November 1944. After training at San Pedro, California, she sailed the last day of 1944 from San Francisco with cargo for Finschhafen
Finschhafen
Finschhafen is a district on the northeast coast of the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. It is named after the port of the same name.The port was discovered in 1884 by the German researcher Otto Finsch. In 1885 the German colony of German New Guinea created a town on the site and named it...
. She joined a convoy
Convoy
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...
at Hollandia
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
and arrived 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...
6 February 1945 to land reinforcements.
Landing troops and equipment at Okinawa
After intensive training with the 5th Amphibious Force, Edgecombe sailed 27 March 1945 for Okinawa. She landed her troops in the initial assault 1 April and remained off the beach 5 feverish days unloading cargo and embarking casualties for evacuation to SaipanSaipan
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...
. She sailed on to 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...
and reached San Francisco in May.
End-of-war operations
Assigned to carry troops from the U.S. West Coast to the PhilippinesPhilippines
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...
, Edgecombe was on the second such voyage when the war ended. In September she transported occupation troops from Leyte 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 :...
, Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
. Returning to the west coast, Edgecombe was assigned "Operation Magic Carpet" duty, and twice went to the western 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 bring home servicemen eligible for discharge.
Post-war decommissioning
On 11 February 1946 she got underway from Portland, OregonPortland, 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 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....
, which she reached 16 March. There she was placed out of commission in reserve 31 January 1947. Edgecombe was returned to the Maritime Commission 1 October 1958.
Edgecombe received one battle star for 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...
service.