USS Cortland

Last updated
USS Cortland (APA-75) underway at sea, 1 March 1946 (19-LCM-114543).jpg
History
US flag 48 stars.svg United States
NameUSS Cortland (APA-75)
Namesake Cortland County, New York
Builder Consolidated Steel
Launched18 October 1944
Sponsored byMrs. D. O'Melveny
Acquired31 December 1944
Commissioned1 January 1945
Decommissioned30 December 1946
FateScrapped August of 1966
General characteristics
Class and typeGilliam-class attack transport
Displacement4,247 tons (lt), 7,080 t.(fl)
Length426 ft (130 m)
Beam58 ft (18 m)
Draft16 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion Westinghouse turboelectric drive, 2 boilers, 2 propellers, Design shaft horsepower 6,000
Speed17 knots
Capacity47 Officers, 802 Enlisted
Crew27 Officers, 295 Enlisted
Armament1 x 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose gun mount, 4 x twin 40 mm gun mounts, 10 x single 20 mm gun mounts
Notes MCV Hull No. ?, hull type S4-SE2-BD1

USS Cortland (APA-75) was a Gilliam-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II. Commissioned late in the war, she was initially assigned to transport duties and consequently did not participate in combat operations.

Contents

Cortland was named after Cortland County, New York. She was launched 18 October 1944 by Consolidated Steel at Wilmington, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; acquired by the Navy 31 December; and commissioned 1 January 1945.

Operational history

World War II

Sabotage foiled

While Cortland was being outfitted at San Pedro on 5 January 1945, her watch apprehended beneath the pier a prowler who upon investigation proved to be a German spy. His avowed mission was to damage the ship with explosives which he had dropped overboard when caught. [1]

Training and transport duties

Cortland completed her outfit and shakedown uneventfully and sailed to Seattle to embark Army troops, clearing 1 March for training operations in the Hawaiian Islands. She returned to San Francisco on 4 June for repairs, then embarked Army troops at Seattle and sailed 24 June for Okinawa where she disembarked her passengers and cargo 12 August.

After hostilities

She put out from Okinawa 26 September 1945 to land Marines at Tientsin for the reoccupation of northern China, then sailed by way of Manila to lift Chinese troops from Hong Kong to Chinwangtao and Qingdao for the reoccupation of Manchuria, in two voyages between 25 October and 25 November.

Arriving at Sasebo 30 November, Cortland embarked homeward-bound troops and sailed 7 December for San Diego, arriving 23 December for overall.

Operation Crossroads

Cortland carried Marines from the Hawaiians to San Diego between 19 January and 4 February 1946, then sailed from San Pedro 24 February to operate under JTF-1 in Operation Crossroads, the atomic weapons tests in the Marshalls. Returning to San Francisco 13 September, she remained there until 5 November when she sailed for New York and Norfolk, where she arrived 5 December.

Decommission

Cortland was decommissioned 30 December 1946 and transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal 31 March 1948. Scrapped August 1966 by Boston Metals Company.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Cortland, DANFS Online.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Niagara</i> (APA-87)

USS Niagara (APA-87) was a Gilliam-class attack transport that served with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1950.

USS <i>Sherburne</i>

USS Sherburne (APA-205) was a US Navy Haskell-class attack transport, built and used during World War II. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type. Sherburne was named for Sherburne County, Minnesota. She was later converted and renamed USS Range Sentinel (AGM-22), a missile range instrumentation ship.

USS <i>Clinton</i> (APA-144)

USS Clinton (APA/LPA-144) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946. She was sunk as a target in 1984.

USS <i>New Kent</i>

USS New Kent (APA-217) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1949 and from 1951 to 1954. She was scrapped in 1972.

USS <i>Chilton</i>

USS Chilton (APA-38) was a Bayfield-class attack transport. Her task was to deliver troops to the battle front, and to recover and care for the wounded. She served in the Pacific Ocean in the war against the Empire of Japan and returned home post-war with one battle star to her credit.

USS <i>Bland</i>

USS Bland (APA-134) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Jerauld</i>

USS Jerauld (APA-174) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>McCracken</i>

USS McCracken (APA-198) 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.

USS <i>Dade</i> U.S. Navy attack transport (1944–1946)

USS Dade (APA-99) was a Bayfield-class attack transport that served with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. in 1947, she was sold into commercial service and was scrapped in 1970.

USS <i>Hamblen</i>

USS Hamblen (APA-114) was a Bayfield-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946. She was sold into commercial service in 1948 and was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>Appling</i>

USS Appling (APA-58) was a Gilliam-class attack transport that served with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1969.

USS <i>Carteret</i>

USS Carteret (APA-70) was a Gilliam-class attack transport that served with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was sunk as a target in 1948.

USS <i>Cullman</i>

USS Cullman (APA-78) was a Gilliam-class attack transport that served with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1965.

USS <i>Meriwether</i>

USS Meriwether (APA-203) was a Haskell-class attack transport that saw service with the US Army in World War II.

USS <i>Tazewell</i> United States Navy transport vessel

USS Tazewell (APA/LPA-209) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>Montrose</i>

USS Montrose (APA/LPA-212) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946 and from 1950 to 1969. She was scrapped in 1970.

USS <i>San Saba</i>

USS San Saba (APA-232) was a Haskell-class attack transport which served with the US Navy in World War II. Commissioned in December 1944, she arrived just too late to see action, and spent the last weeks of the war on transport missions.

USS <i>Sevier</i>

USS Sevier (APA-233) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947. She was scrapped in 1980.

USS <i>Sheridan</i>

USS Sheridan (APA-51) was an Ormsby-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.

USS <i>Crescent City</i>

USS Crescent City (AP-40/APA-21) was the lead ship of the Crescent City-class attack transports that served with the US Navy during World War II. The ship was built as the cargo and passenger liner Delorleans for the Mississippi Shipping Company's Delta Line. After brief commercial operation the ship was among 28 vessels requisitioned in June 1941 for the Navy and the Army. The Navy renamed the ship Crescent City, a popular nickname for New Orleans, Louisiana, upon commissioning 10 October 1941. The ship was decommissioned and laid up in 1948 before being loaned to the California Maritime Academy to serve as a training ship 1971–1995 and then transferred to a foundation in a failed art colony project. The ship left California for Texas scrapping in 2012.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.