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USS Highlands (APA-119)
Encyclopedia
USS Highlands (APA-119) was a Haskell-class
attack transport
built and used by the US Navy in World War II
. She was a Victory ship
design, VC2-S-AP5. She was named after Highlands County, Florida
, USA.
The new transport conducted shakedown training out of San Pedro
until 30 October. Following a rigorous period of drills, which would serve her well in the months to come, Highlands sailed to San Francisco to embark her troops, and got underway 23 November for Hawaii
.
Arriving Pearl Harbor
29 November, the ship again turned to amphibious training, in preparation for the epochal Iwo Jima
landings, one of the most important steps in the Navy's island campaign that drove relentlessly toward Japan
. Highlands sailed with her task group 27 January 1945 via Eniwetok for Saipan
, where she arrived 11 February. Five days later she sailed for Iwo Jima and commenced unloading on the beaches the morning of 19 February. For the next 6 days the transport unloaded troops and supplies during the day and retired under escort cover each night. Japanese air attacks were heavy during this period, claiming escort carrier in a kamikaze
attack 21 February and damaging several other ships, including . In addition to her regular duties, Highlands received over 150 survivors of Bismarck Sea 22 February, as well as casualties from the hard-pressed Marine units ashore.
Highlands departed Iwo Jima 25 February and after debarking casualties at Saipan proceeded to Espiritu Santo
, arriving 15 March 1945. There she took on fresh troops for the next major assault of the Pacific War, the invasion of Okinawa, called by Winston Churchill
". . . among the most intense and famous of military history." Highlands did not take part in the initial landings, arriving in the Ryukyus 3 April. The transport remained at Kerama Retto
until 11 April, when she took part in the early morning assault on Tsugen Jima, a small but key island controlling the approaches to the large bay on Okinawa's east side. As Marines gaired control of the island, Highlands took casualties on board, and moved directly off Hagushi
beaches 12 April to disembark reserve troops. .During the 3 days that followed antiaircraft fire and smoke screens helped protect the transport from almost continuous air attack, and after completing her mission Highlands sailed for Saipan 16 April.
Arriving Saipan 20 April Highlands unloaded casualties and proceeded the next day to Ulithi
. She departed 22 May for Guam
and then Leyte
, arriving in Leyte Gulf
31 May. The transport now busily prepared for the expected amphibious landings on the Japanese mainland, operations which were terminated by the Japanese surrender 15 August 1945. Highlands had been operating off Panay Island
when the surrender came; she sailed 21 August to load occupation troops on Luzon
. Highlands and other transports of her group entered Tokyo Bay
the day of the formal ceremony
, 2 September, and landed units of the 1st Cavalry Division on Japanese soil.
Highlands returned to the Philippine Islands and Okinawa for more occupation troops in September and after the clearing of mines from Japan's inland sea landed troops at Kure
6 October. The veteran ship sailed 11 October for Okinawa and San Diego carrying returnees
, arriving in the United States
2 November. She made an additional voyage to Japanese ports 17 November-26 December, returning to San Francisco, and departed 11 January 1946 for the Panama Canal
and Norfolk
. Highlands arrived Hampton Roads
26 January, decommissioned 14 February and was placed in the Maritime Commission's National Defense Reserve Fleet
, James River, Virginia.
, and returned. Ex-Highlands was sold for $111,560 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corporation for scrapping on 9 April 1973. At 0935 EDT, on 11 June 1973 she was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet and sent to the breaker's yard
.
All that remains of Highlands is her brass builder's plate.
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...
built and used by the US Navy in 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...
. She was a Victory ship
Victory ship
The Victory ship was a type of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace shipping losses caused by German submarines...
design, VC2-S-AP5. She was named after Highlands County, Florida
Highlands County, Florida
Highlands County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the population was 97,346. Its county seat is Sebring, Florida. The county comprises the Sebring, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, USA.
World War II service
Highlands was launched 8 July 1944 under Maritime Commission contract by California Shipbuilding Company, Wilmington, California; sponsored by Mrs. G. W. D. Dashiell; acquired by the Navy and commissioned 5 October 1944, Captain G. D. Lyon commanding.The new transport conducted shakedown training out of San Pedro
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
San Pedro is a port district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area...
until 30 October. Following a rigorous period of drills, which would serve her well in the months to come, Highlands sailed to San Francisco to embark her troops, and got underway 23 November 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...
.
Arriving 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...
29 November, the ship again turned to amphibious training, in preparation for the epochal Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
landings, one of the most important steps in the Navy's island campaign that drove relentlessly toward 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...
. Highlands sailed with her task group 27 January 1945 via Eniwetok 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...
, where she arrived 11 February. Five days later she sailed for Iwo Jima and commenced unloading on the beaches the morning of 19 February. For the next 6 days the transport unloaded troops and supplies during the day and retired under escort cover each night. Japanese air attacks were heavy during this period, claiming escort carrier in a kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attack 21 February and damaging several other ships, including . In addition to her regular duties, Highlands received over 150 survivors of Bismarck Sea 22 February, as well as casualties from the hard-pressed Marine units ashore.
Highlands departed Iwo Jima 25 February and after debarking casualties at Saipan proceeded to Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
, arriving 15 March 1945. There she took on fresh troops for the next major assault of the Pacific War, the invasion of Okinawa, called by Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
". . . among the most intense and famous of military history." Highlands did not take part in the initial landings, arriving in the Ryukyus 3 April. The transport remained at 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....
until 11 April, when she took part in the early morning assault on Tsugen Jima, a small but key island controlling the approaches to the large bay on Okinawa's east side. As Marines gaired control of the island, Highlands took casualties on board, and moved directly off 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 12 April to disembark reserve troops. .During the 3 days that followed antiaircraft fire and smoke screens helped protect the transport from almost continuous air attack, and after completing her mission Highlands sailed for Saipan 16 April.
Arriving Saipan 20 April Highlands unloaded casualties and proceeded the next day to 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...
. She departed 22 May for 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 then 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...
, arriving in Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
31 May. The transport now busily prepared for the expected amphibious landings on the Japanese mainland, operations which were terminated by the Japanese surrender 15 August 1945. Highlands had been operating off Panay Island
Panay Island
Panay is an island in the Philippines located in the western part of the Visayas. Politically, it is divided into five provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo, all in the Western Visayas Region. It is located southeast of the island of Mindoro and northwest of Negros, separated by the...
when the surrender came; she sailed 21 August to load occupation troops on Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
. Highlands and other transports of her group entered Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
the day of the formal ceremony
Japanese Instrument of Surrender
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that enabled the Surrender of Japan, marking the end of World War II. It was signed by representatives from the Empire of Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist...
, 2 September, and landed units of the 1st Cavalry Division on Japanese soil.
Highlands returned to the Philippine Islands and Okinawa for more occupation troops in September and after the clearing of mines from Japan's inland sea landed troops at Kure
Kure, Hiroshima
is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
6 October. The veteran ship sailed 11 October for Okinawa and San Diego carrying returnees
Operation Magic Carpet (World War II)
Operation Magic Carpet was the post-World War II effort by the War Shipping Administration to repatriate over eight million American military personnel from the European, Pacific, and CBI theaters. Hundreds of Liberty ships, Victory ships, and troop transports began repatriating soldiers from...
, arriving in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
2 November. She made an additional voyage to Japanese ports 17 November-26 December, returning to San Francisco, and departed 11 January 1946 for 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...
and Norfolk
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....
. Highlands arrived Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
26 January, decommissioned 14 February and was placed in the Maritime Commission's 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...
, James River, Virginia.
Fate
Between 21 September and 23 November 1956 she was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet for a Repair Program, GAA- Farrell LinesFarrell Lines
Farrell lines Incorporated was named in 1948 after James A. Farrell Jr., and John J. Farrell, sons of James A Farrell Sr., president of US Steel. The company was previously known as American South African Lines . It was a passenger/cargo line in regular service from New York to South Africa...
, and returned. Ex-Highlands was sold for $111,560 to Union Minerals & Alloys Corporation for scrapping on 9 April 1973. At 0935 EDT, on 11 June 1973 she was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet and sent to the breaker's yard
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...
.
All that remains of Highlands is her brass builder's plate.