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USS McCracken (APA-198)
Encyclopedia
USS McCracken (APA-198) 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.
, 8 June 1944; launched 29 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Albert Bauer; acquired by the Navy21 October 1944; and commissioned at Astoria, Oregon
, 21 October 1944, Comdr. Brainerd N. Bock in command.
After shakedown
and training along the U.S. West Coast
, McCracken embarked troops at San Pedro, California, and sailed for Pearl Harbor
27 December. Arriving there 2 January 1945, she departed for the South Pacific Ocean
10 January. Carrying troops and cargo, she reached Noumea
, New Caledonia
, 20 January. Thence between 26 and 31 January, she steamed via the Russell Islands
to Guadalcanal
, Solomons, where she began 6 weeks of intensive training. Assigned to TransDiv
52, she departed Guadalcanal 15 March and steamed for the invasion of Okinawa.
, Caroline Islands
, McCracken closed the beaches off Okinawa early 1 April and debarked assault troops shortly after sunrise. During the day she off loaded cargo despite enemy air attacks. She remained off Okinawa until 6 April, but heavy weather prevented her from discharging troops and cargo.
and debarked her remaining troops. Departing 11 April, she arrived Pearl Harbor the 22d. On 5 May she sailed to San Francisco, California
, embarked troops and cargo, and returned to Pearl Harbor 26 May. Three days later she sailed westward carrying Navy Seabee
s and Army Engineers, arriving Buckner Bay, Okinawa
, 5 July. After discharging men and supplies, she embarked elements of the 6th Marine Division at Hagushi
9 July, and from 10 to 16 July transported them to Guam
.
12 September to debark troops. A week later she began embarking troops of the 25th Infantry Division at Lingayen Gulf
, and on 1 October she sailed in convoy
to carry occupation troops to Japan
.
, 28 October and landed occupation troops. Between 4 and 8 November the transport sailed via Yokosuka to Sasebo
, Kyūshū
, where she embarked 760 sailors. After embarking 737 additional Navy veterans at Nagasaki, she departed for the United States
13 November and reached San Pedro 1 December. Sailing for a second “Operation Magic Carpet” cruise 12 December, McCracken arrived Manila Bay
2 January 1946, boarded veteran troops, sailed 6 January and arrived Los Angeles, California
, the 25th.
, 10 October 1946, entering the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was transferred to the Mare Island Group 17 June 1949; reassigned to the Stockton Group 28 November 1950; and assigned to the San Diego Group 30 March 1958. Authorized for transfer to the Maritime Administration 5 September 1958, her name was struck from the Navy List
1 October 1958. Into 1969 she remained berthed with the National Defense Reserve Fleet
in Suisun Bay, California. In 1975 she was scrapped in Portland, Oregon
.
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
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...
for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.
World War II service
McCracken (APA 198) was laid down under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Inc., Vancouver, WashingtonVancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, 8 June 1944; launched 29 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Albert Bauer; acquired by the Navy21 October 1944; and commissioned at Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, 21 October 1944, Comdr. Brainerd N. Bock in command.
After shakedown
Shakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
and training along the U.S. 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...
, McCracken embarked troops at San Pedro, California, and sailed for 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...
27 December. Arriving there 2 January 1945, she departed for the South 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...
10 January. Carrying troops and cargo, she reached 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,...
, 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...
, 20 January. Thence between 26 and 31 January, she steamed via the Russell Islands
Russell Islands
The Russell Islands are two small islands, as well as several islets, of volcanic origin, in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands. They are located approximately 48 km northwest from Guadalcanal. The islands are partially covered in coconut plantations, and have a copra and oil factory at...
to 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...
, Solomons, where she began 6 weeks of intensive training. Assigned to TransDiv
TransDiv
TransDiv is the authorized abbreviation or acronym used by the U.S. Navy during World War II for "transport division."The commander of a transport division was known as ComTransDiv .- References :*...
52, she departed Guadalcanal 15 March and steamed for the invasion of Okinawa.
Landing troops and their equipment on Okinawa
After touching at UlithiUlithi
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...
, Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
, McCracken closed the beaches off Okinawa early 1 April and debarked assault troops shortly after sunrise. During the day she off loaded cargo despite enemy air attacks. She remained off Okinawa until 6 April, but heavy weather prevented her from discharging troops and cargo.
Disembarking troops on Saipan and Okinawa
Between 6 and 10 April McCracken steamed 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...
and debarked her remaining troops. Departing 11 April, she arrived Pearl Harbor the 22d. On 5 May she sailed 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...
, embarked troops and cargo, and returned to Pearl Harbor 26 May. Three days later she sailed westward carrying Navy 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 and Army Engineers, arriving Buckner Bay, Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, 5 July. After discharging men and supplies, she embarked elements of the 6th Marine Division at 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...
9 July, and from 10 to 16 July transported them to 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...
.
Landing troops in the Philippine Islands
McCracken sailed for the U.S. west coast 17 July, arriving San Francisco the 30th. She loaded dry provisions there; embarked more than 1,400 Army troops at San Pedro, California; and departed 16 August, arriving ManilaManila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
12 September to debark troops. A week later she began embarking troops of the 25th Infantry Division at Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
, and on 1 October she sailed in 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...
to carry occupation troops to Japan
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...
.
End-of-war operations
McCracken reached Nagoya, HonshūHonshu
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...
, 28 October and landed occupation troops. Between 4 and 8 November the transport sailed via Yokosuka to Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
, Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
, where she embarked 760 sailors. After embarking 737 additional Navy veterans at Nagasaki, she departed for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
13 November and reached San Pedro 1 December. Sailing for a second “Operation Magic Carpet” cruise 12 December, McCracken arrived Manila Bay
Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila , in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world...
2 January 1946, boarded veteran troops, sailed 6 January and arrived Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the 25th.
End-of-war decommissioning and inactivation
McCracken arrived San Francisco 10 March, began inactivation overhaul at Mare Island, California, 2 April, and decommissioned at Stockton, CaliforniaStockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
, 10 October 1946, entering the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was transferred to the Mare Island Group 17 June 1949; reassigned to the Stockton Group 28 November 1950; and assigned to the San Diego Group 30 March 1958. Authorized for transfer to the Maritime Administration 5 September 1958, her name was struck from the Navy List
Naval 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. Into 1969 she remained berthed with the 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...
in Suisun Bay, California. In 1975 she was scrapped in Portland, Oregon
Portland, 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...
.
Military awards and honors
McCracken received one battle star for World War IIWorld 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.