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USS Hunter Liggett (APA-14)
Encyclopedia
USS Hunter Liggett (APA-14) was a Harris-class
attack transport
that served with the US Navy during World War II
.
Hunter Liggett was built as SS Pan America in 1922 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
of Sparrows Point, Maryland, and after sailing for many years as a passenger ship was transferred to the Army and renamed Hunter Liggett in February 1939. The transport operated from New York
to San Francisco and from the West Coast
to Hawaii
until 27 May 1941, when she was turned over to the Navy. Converted to Navy use at Brooklyn Navy Yard
, she commissioned as AP-27 9 June 1941, Captain L. W. Perkins, USCG, commanding. She was reclassed APA-14 1 February 1943.
crew were ordered to the Pacific in April 1942. Departing New York 9 April the ship stopped at the Canal Zone
and Tongatapu
before arriving Wellington, New Zealand, 28 May.
's first offensive operation in the Pacific, the occupation of Guadalcanal
, and after amphibious
training and a rehearsal landing in the Koro Islands she sailed with other ships 31 July for the Solomons.
Hunter Liggett arrived off Guadalcanal the night of 6 August. In this assault, America's first amphibious operation since 1898, the ship was assigned to a later wave but sent her boats to aid in the initial landings, 7 August. Air attacks began on the day after the landing, sinking fellow transport George F. Elliott. Hunter Liggetts gunners shot down several of the attackers as she remained off the beaches.
Early on the morning of 9 August, men in the transport area could see the flashes of light from an engagement off Savo Island
. As the Japanese attempted to reinforce their Solomons garrison and destroy the transports they surprised an American Task Force and inflicted heavy losses. Hunter Liggett and the other vulnerable transports got underway, but soon returned to the transport area. After noon 9 August, they began the grim job of rescuing survivors from the sunken cruisers Vincennes, Astoria, and Quincy.
That afternoon the transport sailed with the wounded, in company with the damaged Chicago, to Noumea
, where she arrived 2 days later. With the Guadalcanal campaign began the refinement of amphibious techniques which was to pay off so handsomely as the war progressed.
The transport spent the next month at Noumea and on local amphibious training operations. After a period of repair at Wellington she sailed 22 October for Efate
, New Hebrides
, loaded marines, and returned to bitterly-contested Guadalcanal 4 November. As she off-loaded near Lunga Point
, Japanese shore batteries and air attacks made every moment a potentially fatal one. As the Tokyo Express
was due that night, Hunter Liggett and the other transports retired in the evening, only to return next day to finish landing operations.
For most of the next year, Hunter Liggett remained on this hazardous duty, the support of Guadalcanal. She made numerous trips to the island bringing troops from Noumea and New Zealand
, carried equipment, and transported wounded marines and Japanese prisoners from the embattled island. Constantly threatened from the air and by submarine
s, she continued this vital job until arriving 22 October 1943, when she anchored at Efate, New Hebrides.
. As American strength grew and the Gilberts operation got underway to the east, the task force sailed 28 October for Empress Augusta Bay
, Bougainville. Arriving early 1 November the transports unloaded with startling efficiency during air attacks from Rabaul
.
Hunter Liggett remained in the area that night and once more witnessed from afar the Japanese attempt to break up the landing. This time, in the night action of Empress Augusta Bay the Japanese were soundly defeated by Rear Admiral Merrill's task force. Hunter Liggett departed that day for Tulagi
and after another passage to Bougainville to support the amphibious toe-hold there 11 November sailed for Espiritu Santo
18 November.
, Iwo Jima
, Okinawa, and others.
, Pearl Harbor, and the Palaus before reporting to Olympia, Washington
, for return to the Army 9 March 1946.
Hunter Liggett decommissioned 18 March 1946. She was sold for scrapping to the Boston Metals Company on 30 January 1948.
Harris class attack transport
The Harris-class attack transport was a class of US Navy attack transport that saw service in World War II.Like all attack transports, the purpose of the Harris class ships was to transport troops and their equipment to hostile shores in order to execute amphibious invasions using an array of...
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...
that served with the US 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...
.
Hunter Liggett was built as SS Pan America in 1922 by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
Bethlehem Steel Corporation Shipbuilding Division was created in 1905 when Bethlehem Steel Corporation acquired the San Francisco shipyard Union Iron Works in 1905...
of Sparrows Point, Maryland, and after sailing for many years as a passenger ship was transferred to the Army and renamed Hunter Liggett in February 1939. The transport operated from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to San Francisco and from the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
to 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...
until 27 May 1941, when she was turned over to the Navy. Converted to Navy use at Brooklyn Navy Yard
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The United States Navy Yard, New York–better known as the Brooklyn Navy Yard or the New York Naval Shipyard –was an American shipyard located in Brooklyn, northeast of the Battery on the East River in Wallabout Basin, a semicircular bend of the river across from Corlear's Hook in Manhattan...
, she commissioned as AP-27 9 June 1941, Captain L. W. Perkins, USCG, commanding. She was reclassed APA-14 1 February 1943.
World War II
Hunter Liggett and her US Coast GuardUnited States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
crew were ordered to the Pacific in April 1942. Departing New York 9 April the ship stopped at the Canal Zone
Panama Canal Zone
The Panama Canal Zone was a unorganized U.S. territory located within the Republic of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area generally extending 5 miles on each side of the centerline, but excluding Panama City and Colón, which otherwise would have been partly within the limits of...
and Tongatapu
Tongatapu
Tongatapu is the main island of the Kingdom of Tonga and the location of its capital Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with approximately 71,260 residents , 70.5% of the national population...
before arriving Wellington, New Zealand, 28 May.
Invasion of Guadalcanal
The transport was scheduled to take part in AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's first offensive operation in the Pacific, the occupation of Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
, and after amphibious
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
training and a rehearsal landing in the Koro Islands she sailed with other ships 31 July for the Solomons.
Hunter Liggett arrived off Guadalcanal the night of 6 August. In this assault, America's first amphibious operation since 1898, the ship was assigned to a later wave but sent her boats to aid in the initial landings, 7 August. Air attacks began on the day after the landing, sinking fellow transport George F. Elliott. Hunter Liggetts gunners shot down several of the attackers as she remained off the beaches.
Early on the morning of 9 August, men in the transport area could see the flashes of light from an engagement off Savo Island
Savo Island
Savo Island is a volcanic island in the Solomon Islands group in the South Pacific ocean. It is located to the northeast of the northern tip of Guadalcanal Island at . Politically, Savo Island is a part of the Solomons' Central Province. The indigenous language of Savo is the Savosavo language.The...
. As the Japanese attempted to reinforce their Solomons garrison and destroy the transports they surprised an American Task Force and inflicted heavy losses. Hunter Liggett and the other vulnerable transports got underway, but soon returned to the transport area. After noon 9 August, they began the grim job of rescuing survivors from the sunken cruisers Vincennes, Astoria, and Quincy.
That afternoon the transport sailed with the wounded, in company with the damaged Chicago, to Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, where she arrived 2 days later. With the Guadalcanal campaign began the refinement of amphibious techniques which was to pay off so handsomely as the war progressed.
The transport spent the next month at Noumea and on local amphibious training operations. After a period of repair at Wellington she sailed 22 October for Efate
Éfaté
Efate is an island in the Agean Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in The Republic of Maliki. It is also known as Île Vate. It is the most populous island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it Vanuatu's third largest island. Most inhabitants of Efate live in Port Vila, the national...
, New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, loaded marines, and returned to bitterly-contested Guadalcanal 4 November. As she off-loaded near Lunga Point
Lunga Point
Lunga Point is a promontory on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, the site of a naval battle during World War II. It was also the name of a nearby airfield, later named Henderson Field....
, Japanese shore batteries and air attacks made every moment a potentially fatal one. As the Tokyo Express
Tokyo Express
The Tokyo Express was the name given by Allied forces to the use of Imperial Japanese Navy ships at night to deliver personnel, supplies, and equipment to Japanese forces operating in and around New Guinea and the Solomon Islands during the Pacific campaign of World War II...
was due that night, Hunter Liggett and the other transports retired in the evening, only to return next day to finish landing operations.
For most of the next year, Hunter Liggett remained on this hazardous duty, the support of Guadalcanal. She made numerous trips to the island bringing troops from Noumea and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, carried equipment, and transported wounded marines and Japanese prisoners from the embattled island. Constantly threatened from the air and by submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s, she continued this vital job until arriving 22 October 1943, when she anchored at Efate, New Hebrides.
Invasion of Bougainville
At Efate, Hunter Liggett took part in training operations for another important amphibious operation, the invasion of BougainvilleBougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
. As American strength grew and the Gilberts operation got underway to the east, the task force sailed 28 October for Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay
Empress Augusta Bay is a major bay on the western side of the island of Bougainville, in Papua New Guinea, at . It is a major subsistence fishing area for the people of Bougainville. It is named after Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein, wife of German Emperor William II.In November 1943, the...
, Bougainville. Arriving early 1 November the transports unloaded with startling efficiency during air attacks from Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
.
Hunter Liggett remained in the area that night and once more witnessed from afar the Japanese attempt to break up the landing. This time, in the night action of Empress Augusta Bay the Japanese were soundly defeated by Rear Admiral Merrill's task force. Hunter Liggett departed that day for Tulagi
Tulagi
Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...
and after another passage to Bougainville to support the amphibious toe-hold there 11 November sailed for 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....
18 November.
Made a training ship
Loading wounded at Espiritu Santo, Hunter Liggett proceeded to Pago Pago for more casualties and sailed for San Francisco, arriving 9 December. For several months the transport underwent major repairs. Then, 3 April 1944, she steamed to San Diego to begin a new career as an amphibious training ship. For the next 8 months she imparted the lessons learned in the Solomons campaign to those who would carry out some of the largest and best executed assaults in US Naval history - LeyteLeyte
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...
, 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...
, Okinawa, and others.
After hostilities
Hunter Liggett joined the Operation Magic Carpet fleet 10 December 1945 to return American servicemen from the Pacific. She made voyages to Ulithi, GuamGuam
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...
, Pearl Harbor, and the Palaus before reporting to Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
, for return to the Army 9 March 1946.
Hunter Liggett decommissioned 18 March 1946. She was sold for scrapping to the Boston Metals Company on 30 January 1948.