- USS Chilton (APA-38)
USS Chilton (APA-38) was a "Bayfield"-class
attack transport . Her dangerous task was to deliver troops to the battle front, and to recover and care for the wounded. She served her country in thePacific Ocean in the war against theEmpire of Japan and returned home post-war with onebattle star to her credit."Chilton" (APA-38) was launched
29 December 1942 by theWestern Pipe and Steel Company ,San Francisco, California , under aMaritime Commission contract, asSS Sea Needle ; sponsored by Mrs. W. A. Riley, Jr.; acquired by the Navy29 May 1943 ; converted atNew York Navy Yard ; and commissioned7 December 1943 , Commander A. C. Geisenhoff,USNR , in command.World War II Pacific Theatre operations
"Chilton" served at
Newport, Rhode Island , as atraining ship for pre-commissioning crews of attack transports from31 January 1943 to15 October 1944 . She sailed fromBoston, Massachusetts ,20 November forSan Diego, California , before arriving atPearl Harbor 23 January 1945 . Here she embarked troops, and sailed by way ofEniwetok andUlithi , toLeyte , arriving21 February . After rehearsal landings, "Chilton" put out ofLeyte 16 March to land troops atKerama Retto 26 March in a key preliminary to the assault onOkinawa . She remained off Okinawa asflagship for Transport Squadron 17 supporting the establishment and reinforcement of beachheads until30 April , departing then for San Francisco and overhaul.Supporting the Okinawa invasion
"Chilton" returned to
Ulithi 17 July 1945 to load troops and cargo forOkinawa , where she lay until31 August . From then until8 December , when she arrived atSeattle, Washington , "Chilton" had duty in the redeployment ofUnited States and Chinese troops, calling atJinsen ,Tientsin ,Hong Kong ,Chinwangtao ,Tsingtao , andNagoya . She cleared Seattle21 December for the first of two "Operation Magic Carpet " voyages to thePhilippines andOkinawa to carry home servicemen, returning from the second of these to San Francisco10 May 1946 .Supporting Bikini nuclear testing
She cleared San Francisco
2 June to participate in theatomic bomb tests atBikini Atoll , returned to San Francisco1 August , and sailed for transport duty inChina andJapan from7 September to22 January 1947 . She visited the Bikini area as a floating laboratory that summer, then returned to San Diego for local operations.Final operations
"Chilton" cleared
San Diego, California ,15 November 1948 to withdrawU.S. Marines from China, returning to San Diego31 May . Local operations and exercises in theHawaiian Islands occupied her until25 November 1949 when she sailed from San Diego for her new home port,Norfolk, Virginia , arriving10 December . Local operations, overhaul, and service as a training ship inCuba n waters preceded her first tour of duty in theMediterranean ,11 June -20 December 1951 . On21 August 1952 , she sailed from Norfolk to participate inNATO Operation Mainbrace , proceeding to theMediterranean for duty until6 February 1953 . "Chilton" continued to alternate local andCaribbean operations with tours of duty in the Mediterranean from1954 through1963 . The Chilton continued to do Mediterranean training operations throughout the late 1960's and early 1970's.Final decommissioning
"Chilton" was reclassified as an
Amphibious transport (LPA-38),1 January 1969 before being decommissioned on 1 July1972 . On1 July 1972 she was struck from theNaval Register , and transferred to theMaritime Administration for lay up in theNational Defense Reserve Fleet . On15 July 1974 she was sold byMARAD to Ships Incorporated ofCamden, New Jersey , for scrappingMilitary honors and awards
"Chilton" received one
battle star forWorld War II service.References
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*World War II Reference
*
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/#Anchor-Editoria-14954 Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03038.htm NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - AP-83 / APA / LPA-38 Chilton]
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