- USS Kingsbury (APA-177)
USS "Kingsbury" (APA-177/LPA-177) was a "Haskell"-class
attack transport acquired by the U.S. Navy duringWorld War II for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.World War II service
"Kingsbury" ("APA-177") was launched
16 November 1944 by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.,Portland, Oregon , under aMaritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Leonard Buckler; and commissioned6 December 1944 , Comdr. J. H. Hughes in command.Landing troops and their equipment on Iwo Jima
After shakedown along the
California coast, "Kingsbury" departedSan Pedro, California ,9 February 1945 . Steaming viaPearl Harbor andEniwetok , she arrivedIwo Jima 14 March , embarked battle-weary U.S. Marines, and returned toPearl Harbor 5 April viaGuam andEniwetok . Sailing forSeattle, Washington ,22 May , she arrived29 May and embarked 1,507 soldiers before departing15 June forIwo Jima . Arriving7 July , she debarked her passengers and then departed10 July with 262 military passengers forPearl Harbor where she arrived the 21st.End-of-war “mopping up” operations
Supporting U.S. occupation operations in Japan, "Kingsbury" cleared
Pearl Harbor 1 September and steamed viaSaipan for Sasebo, Japan, where she arrived22 September to debark occupation troops of the 5th Marine Division. From25 September to14 October she made a circular run between Japan and thePhilippines to transport additional occupation troops: then she returned to the Philippines26 October for "Operation Magic-Carpet " duty. With 2,077 homebound troops embarked, she departedTacloban ,Leyte ,30 October and reached San Francisco17 November . Between2 December and9 January 1946 "Kingsbury" made another trip to and from theFar East , carrying 935 replacement troops toManila and returned 2,058 veterans to the U.S. West Coast.Post-war decommissioning
"Kingsbury" sailed
11 February for theU.S. East Coast , arrivingNorfolk, Virginia ,3 March . She decommissioned atPortsmouth, Virginia ,19 April . Turned over to custody of theUnited States Maritime Commission 23 April , her name was struck from theNaval Register 1 May and placed in theMaritime Defense Reserve Fleet ,James River, Virginia . She was scrapped in1983 .Military awards and honors
"Kingsbury" received one
battle star forWorld War II service.References
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*World War II External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k4/kingsbury.htm USS Kingsbury]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03177.htm NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - APA / LPA-177 Kingsbury]
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