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USS Lavaca (APA-180)
Encyclopedia
USS Lavaca (APA-180) 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 Lavaca County, Texas, USA.
, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Charles Harper, Jr.; acquired by the Navy 17 December 1944 and commissioned the same day, Capt. Walter S. Gabel, USNR, in command.
After shakedown off California
, Lavaca arrived San Diego 30 December and on 29 January 1945 became the flagship
for Commander, Transport Division 65.
Lavaca arrived Pearl Harbor
25 February. Leaving 8 March, she transported Seabee
s to the Philippines
, arriving Samar
27 March. From 27 March to 2 August Lavaca shuttled troops and equipment between the Admiralty
and Philippine Islands.
On 2 August she arrived Markham Bay, New Guinea
. That night an Australian plane crashed into Huon Gulf
. Lavaca's salvage
crew rescued five men and towed the plane to shore.
On 27 August following Japan's capitulation
, Lavaca joined TF 33.1 at Luzon, prepared for the occupation of Japan, and arrived Yokohama
2 September. The attack transport shuttled passengers from Pearl Harbor and San Francisco to Sasebo, Japan, 7 September 1945 to 6 July 1946.
She departed Sasebo for the east coast
via Colón, Panama
, and arrived Norfolk, Virginia
, 12 July. Lavaca decommissioned 31 January 1947 and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Norfolk.
1 October 1958 following transfer to the Maritime Administration and placed in National Defense Reserve Fleet
at Wilmington, North Carolina
, in September. In October 1964 Lavaca was moved to the James River, Virginia. In late 1982 she was defueled. In 1986, and again in 1990, she was withdrawn from James River for stripping. Ex-Lavaca was sold for $125,244 to Global Marketing Systems, Inc. for scrapping on 14 October 1992. At 1030 EST
, on 17 November 1992 she was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet and sent to the breaker's yard
.
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. 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 Lavaca County, Texas, USA.
World War II service
Lavaca was launched 27 November 1944 by the 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. Charles Harper, Jr.; acquired by the Navy 17 December 1944 and commissioned the same day, Capt. Walter S. Gabel, USNR, in command.
After shakedown off California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Lavaca arrived San Diego 30 December and on 29 January 1945 became the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
for Commander, Transport Division 65.
Lavaca arrived 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...
25 February. Leaving 8 March, she transported Seabee
Seabee
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...
s to the Philippines
Philippines
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...
, arriving 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...
27 March. From 27 March to 2 August Lavaca shuttled troops and equipment between the Admiralty
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
and Philippine Islands.
On 2 August she arrived Markham Bay, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. That night an Australian plane crashed into Huon Gulf
Huon Gulf
Huon Gulf is a large gulf in eastern Papua New Guinea, at . It is bordered by Huon Peninsula in the north. Both are named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec. Huon Gulf is a part of the Solomon Sea. Lae, capital of the Morobe Province is located on the northern coast of the...
. Lavaca's salvage
Marine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
crew rescued five men and towed the plane to shore.
On 27 August following Japan's capitulation
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
, Lavaca joined TF 33.1 at Luzon, prepared for the occupation of Japan, and arrived Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
2 September. The attack transport shuttled passengers from Pearl Harbor and San Francisco to Sasebo, Japan, 7 September 1945 to 6 July 1946.
She departed Sasebo for the east coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
via Colón, Panama
Colón, Panama
Colón is a sea port on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama. The city lies near the Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is capital of Panama's Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama's second city....
, and arrived 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....
, 12 July. Lavaca decommissioned 31 January 1947 and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Norfolk.
Fate
She was struck from the Navy ListNaval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
1 October 1958 following transfer to the Maritime Administration and placed in 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...
at Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, in September. In October 1964 Lavaca was moved to the James River, Virginia. In late 1982 she was defueled. In 1986, and again in 1990, she was withdrawn from James River for stripping. Ex-Lavaca was sold for $125,244 to Global Marketing Systems, Inc. for scrapping on 14 October 1992. At 1030 EST
North American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
, on 17 November 1992 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...
.
External links
- Photo gallery at Naval Historical Center
- Photo gallery at Navsource.org