USS Saugus (LSV-4)

The USS "Saugus" (LSV-4/AN-4/AP-109) was an sclass|Osage|vehicle landing ship built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named after USS|Saugus|1863, which was in turn named for Saugus, Massachusetts, she was the second of three U.S. Naval vessels to bear the name.

Laid down on 27 July 1942 by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation of Pascagoula, Mississippi as "AN-4"; reclassified "AP-109" on 1 May 1943; launched on 4 September 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Rivers J. Carstarphen; reclassified "LSV-4" on 21 April 1944; completed by the Tampa Shipbuilding Company of Tampa, Florida; and commissioned on 22 February 1945 as Captain R. S. Bertschy in command. After shakedown, "Saugus" loaded cargo at New Orleans and sailed on 30 March 1945 for Hawaii. En route, she spent 10 days at Balboa, Canal Zone, for turbine repairs and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 27 April. Between 4 May and 15 August, she made five round trips between the west coast and Hawaii with passengers and cargo. On 1 September she sailed from Pearl Harbor with occupation troops for Japan, arriving at Sasebo on 22 September. She then made one voyage to Manila; returned to Sasebo; and reported for "Operation Magic Carpet" duty on 20 October. After making two voyages returning troops home from the Philippines, the ship was released from "Magic Carpet" duty in December, 1945 and arrived at San Diego for inactivation on 8 February 1946. "Saugus" was decommissioned on 24 March 1947 but remained "in service, in reserve" until 17 October 1947. Her designation was changed to "MCS-4" on 18 October 1956. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 July 1961 and transferred to the Maritime Administration's reserve fleet at Suisun Bay, California. Her final fate is unknown.

References

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* cite web|title=AN-4 / AP-109 / LSV-4 / MCS-4 "Saugus"|work=Amphibious Photo Archive
url=http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/17/1704.htm|accessdate=April 29|accessyear=2007

ee also

* USS "Saugus" (1863)
* USS "Saugus" (YTB-780)