- USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8)
USS "Mount Olympus" (AGC-8) was a "Mount McKinley"-class amphibious force command ship, named after the highest peak in the Olympic Mountains of
Washington . She was designed as an amphibious forceflagship , a floatingcommand post with advanced communications equipment and extensive combat information spaces to be used by the amphibious forces commander and landing force commander during large-scale operations.World War II
"Mount Olympus" was laid down on
3 August 1943 at theNorth Carolina Shipbuilding Company inWilmington, North Carolina ; launched on3 October 1943 as "Eclipse", atransport , sponsored by Mrs. W. C. Park; renamed "Mount Olympus" on27 December 1943 ; and commissioned atBoston, Massachusetts , after conversion on24 May 1944 , with Captain John Henry Shultz in command. "Mount Olympus" departed the east coast in early July, arriving Hawaii via thePanama Canal 23 July . With Commander, 3d Amphibious Force, embarked, she was underway from Hawaii29 August . She arrivedLeyte Gulf 20 October , serving as the afloat headquarters for the invasion force. The landing force was subjected to constant air attacks but its survival was assured by the American naval victory in theBattle of Leyte Gulf , which destroyed the Japanese Navy as an effective combat force. On26 October , theflagship departed forHollandia ,New Guinea , viaPeleliu , in preparation for the next assault on the Japanese occupiedPhilippines . After invasion rehearsals in Huon Gulf,New Guinea , the ship departedManus Island ,Admiralties ,31 December for the assault onLingayen Gulf 9 January 1945 . After the initial assault and with the ground force commander disembarked, "Mount Olympus" was underway11 January fromLingayen Gulf . She called atUlithi to allow Commander, 3d Amphibious Force, to disembark to travel by plane to Hawaii, while she herself sailed for overhaul atSan Francisco , arriving11 February and leaving22 April for Hawaii andGuam . ArrivingGuam 6 July , "Mount Olympus" sailed on forManila , colliding en route with oiler USS|Millicoma|AO-73|2. Theflagship was escorted to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, for repairs by USS|Ajax|AR-6|3, then continued toManila , arriving3 August . After the close of hostilities, "Mount Olympus" arrivedTokyo Bay 2 September with the 1st Cavalry Division on board forYokohama . After 8 months’ moving occupation troops from thePhilippines and other bases to ports inJapan andChina , she leftShanghai 28 May 1946 forSan Diego , thePanama Canal , and New York, arriving7 July .Post-war
In September she was made
flagship forOperation Highjump , the NavyAntarctic Expedition. The ship sailed from Norfolk2 December , passed through thePanama Canal to rendezvous with the Pacific group, and with them reached Bay of Whales,New Zealand ,16 January 1947 . Detached11 February , "Mount Olympus" returned Norfolk17 April to becomeflagship of Commander, Amphibious Group 2, in training along the eastern seaboard and in theCaribbean . She becameflagship and temporary headquarters for CINCNELM/CINCSOUTH in theMediterranean 21 June 1951 . Relieved by USS|Adirondack|AGC-15 in August 1951, "Mount Olympus" returned to Norfork and duty as Amphibious Group 2flagship , joining in NATO naval exercises “Mainbrace” and “Longs” innorthern Europe and theMediterranean from August to December 1952. After an overhaul in Norfolk from December to March 1953, when ahelicopter deck was installed, she served in the Atlantic Fleet until5 January 1955 , when she sailed for thePanama Canal andSan Diego , arriving23 January . Having participated in exercise “Surfboard” off the coast ofWashington in February, "Mount Olympus" proceeded toArctic waters as part of Project 572 in support ofDEW Line operations, While underway fromPoint Barrow to Point Hope,Alaska , she became icebound, but was freed by the icebreaker USCGC|Burton Island|WAGB-283|2. Having sustained damage to structural bulkheads from the ice pressure, the ship was repaired by "Current" in Point Hope. "Mount Olympus" returned toSan Diego on29 September and on31 October 1955 proceeded toMare Island Naval Shipyard for inactivation.Decommissioning
She decommissioned on
4 April 1956 and was struck from theNavy list on1 June 1961 . The ship transferred to theMaritime Administration in June 1966 and remained in theMaritime Administration Reserve Fleet,Suisun Bay , California. She was scrapped in 1973. "Mount Olympus" received twobattle star s forWorld War II service.References
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m15/mount_olympus.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Mount Olympus"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/0108.htm navsource.org: USS "Mount Olympus"]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.