USS Rutland (APA-192)

USS "Rutland" (APA-192) was a "Haskell"-class attack transport built and used by the US Navy in World War II. She was a Victory ship design, VC2-S-AP5. She was named after Rutland County, Vermont, USA.

World War II service

"Rutland" was laid down on 4 May 1944 by Kaiser Shipbuilding Corp., Vancouver, Washington; launched on 10 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Karl V. Kilgore; acquired on a loan-charter basis from the Maritime Commission and commissioned on 29 September 1944, Commander Francis K. O'Brien in command.

Reporting to Commander-in-Chief, Pacific, on 9 October 1944, "Rutland" underwent shakedown along the Pacific coast and departed Oakland, California, for Pearl Harbor on 30 November 1944. Arriving on 6 December, flagship "Rutland", and other ships of Transport Division 47 loaded the 5th Marine Division at Hilo, Hawaii, and conducted training exercises for the crew and troops in and around the islands.

The division departed Pearl Harbor on 27 January 1945 for Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands, arriving on 5 February, and then proceeded on to Saipan and Tinian Islands. On 16 February, Squadron 16, of which Division 47 was a part, sailed for the invasion of Iwo Jima.

On the morning of D-Day, 19 February 1945, "Rutland" participated in the assault on that strongly-fortified island. Her landing craft operated on Red Beaches 1 and 2, with her beach party in charge of Red Beach 2. For eight days, she unloaded troops and cargo and handled casualties. Although 11 of her boats were lost and several of her beach party personnel were wounded, not one man was killed.

Leaving Iwo Jima on 27 February, "Rutland" arrived at Saipan on 2 March, went on to Guam, where her Marine casualties were unloaded, and next got underway to pick up replacement boats at Tulagi, Solomon Islands, where she arrived on 12 March. She proceeded on to Espiritu Santo and loaded part of the 27th Division, 10th Army, to act as a floating reserve in the invasion of Okinawa.

Transport Division 47 proceeded to Kerama Retto and "Rutland" entered Kerama Kaikyo on the morning of 9 April only to get underway that evening while enemy planes attacked ships in the vicinity. At dawn on 10 April, she arrived in the inner transport area off Tsugen Jima, a small enemy occupied island on the eastern side of Okinawa, where "Rutland"'s boats landed troops from USS|Highlands|APA-119|2. Soon after noon, the ships shifted berth to Nakagusuku Wan, a large bay on Okinawa proper, and remained there until Tsugen Jima had been secured two days later. During the operations at Tsugen Jima, the ship's landing craft were subjected to considerable mortar, cannister, and rifle fire from the island, and though hardly a boat escaped unscathed, no serious damage resulted and no men were wounded.

From Tsugen Jima, the ships sailed to the Hagushi beaches on the western shores of Okinawa, which had been secured on D-Day, 1 April, and proceeded with unloading operations. This phase continued until the 16th, while the transport area experienced numerous enemy air attacks. "Rutland" assisted in shooting down four enemy planes.

From Okinawa, "Rutland" went to Saipan for boats to replace those transferred to the boat pool at Okinawa, then underwent overhaul and reconditioning at Ulithi and Subic Bay. From 26 June until 22 August, she prepared for the invasion of the Japanese home islands with exercises at Leyte and Ilaiho. With the Japanese acceptance of surrender terms, these training exercises were canceled.

Among the first transports to arrive off Honshū, "Rutland" put into Tokyo Bay on 2 September, disembarked troops of the 1st Cavalry Division at Yokohama, and got underway again on the 4th to return to the Philippines. Arriving at Leyte a week later, she embarked elements of the 41st Infantry Division, 10th Corps, U.S. Army, and troop cargo at Zamboanga, Mindanao, Philippine Islands, on 16 September, and carried them to Hiro Wan, Honshū, Japan, which she reached on 6 October via Leyte and Okinawa. On 14 October, she embarked almost 1,900 Navy passengers at Okinawa for passage to the United States, arriving at Seattle on 1 November. She made one last run to Okinawa and back before being assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet on 29 December 1945.

Fate

Navy-owned as of 14 January 1946, "Rutland" was placed out of commission in reserve, on 26 February 1947 and berthed at Norfolk, Virginia where she remained until struck from the Navy List and transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal on 1 October 1958. She entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet at .

Awards

"Rutland" earned two battle stars for World War II service.

References