- USS President Jackson (APA-18)
USS President Jackson (APA-18) was a "President Jackson" class
attack transport that saw service with theUS Navy inWorld War II and theKorean War . She was thelead ship in her class.Operational history
"President Jackson" was laid down as MC hull 53 by the
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co.,Newport News, Virginia .2 October 1939 ; launched7 June 1940 ; sponsored by Mrs. William G. McAdoo; and delivered to the American President Lines25 October 1940 . After two round-the-world trips fromNew York , "President Jackson" was acquired by the Navy30 June 1941 , and commissioned16 January 1942 , Comdr. C. W. Weitzel in command.World War II Pacific Theatre operations
Following shakedown and practice amphibious assault training on the
U.S. West Coast , "President Jackson" sailed for the South Pacific1 July 1942 , as a unit of Transport Division 2. She landed the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines, onFlorida Island ,Solomon Islands ,7 August 1942 . At mid-month she evacuated 500 survivors of the “FirstBattle of Savo Island ” toNoumea , then began bringing in reinforcements and evacuating casualties of land and sea actions.Redesignated "APA–18" on
1 February 1943 , "President Jackson" continued to transport reinforcement troops and cargo in support of the consolidation of the southern Solomons. On30 June , she landed the 172nd U.S. Army Combat Team and twoconstruction battalion companies onRendova , then transported survivors of "McCawley" (AP-10), torpedoed by a submarine, toNoumea .Operating with other vessels of
task force TF 31, "President Jackson" landed elements of the 3rd Marine Division atEmpress Augusta Bay , Bougainville,1 November . Seven days later, while en route back to that island with reinforcements, she was hit by a 550-pound bomb, which fortunately did not explode.On
25 March 1944 "President Jackson" landed Army, Navy, and Construction Battalion units onEmirau Island and in April, with Transport Division Two, she carried the 40th Division, toNew Britain , and returned the 1st Marine Division toRussell Islands in the Solomons. With task force TF .53, in July, she landed elements of the 3rd Marine Division onGuam ,21 July , then evacuated casualties toPearl Harbor and theUnited States . On23 October the ship returned to duty with Transport Division 32 in the south and southwest Pacific areas.While operating with TF 77, "President Jackson" landed elements of the 25th Infantry Division,
U.S. Army , in the reinforcement landing atLingayen Gulf 11 January 1945 . On21 February , while operating with TF 51, she landed elements of the 3rd Marine Division onIwo Jima . Exposed to enemy counter-battery fire, she was hit once in a barrage of 37mm fire with minor damage and casualties. On6 March she departedIwo Jima with 515 casualties forSaipan andNoumea .With Army and Navy casualties and miscellaneous passengers aboard, the transport sailed for the United States
7 May 1945 . She got underway fromSan Francisco, California ,14 June and completed two round-trips toManila before the cessation of hostilities which found her indrydock atSeattle, Washington . She then entered upon “Operation Magic Carpet ” duty.Post war period
"President Jackson" continued to operate with the
U.S. Pacific Fleet until1949 , seeing service in bothJapan andChina . She was assigned to theMilitary Sea Transportation Service with her designation changed to T-AP-18,22 October 1949 . On7 February 1950 "President Jackson", with cabin and troop passengers on board, got underway from San Francisco forNorfolk, Virginia , arriving23 February . She returned to San Francisco25 March , subsequently making round trips to Manila and Pearl Harbor.Korean War and later years
With the outbreak of the
Korean War "President Jackson" reported to the Commander, Amphibious Force, Pacific Fleet for operational control. Loading troops and equipment of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division at San Diego, she sailed14 August for Japan, arrivingKobe 29 August to prepare for the invasion atInchon . Departing Kobe11 September with vessels of task group TG 90.2, she unloaded on the assault beaches of Inchon, served as a casualty receiving ship, then evacuated the casualties toYokohama and San Francisco.On
12 October "President Jackson" sailed fromSan Diego, California , carrying miscellaneous cargo for Japan. Returning to San Francisco, she subsequently called atSeattle, Washington ,Alaska ,Japan , andKorea . After another run to Alaska in April1952 , "President Jackson" departed San Francisco forPago Pago to transport dependents from Pago Pago to Pearl Harbor, returning to San Francisco in August. During1953 she operated between San Francisco, Alaska, and Pearl Harbor. Carrying a full load of passengers and cargo for Yokohama, Japan, "President Jackson" got underway from San Francisco25 January 1954 , returning23 February . After two roundtrips to Pearl Harbor, she departed for Alaska again20 April with various units of the 30th Engineers Base Topographic Battalion, returning to San Francisco14 May before making a second voyage to Alaska ending at San Francisco5 June . On11 June "President Jackson" got underway forYokohama carrying a full load of dependents and a small number of troop passengers, returning to San Francisco8 July with passengers and cargo.On
28 December she shifted toTodd Shipyard ,Alameda, California , for phase one of inactivation. She was placed out of commission, in reserve, berthed at San Francisco,6 July 1955 . She was struck from theNavy List and transferred to theMaritime Commission 1 October 1958 , sold for scrapping,23 April 1973 and delivered,15 May 1973 , to N.W. Kennedy Ltd., % Mitsui & Co., (Canada) Ltd."President Jackson" earned 8
battle stars for World War II service and 3 battle stars for Korean War service.References
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/auxil/ap37.htm "President Jackson" AP-37] - DANFS Online.
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03018.htm AP-36/APA-18 "President Jackson"] - Navsource Online.See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*World War II External links
*
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