.gif)
USS McCawley (APA-4)
Encyclopedia
USS McCawley (APA-4) was a McCawley-class
attack transport
that served with the U.S. Navy
during World War II
. Named after Charles G. McCawley, eighth Commandant
of the U.S. Marine Corps
, she was the lead ship
in her class.
The second McCawley, formerly SS Santa Barbara, was completed in 1928 by the Furness Shipbuilding Company of Haverton Hill-on-Tees
, England
; acquired by the Navy from Grace Lines 26 July 1940; renamed McCawley (AP-10) 29 July 1940; and commissioned 11 September 1940, Capt. H. D. McHenry in command. She was reclassified an attack transport, APA-4, on 1 February 1943.
with troops embarked. She returned to New York
25 March and then steamed to Norfolk, Virginia
en route a new assignment with the Pacific
Fleet.
Transiting the Panama Canal 18 April, she discharged marine
aviator
s at Pago Pago 8 May and continued on to Wellington, New Zealand
. Joining Amphibious Force, South Pacific, she became the flagship for Rear Adm. R. K. Turner
shortly before the first Allied
counter invasion of the war, Guadalcanal
.
, at 0919 on Lunga Point
, Guadalcanal. Air raids commenced on the 8th; McCawleys guns scored their first kills, destroying three, possibly four planes.
, in which American
heavy cruiser
s , , and Australia
n heavy cruiser were lost and American heavy cruiser was severely damaged. The transports continued to unload cargo until sailing for Nouméa
that afternoon.
McCawley returned to Guadalcanal 18 September with supplies and reinforcements, departing again the same day with wounded and POWs
. Unfortunately, aircraft carrier was lost and battleship and destroyer were damaged by torpedoes while protecting this troopship convoy.
On 9 October, the transport again got underway for Guadalcanal in a convoy carrying over 2,800 reinforcements. One of the support groups for the convoy was Rear Adm. Norman Scott's cruiser force, which, on the night of 11 and 12 October, defeated an enemy force off Cape Esperance
, insuring successful completion of the troop movement. McCawley landed her troops and cargo, returning once more to Nouméa with wounded and POWs.
On 8 November, McCawley departed Nouméa with other units of TF 67 for Guadalcanal. Two cruisers and three destroyers under Rear Adm. Daniel J. Callaghan
supported them. At the same time, another convoy, covered by a cruiser and four destroyers under Rear Admiral Scott, set out from Espiritu Santo
. Further direct support for the operations was to be supplied by battleships and destroyers of TF 64.
Transports from Espiritu Santo arrived at Lunga Point on the 11th, McCawleys group from Nouméa on the 12th. By dusk on the 12th, as reports of Japanese
ship movements from Truk
increased, 90% of the transports' lading had been discharged, despite torpedo bomber
attacks.
The transports were pulled out and sent back to Espiritu Santo, while Admiral Callaghan's and Admiral Scott's combined force gallantly engaged the enemy fleet in the initial action of what would later be called the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
. The battle, lasting from 12 to 15 November, cost the Japanese two battleships, one cruiser, three destroyers, and eleven transports. The United States lost two cruisers and seven destroyers, and Admirals Callaghan and Scott were both killed.
On 24 November, McCawley departed Nouméa for overhaul at Wellington. She returned to New Caledonia
10 January 1943 with the 1st Marine Raiders
and the 3rd Parachute Battalion. After discharging those units, she loaded Army troops and construction equipment and resumed supply runs to Guadalcanal. McCawley, redesignated attack transport APA-4 on 1 February 1943, continued to supply Guadalcanal until mid-June. At that time, she began preparations for the New Georgia
and central Solomons
campaign.
, near New Georgia. Twice, before completion at 1350, operations were halted to prepare for air attacks which did not materialize. Then, as the withdrawing column entered Blanche Channel, torpedo planes attacked. McCawley 's gunfire brought down four; but a torpedo hit in McCawleys engine room, killed 15 of her crew, and knocked out all power.
Following the attack, Admiral Turner and his staff transferred to destroyer . Rear Admiral Wilkinson remained in McCawley to command salvage operations, while attack cargo ship took the transport in tow and destroyers and stood by to assist.
At 1640 all the crew, except the salvage party, were taken off by Ralph Talbot. Soon afterward, the group was attacked by dive bomber
s, and McCawley was strafed, but no further damage was inflicted as the salvage party manned her guns to shoot down one of the three planes destroyed. By 1850, the draft aft had increased to 38 feet (11.6 m), and Admiral Wilkinson ordered McCalla alongside to take off the salvage party. Within the hour all hands were aboard McCalla and pulling clear of the stricken transport.
had torpedoed an "enemy" transport in Blanche Channel
, after having been informed there were no friendly forces in the area. PTs were then placed directly under Admiral Turner and given a liaison officer
to keep them informed.
McCawley class attack transport
The McCawley-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 McCawley class ships was to transport troops and their equipment to hostile shores in order to execute amphibious invasions...
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 U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
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...
. Named after Charles G. McCawley, eighth Commandant
Commandant of the Marine Corps
The Commandant of the Marine Corps is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
of the U.S. Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
, she was the lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
in her class.
The second McCawley, formerly SS Santa Barbara, was completed in 1928 by the Furness Shipbuilding Company of Haverton Hill-on-Tees
Haverton Hill
Haverton Hill is an area within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of County Durham, England.It is situated to the north of the River Tees, near Billingham. The A1046 is the main road linking to Stockton and the A19 in the west and Port Clarence and the A178 in the east.- History...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; acquired by the Navy from Grace Lines 26 July 1940; renamed McCawley (AP-10) 29 July 1940; and commissioned 11 September 1940, Capt. H. D. McHenry in command. She was reclassified an attack transport, APA-4, on 1 February 1943.
World War II
On 19 February 1942, McCawley got underway for IcelandIceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
with troops embarked. She returned to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
25 March and then steamed to 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....
en route a new assignment with the Pacific
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...
Fleet.
Transiting the Panama Canal 18 April, she discharged marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
s at Pago Pago 8 May and continued on to Wellington, New Zealand
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. Joining Amphibious Force, South Pacific, she became the flagship for Rear Adm. R. K. Turner
Richmond K. Turner
-Footnotes:...
shortly before the first Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
counter invasion of the war, Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
.
Invasion of Guadalcanal
On 7 August, the campaign started; at 0800 landings were made at TulagiTulagi
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...
, at 0919 on 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....
, Guadalcanal. Air raids commenced on the 8th; McCawleys guns scored their first kills, destroying three, possibly four planes.
Supply missions amid naval battles
On the 9th, she witnessed the flares of the Battle of Savo IslandBattle of Savo Island
The Battle of Savo Island, also known as the First Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval forces...
, in which American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
s , , and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n heavy cruiser were lost and American heavy cruiser was severely damaged. The transports continued to unload cargo until sailing for Nouméa
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,...
that afternoon.
McCawley returned to Guadalcanal 18 September with supplies and reinforcements, departing again the same day with wounded and POWs
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. Unfortunately, aircraft carrier was lost and battleship and destroyer were damaged by torpedoes while protecting this troopship convoy.
On 9 October, the transport again got underway for Guadalcanal in a convoy carrying over 2,800 reinforcements. One of the support groups for the convoy was Rear Adm. Norman Scott's cruiser force, which, on the night of 11 and 12 October, defeated an enemy force off Cape Esperance
Cape Esperance
Cape Esperance is the northernmost point on Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. The Battle of Cape Esperance, one of several naval engagements fought in the waters north of the island during the World War II Guadalcanal campaign, took its name from this point...
, insuring successful completion of the troop movement. McCawley landed her troops and cargo, returning once more to Nouméa with wounded and POWs.
On 8 November, McCawley departed Nouméa with other units of TF 67 for Guadalcanal. Two cruisers and three destroyers under Rear Adm. Daniel J. Callaghan
Daniel J. Callaghan
Daniel Judson Callaghan was a United States Navy officer who received the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. In a career spanning just over 30 years, he served his country in two wars...
supported them. At the same time, another convoy, covered by a cruiser and four destroyers under Rear Admiral Scott, set out from 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....
. Further direct support for the operations was to be supplied by battleships and destroyers of TF 64.
Transports from Espiritu Santo arrived at Lunga Point on the 11th, McCawleys group from Nouméa on the 12th. By dusk on the 12th, as reports of Japanese
Empire 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...
ship movements from Truk
Chuuk
Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia , along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's...
increased, 90% of the transports' lading had been discharged, despite torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
attacks.
The transports were pulled out and sent back to Espiritu Santo, while Admiral Callaghan's and Admiral Scott's combined force gallantly engaged the enemy fleet in the initial action of what would later be called the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third and Fourth Battles of Savo Island, the Battle of the Solomons, The Battle of Friday the 13th, or, in Japanese sources, as the , took place from 12–15 November 1942, and was the decisive engagement in a series of naval battles...
. The battle, lasting from 12 to 15 November, cost the Japanese two battleships, one cruiser, three destroyers, and eleven transports. The United States lost two cruisers and seven destroyers, and Admirals Callaghan and Scott were both killed.
On 24 November, McCawley departed Nouméa for overhaul at Wellington. She returned to New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
10 January 1943 with the 1st Marine Raiders
Marine Raiders
The Marine Raiders were elite units established by the United States Marine Corps during World War II to conduct amphibious light infantry warfare, particularly in landing in rubber boats and operating behind the lines...
and the 3rd Parachute Battalion. After discharging those units, she loaded Army troops and construction equipment and resumed supply runs to Guadalcanal. McCawley, redesignated attack transport APA-4 on 1 February 1943, continued to supply Guadalcanal until mid-June. At that time, she began preparations for the New Georgia
New Georgia
New Georgia is the largest island of the Western Province of the Solomon Islands.-Geography:This island is located in the New Georgia Group, an archipelago including most of the other larger islands in the province...
and central Solomons
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
campaign.
Attacked by enemy aircraft
At 0643 on 30 June, she began off-loading for the landing at Rendova IslandRendova Island
Rendova Island is an island, part of the New Georgia Islands of Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, east of Papua New Guinea. There are two indigenous languages spoken on Rendova Island: the Austronesian language Ughele in the north, and the Papuan language Touo in the south.The black-sand...
, near New Georgia. Twice, before completion at 1350, operations were halted to prepare for air attacks which did not materialize. Then, as the withdrawing column entered Blanche Channel, torpedo planes attacked. McCawley 's gunfire brought down four; but a torpedo hit in McCawleys engine room, killed 15 of her crew, and knocked out all power.
Following the attack, Admiral Turner and his staff transferred to destroyer . Rear Admiral Wilkinson remained in McCawley to command salvage operations, while attack cargo ship took the transport in tow and destroyers and stood by to assist.
At 1640 all the crew, except the salvage party, were taken off by Ralph Talbot. Soon afterward, the group was attacked by dive bomber
Dive bomber
A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
s, and McCawley was strafed, but no further damage was inflicted as the salvage party manned her guns to shoot down one of the three planes destroyed. By 1850, the draft aft had increased to 38 feet (11.6 m), and Admiral Wilkinson ordered McCalla alongside to take off the salvage party. Within the hour all hands were aboard McCalla and pulling clear of the stricken transport.
Accidental sinking
At 2023 the final blow came. The doomed ship was again torpedoed and in 30 seconds she sank in 340 fathoms. The following day, it was learned that six motor torpedo boatsMotor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
had torpedoed an "enemy" transport in Blanche Channel
Blanche Channel
Blanche Channel is a waterway in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It lies between the islands of New Georgia and Vangunu to the northeast, and Rendova and Tetepare to the southwest. It connects to the Solomon Sea at both east and west ends....
, after having been informed there were no friendly forces in the area. PTs were then placed directly under Admiral Turner and given a liaison officer
Liaison officer
A liaison officer or LNO is a person that liaises between two organizations to communicate and coordinate their activities. Generally, they are used to achieve the best utilization of resources or employment of services of one organization by another. In the military, liaison officers may...
to keep them informed.