- USS Kenton (APA-122)
USS "Kenton" (APA-122) was a "Haskell"-class
attack transport of theUS Navy . She was built and used duringWorld War II . She was of the VC2-S-AP5Victory ship design type. She was named forKenton County, Kentucky .World War II service
"Kenton" was launched
21 August 1944 by theCalifornia Shipbuilding Corporation ,Wilmington, California , under aMaritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Paul A. Everett; acquired by the Navy31 October on a loan charter basis; and commissioned1 November at San Pedro, Captain V. B. Tate in command.Following shakedown along the
California coast, "Kenton" departedSeattle 27 December carrying some 1,500 Army troops toPearl Harbor , arriving4 January 1945 . After amphibious training maneuvers to prepare for operations in the westernPacific , she cleared Pearl Harbor18 February with troops and equipment for the Philippines on board and arrivedLeyte Gulf viaEniwetok and thePalaus 10 March .After landing rehearsals, "Kenton" departed Leyte
27 March to participate in the Okinawa invasion. She reachedKerama Retto 1 April , unloadedSeabee construction equipment, and proceeded3 April toHagushi Beach, Okinawa, to discharge troops and cargo. During an air attack6 April , "Kenton's" guns claimed two of the seven enemy planes that were shot down. She completed unloading9 April , embarked 95 battle casualties, and sailed10 April forGuam , arriving the 14th. She sailed16 April on a cargo run to the Philippines, then proceeded toUlithi ,Western Carolines ,29 April to embark casualties for passage to theUnited States . Returning to Guam24 May , she embarked additional casualties and proceeded the next day en route toSan Francisco , where she arrived12 June ."Kenton" departed San Francisco
6 July with troop replacements for the Philippines. She reachedTacloban , Leyte,29 July ; clearedLeyte Gulf 1 August ; and returned to Seattle19 August . Embarking occupation troops forJapan she sailed29 August , via the Philippines toYokohama , arriving24 September . As a unit of the "Magic-Carpet" fleet, she took on board 1,527 homebound troops; departed29 September ; and arrived San Francisco10 October .After two additional "Magic-Carpet" cruises to the western Pacific between
28 October and26 January 1946 , "Kenton" departed Portland, Oreg.,28 January for the East Coast. Sailing via San Francisco and thePanama Canal , she arrivedNewport News 16 February , decommissioned atPortsmouth, Virginia ,28 March and transferred to the Maritime Commission the next day. Her name was struck from theNavy List 12 April . "Kenton" was placed in theNational Defense Reserve Fleet and in1967 was berthed inJames River, Virginia .Fate
In .
All that remains of "Kenton" is her [http://www.pmars.imsg.com/%5CArtifact%5CArtifact.asp?Artifact=3172 brass builder's plate] .
Awards
"Kenton" received one
battle star for World War II service.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.