USS Todd (AKA-71)

USS "Todd" (AKA-71) was a "Tolland" class attack cargo ship. She was designed to carry military cargo and landing craft, and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies, and Marines on enemy shores during amphibious operations. She served as a commissioned ship for 18 months.

She was named after counties in Kentucky, Minnesota, and South Dakota.

"Todd" was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1400) on 10 August 1944 at Wilmington, North Carolina, by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 10 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. R. Gregg Cherry; acquired by the Navy from the War Shipping Administration on 14 November; and commissioned on 30 November 1944, Lt. Comdr. Charles A. Johnson, USNR, in command. The ship held shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay and then moved up the coast to Davisville, R.I., to load cargo. On 4 January 1945, "Todd" began an independent voyage to Hawaii. She transited the Panama Canal on 11 January and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 26th. She unloaded her cargo, participated in training exercises for two weeks, and got underway for New Caledonia on 12 February. On 22 February, "Todd" arrived at Noumea to await further orders. During the next 10 weeks, the ship moved only once and that was to carry tracked landing vehicles 50 miles up the coast to Uarai Bay for the Army. She left Noumea on 3 May and proceeded, via Manus, to the Philippines. The cargo ship arrived at Leyte on 16 May and headed for Hollandia 12 days later. She loaded troops and supplies and returned to Manila on 17 June. "Todd" then made two more round-trips from the Philippines to New Guinea. The ship was unloading cargo at Subic Bay when hostilities with Japan ceased. She embarked occupation troops, with their equipment, at Manila and got underway for Japan on 27 August. The troops disembarked at Yokohama on 2 September. A voyage from the Philippines to Okinawa and another from the Philippines to Japan followed. In October and early November, she made calls at Hong Kong and Tsingtao before proceeding to Sasebo. "Todd" embarked elements of the 5th Marine Division and departed Japan for the United States on 7 December. The ship arrived at San Diego on 22 December 1945 and disembarked her passengers. She moved to San Pedro the next day and off-loaded ammunition. "Todd" proceeded to San Francisco on 9 January 1946 and entered the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard for voyage repairs. Between 15 February and 15 March, she made one last voyage to Hawaii. On 5 April, "Todd" stood out of San Francisco bound for Norfolk and inactivation. She arrived on 1 May and was decommissioned on 25 June 1946. "Todd" was returned to the War Shipping Administration the next day and was struck from the Navy list on 19 July 1946.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/t6/todd.htm Naval Historical Center: USS "Todd"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/02071.htm NavSource Online: AKA-71 "Todd"]
* [http://ussrankin.org/id352.htm 51 Years of AKAs]