- USS Starlight (AP-175)
USS "Starlight" (AP-175) was a "Storm King" class auxiliary transport. She was designed as a troop carrier.
"Starlight" was laid down on 9 October 1943 as "SS Starlight" (MC hull 1358) by the
North Carolina Shipbuilding Co. ,Wilmington, North Carolina ; launched on 23 December 1943; sponsored by Mrs. M. T. Solomon; acquired by the Navy from the War Shipping Administration on a bareboat charter; converted into an auxiliary transport by the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co., Staten Island, N.Y.; and commissioned on 15 February 1944, Comdr. W. O. Britton, USNR, in command. "Starlight", as an auxiliary transport, was assigned to the Naval Transportation Service for duty. Sea trials were held inLong Island Sound ; and she sailed toHampton Roads , Va., to begin her shakedown cruise. She remained there from 12 May to 5 June when she weighed anchor for thePanama Canal and theHawaiian Islands . The transport arrived atPearl Harbor on 26 June and was assigned to Transport Division (TransDiv) 38. The 305th Regimental Combat Team (RCT) of the 77th Infantry Division was combat loaded on board on 1 July and TransDiv 38 sailed forEniwetok ,Marshall Islands , the next day. There, she joined other units of Task Group (TG) 53.2, Assault Group Four, for the amphibious assault onGuam ,Mariana Islands . The task group sortied on the 17th and, four days later, landed the assault troops on the beaches. "Starlight" remained in the combat area until 29 July. She was loaded with Marine Corps combat casualties for evacuation, and sailed, viaEniwetok , forPearl Harbor . "Starlight" arrived atPearl Harbor on 10 August. After a few repairs were made and the ship was provisioned, RCT 32 of the 7th Infantry Division was embarked for amphibious assault training. On 17 September, the transport sailed for the invasion ofYap ,Caroline Islands , but these orders were cancelled when two days out of port. Her new orders routed the ship, via theMarshall Islands and theAdmiralty Islands , to thePhilippines . As a unit of Attack Group Able, "Starlight" landed troops on theDulag beachhead on 20 October as the Leyte invasion began. When all troops had been disembarked from TransDiv 38, it sailed forHollandia ,New Guinea , as part of a “turn around” resupply operation. "Starlight" returned to Leyte on 18 November with replacements for combat casualties which were unloaded in eight hours, under enemy air attack. The transport splashed two enemy aircraft before steaming to Manus andEmpress Augusta Bay , Bougainville, for amphibious training of the 145th RCT, 37th Infantry Division. "Starlight" returned to Manus on 21 December 1944 and sortied late in the month with TG 79.1 forLuzon . She landed troops on Binmaley Beach,Lingayen Gulf , on 9 January 1945 and remained there for three days during which she shot down two more Japanese planes. The ship returned toNew Guinea on the 22d; loaded troops of the 41st Infantry Division forMindoro ; and landed them safely on 29 January. She then sailed forEspiritu Santo ,New Hebrides , and Lunga Point,Guadalcanal , to embark elements of Marine Air Group (MAG) 33 for delivery toOkinawa .She embarked some elements at both ports and departed the
Solomons on 14 March for Manus,Ulithi , andPeleliu . As a unit of Amphibious Group 4, TF 53, she reachedOkinawa on 11 April and unloaded her cargo atHagushi Beach and Nago Wan. During the next week, she had splashed two more Japanese planes. The ship returned toUlithi on 24 April and was ordered to proceed toSan Francisco for an overhaul. Starlight was atSan Francisco from 12 April to 11 July when she sailed forManila with elements of the 780th Field Artillery and the 554th Signal Depot Co. embarked. After making calls atEniwetok andUlithi , the troops were unloaded atManila during the first week of August. The troop transport was steaming toPearl Harbor when she received news of the Japanese surrender. The troopship was then used to shuttle troops betweenSaipan ,Tinian ,Guam , and Sasebo, until routed to the west coast in mid-December 1945. "Starlight" arrived atSan Pedro, California , on 2 January 1946; loaded marines; and disembarked them atTientsin ,China , on 9 February. Through June, she made two more voyages from the west coast to theFar East . On 5 July, "Starlight" stood out ofSan Francisco en route to the east coast and inactivation. "Starlight" arrived at Norfolk on 20 July; decommissioned on 12 August; was returned to theMaritime Commission on 14 August; and struck from the Navy list on 28 August 1946. "Starlight" received four battle stars forWorld War II service.References
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s18/starlight.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Starlight"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22175.htm navsource.org: USS "Starlight"]
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