- USS Fayette (APA-43)
USS "Fayette" (APA-43) was a sclass|Bayfield|attack transport that served with the
US Navy during World War II."Fayette" was launched 25 February 1943 by
Ingalls Shipbuilding ,Pascagoula, Mississippi , as "Sea Hawk"; acquired by the Navy 30 April; placed in ferry commission between 30 April and 14 May; and commissioned in full 14 October 1943, Commander J. C. Lester in command.Operational history
"Fayette" embarked marines at
Norfolk, Virginia for transportation toPearl Harbor , where she arrived 21 December 1943.Kwajalein
After training, she embarked soldiers, and sailed from
Honolulu 22 January 1944 forKwajalein , where she landed her troops on 1 February, one day after the initial assault. For 4 days, she offloaded combat cargo, and acted as receiving ship for casualties whom she transferred to a hospital ship before sailing 5 February forFunafuti .Marianas
After training in landing exercises at
Nouméa , "Fayette" redeployed Marines and soldiers between March and May 1944, calling atGuadalcanal , Kwajalein,Cape Gloucester , and in theRussell Islands on this duty before sailing from Kwajalein 12 June for the assault on the Marianas. With her troops destined forGuam , she was called back toEniwetok when the invasion was delayed, and sortied once more 17 July for Guam. "Fayette" sent her boats away with assault troops 21 July, then received casualties from the shore for 4 days, returning with them toEspiritu Santo 5 August.Palaus
In the Russells, "Fayette" loaded troops and rehearsed for the assault of the
Palau s. She arrived offPeleliu for the initial landings 15 September 1944, and within 5 days was loaded to capacity with wounded from the bitter fighting ashore. These she carried to Manus, then sailed on toNew Guinea to prepare for the liberation of thePhilippines .Leyte
"Fayette" landed her troops at
Leyte 20 October, and before theBattle for Leyte Gulf exploded, sailed for Humboldt Bay andMorotai to load reinforcements."Fayette" twice fired to drive off Japanese air attacks before clearing Morotai 10 November 1944 for San Pedro Bay, P.I., where she arrived and unloaded 14 November.
Lingayen Gulf
Returning to Manus and
Aitape to replenish, reload troops, and rehearse landings, "Fayette" sailed from New Guinea 28 December forLingayen Gulf . The task force in which she sailed met a variety of resistance from the Japanese, and "Fayette" joined in the general barrage which drove a dive-bomber off before it could strike a nearbybattleship on the morning of the landings, 9 January 1945. Unloaded by mid-afternoon, she fired to fight off several dusk attacks on the transport area, and the next day sailed forLeyte Gulf , firing several times to drive off air attacks.Iwo Jima
After 6 days at Leyte, "Fayette" sailed to replenish at
Ulithi and to embark Marines at Guam. These she landed atIwo Jima as reinforcements 24 February 1945, then sailed with casualties forTulagi and Nouméa. There she loaded soldiers, and began a period of training during which she was in reserve for theOkinawa invasion. With her troops not required there, she carried them to the Philippines, and sailed from Leyte 25 May for a west coast overhaul which lasted through the close of the war.After hostilities
"Fayette" voyaged to the
Far East between 28 August 1945 and 13 November 1945, carrying out occupation troops, and returning with servicemen eligible for discharge. Similar duty took her to Pearl Harbor, Guam, andSaipan between 28 November and 17 January 1946. From the west coast she sailed toMobile ,Alabama , where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve 6 March 1946. Fayette was transferred to the Maritime Commission 19 April 1946.Fayette received six
battle star s for World War II service.Commercial service
"Fayette" was sold for commercial service in 1947 and renamed SS "Robin Gray". Later she was simply named SS "Grey". She was scrapped at
Kaohsiung ,Taiwan in 1971.References
*
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03043.htm AP-88 APA-43 "Fayette"] , Navsource Online
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