- USS Gosper (APA-170)
USS "Gosper" (APA-170) was a "Haskell"-class
attack transport acquired by theU.S. Navy duringWorld War II for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.World War II service
"Gosper" ("APA-170") was launched under
Maritime Commission contract by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.,Portland, Oregon ,20 October 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs. E. P. Nelson; transferred to the Navy and commissioned18 November 1944 , Comdr. F. W. McCann in command.Loading troops and supplies and heading for Hawaii
"Gosper" sailed for
Seattle, Washington , to load supplies29 November and arrivedSan Francisco, California ,6 December to take onlanding craft . The ship then departed for shakedown training off the coast of southernCalifornia followed by amphibious exercises, and return toSan Diego, California ,6 January 1945 . Loading troops and supplies, the transport sailed forPearl Harbor on two voyages to aid in the Navy's great push across the Pacific, arriving there for the second time27 February ."Gosper" converted into a battle casualty ship
At
Pearl Harbor it was decided to convert "Gosper" into a much-needed casualty evacuation transport, and she was furnished with operating rooms and other hospital facilities. The ship was to take part in the historicOkinawa invasion, and departedPearl Harbor 18 March forUlithi , where she arrived31 March .Servicing the wounded at Okinawa
"Gosper" arrived
Kerama Retto 6 April , just 5 days after the initial landings on nearbyOkinawa . During that grim day the ship was almost constantly under suicide attack as the Japanese tried desperately to stop the invasion. "Gosper" shot down at least one attacker that day, while transports "SS Hobos Victory" and "SS Logan Victory" and "LST-4W" were sunk. The ship remained atKerama Retto caring for casualties of the bitter fighting ashore until17 April , after which she sailed toUlithi andGuam , unloading her wounded at the Naval Hospital24 April . Sailing toSaipan , "Gosper" loaded over 1,000 reserve combat troops and got underway forOkinawa again, arriving off the beaches1 May . Until10 July she stayed at anchor atKerama Retto , caring for the casualties and helping to fight off the air raids incessantly mounted by the Japanese. She sailed toBuckner Bay , on the east side of Okinawa,10 July , and from there joined aconvoy toUlithi ,Pearl Harbor , and San Francisco, where she arrived7 August 1945 .End-of-war “clean up” operations
Under repair when the war ended, "Gosper" was pressed into use carrying occupation forces to the
Far East . She sailed26 August for thePhilippines , anchoring atManila 15 September . There she took on board, because of her medical facilities, a large group of American, British, and Canadian servicemen who had beenprisoners of war on Japanese-held islands, some since1941 . She carried these veterans via Pearl Harbor to Seattle, where she arrived12 October . Gosper then joined the "Operation Magic Carpet " fleet for the gigantic task of bringing home the combat-weary soldiers from the Pacific, sailing from Seattle26 October . She made two passages to Pearl Harbor and back, carrying veterans, and departed8 February 1946 for theU.S. East Coast , via thePanama Canal .Post-war decommissioning on the East Coast
"Gosper" arrived
Newport News, Virginia ,24 February 1946 , and decommissioned10 April 1946 . She was subsequently returned to theMaritime Commission and placed in theNational Defense Reserve Fleet in theJames River, Virginia . In1946 she was struck from theNavy List and in1974 she was scrapped.Military awards and honors
"Gosper" received one
battle star forWorld War II service.References
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*World War II External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/g6/gosper.htm USS Gosper]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03170.htm NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - APA-170 Gosper]
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