USS Brookings (APA-140)

USS "Brookings" (APA-140) was a "Haskell"-class attack transport acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.

"Brookings" ("APA-140") was laid down on 5 September 1944 at Wilmington, California, by the California Shipbuilding Corp., under a Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 24); launched on 20 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. T. C. Johnson; and commissioned on 6 January 1945, Capt. Herbert C. Berger in command.

World War II service

After conducting shakedown training, "Brookings" returned to San Pedro, California, on 17 February for post-shakedown availability before proceeding to San Francisco, California, to load cargo. Sailing through the Golden Gate on 22 March 1945, "Brookings" steamed westward and reached Pearl Harbor with a cargo of ammunition on the 28th.

Transporting troops across the Pacific Ocean

For the next four months, "Brookings" carried troops and cargo to such ports as Hilo and Pearl Harbor; the island of Guam; Ulithi, in the Carolines; Manus, in the Admiralty Islands; Hollandia, New Guinea; Manila, Philippine Islands; and the island of Leyte. The end of the war in mid-August found her sailing en route from Tacloban to Guam.

End-of-war operations

"Brookings" was then assigned to forces supporting the occupation of Japan, and she transported elements of the Army's 43d Division to the Tokyo-Yokohama area. The ship remained in Tokyo Bay between 7 and 13 September 1945. After returning to Guam soon thereafter and proceeding thence to Saipan, "Brookings" sailed for North China in October and landed elements of the 29th Regimental Combat Team of the 6th Marine Division at Tsingtao. Assigned to Operation Magic Carpet on 15 November, the attack transport returned American servicemen from Jinsen, Korea, and Sasebo, Japan, to Seattle, Washington, in two voyages between late November 1945 and early March 1946.

Post-war decommissioning

Departing San Francisco, California, on 3 April 1946, "Brookings" sailed for the U.S. East Coast, touching briefly at the Panama Canal Zone from 12 to 16 April before arriving at Norfolk, Virginia, on 21 April. Decommissioned at Norfolk on 25 July 1946, "Brookings" was laid up in the York River berthing area. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 October 1958, and the ship was transferred to the Maritime Commission. Moved to Wilmington, North Carolina, later in the year, she was berthed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet. Later shifted to the James River, Virginia, berthing area, she remained in the hands of the Maritime Administration until 1984 when she was scrapped.

Or rather not scrapped - latest sighting in 1992: http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=164636

References

See also

* List of United States Navy ships

External links

* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03140.htm NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - APA-140 Brookings]