- USS Bollinger (APA-234)
USS "Bollinger" (APA-234) was a sclass|Haskell|attack transport that saw service with the US Navy in
World War II ."Bollinger" was named after
Bollinger County, Missouri . She was launched19 November 1944 byKaiser Shipbuilding ofVancouver, Washington , under aMaritime Commission contract; transferred to the Navy8 December , and commissioned the next day, Commander C. A. Printup in command.Operational history
"Bollinger" joined the
Pacific Fleet and arrived atPearl Harbor 19 February 1945 . She departed Pearl Harbor two days later for the invasion ofIwo Jima where she provided logistic support (6-16 March).After returning to Pearl Harbor
5 April , she made a voyage to San Pedro, California, and back (22 April -23 May ), and then carried cargo and passengers toEniwetok ,Ulithi ,Okinawa ,Saipan , andGuam before returning to San Francisco on29 July .After hostilities
Leaving San Francisco 10 August she steamed to Eniwetok, Ulithi, and the
Philippines before landing occupation troops atWakayama ,Honshū ,Japan (12-26 September). She made one more voyage from the Philippines to Japan in October and then returned to San Diego, arriving15 November . The transport made another voyage across the Pacific (December 1945 - January 1946) to bring men home from the Philippines.Atomic bomb tests
During June and July 1946 she carried passengers to
Bikini Atoll forOperation Crossroads , theatomic bomb tests designed to test the effect of nuclear weapons on warships. Over 200 warships participated in this operation, 75 of them as targets.Decommission
"Bollinger" then returned to cross-Pacific service and was decommissioned at San Francisco
1 April 1947 . She was returned to the Maritime Commission the following day, and laid up in theNational Defense Reserve Fleet ,Suisun Bay, California . While still in the Reserve Fleet, she was redesignated an amphibious transport LPA-234 on1 January 1969 . She was probably scrapped in 1975.Decorations
"Bollinger" received one
battle star during World War II.References
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/amphib/apa234.htm "Bollinger" (APA-234)] , DANFS Online
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/03/03234.htm APA/LPA-234 "Bollinger"] , Navsource Online
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