- USS Sanborn (APA-193)
USS "Sanborn" (APA-193) was a "Haskell"-class
attack transport acquired by theU.S. Navy duringWorld War II for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.World War II service
"Sanborn" ("APA-193") was laid down on
10 March 1944 underMaritime Commission contract (MCV hull 661); launched on19 August 1944 by theKaiser Shipbuilding Corp.,Vancouver, Washington ; sponsored by Mrs. Eric Johnson; acquired by the Navy and commissioned on3 October 1944 , Comdr. Sidney Hugenin,USNR , in command. After embarking herlanding craft atSan Francisco, California , conducting shakedown training atSan Pedro, California , and amphibious training atSan Diego, California , "Sanborn" left forPacific Ocean duty, arriving atHonolulu on16 December 1944 . Exchanging her construction battalion passengers for Army troops and Marines, she joined theAmphibious Force, Pacific Fleet , under Vice Adm.Richmond K. Turner .Landing troops and their equipment on Iwo Jima
Sailing via
Eniwetok ,Marshall Islands , "Sanborn" arrived atSaipan on11 February 1945 to participate in preinvasion rehearsals for the forthcoming assault onIwo Jima . On18 February , the landing boats of "Sanborn" lowered their ramps on Blue Beach,Iwo Jima . Ten boats were lost, one by enemy fire and nine broached in the treacherous surf. Her beach party also suffered from enemy action; all of the party's officers were lost.Boatswain's Mate 1st Class William D. Maroney took charge and was later awarded theSilver Star for his "extraordinary leadership and gallantry" in carrying out his duties under Japanese fire from 19 to27 February 1945 .Okinawa operations
Carrying 232 casualties, "Sanborn" sailed for the
Marianas on28 February . There, she transferred the wounded to shore-based hospitals, then prepared forOperation Iceberg , the invasion of theRyukyus . In late March, "Sanborn" sailed west forOkinawa with the largest amphibious task force of the Pacific campaign. After participating in a feint attack, "Sanborn" served as part of the floating reserve until11 April , when she returned toSaipan .End-of-war operations
She then sailed to
Tulagi ,Solomon Islands , andNoumea ,New Caledonia , to embark newlanding craft , and returned toSaipan . She next headed for San Francisco to embark troops of theU.S. 86th Infantry Division , transporting them toBatangas ,Luzon , viaEniwetok andUlithi . With hostilities ended, "Sanborn's" mission was now transportation of occupation troops to Japan, and participation inOperation Magic Carpet bringing troops home from the Pacific andAlaska . "Sanborn" was then decommissioned and, on14 August 1946 , placed in thePacific Reserve Fleet , berthed atStockton, California .Recommissioned in 1951 during the Korean crisis
Recommissioned at San Diego on
6 January 1951 , "Sanborn" conducted shakedown training off southernCalifornia before transiting thePanama Canal and joining theAmphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet , atNorfolk, Virginia . She conducted numerous landing exercises atVieques, Puerto Rico , andOnslow Beach, North Carolina , for the next three years. In May1953 , "Sanborn" joined theService Force, Atlantic Fleet , and transported construction battalions betweenDavisville, Rhode Island ,Guantanamo Bay, Cuba , andCasablanca ,French Morocco . After July1954 , she once more participated in landing exercises along theU.S. East Coast and in theCaribbean .Serving with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean
On
7 January 1955 , "Sanborn" departed Norfolk bound for theMediterranean to serve with the amphibious force of theU.S. 6th Fleet . During the next five months, she showed the flag in ports inItaly ,Greece ,Turkey ,Crete ,Sardinia ,France , andSpain . Between these visits, "Sanborn" participated in landing exercises to maintain both the ship's company and embarkedU.S. Marines in combat readiness."Sanborn" stars in Hollywood movie as “USS Belinda”
After her return to Norfolk, she continued to conduct amphibious training; this routine was interrupted, however, when "Sanborn" starred as the U.S.S. Belinda (APA-22) in the movie "
Away All Boats " produced byUniversal International Pictures . On11 May 1956 ,Final decommissioning
"Sanborn" was decommissioned and placed in reserve for the last time and berthed at
Orange, Texas . Her name was struck from theNavy list on1 July 1960 and was scrapped in1971 .Military awards and honors
"Sanborn" earned two
battle stars for her service atIwo Jima andOkinawa .References
See also
*
List of United States Navy ships
*World War II External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s4/sanborn.htm USS Sanborn]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03193.htm NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - APA-193 Sanborn]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.