USS Pitt

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USS Pitt (APA-223) at anchor, circa in 1945 (USN 1044190).jpg
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NamePitt
Namesake Pitt County, North Carolina
Orderedas a Type VC2-S-AP5 hull, MCE hull 571 [1]
Builder Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Yard number571 [1]
Laid down8 September 1944
Launched10 November 1944
Sponsored byMrs. Gwin Fallis
Commissioned11 December 1944
Decommissioned9 April 1947
Reclassifiedredesignated Amphibious Transport (LPA-223), 14 August 1968
Stricken23 April 1947
Identification
Honors and
awards		1 × battle star for World War II service
Fate
General characteristics [2]
Class and type Haskell-class attack transport
Type Type VC2-S-AP5
Displacement
  • 6,873 long tons (6,983  t) (light load)
  • 14,837 long tons (15,075 t) (full load)
Length455 ft (139 m)
Beam62 ft (19 m)
Draft24 ft (7.3 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed17.7  kn (32.8  km/h; 20.4  mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried
Capacity
  • 2,900 long tons (2,900 t) DWT
  • 150,000 cu ft (4,200 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Troops86 officers, 1,475 enlisted
Complement56 officers, 480 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of:TransRon 13
Operations: Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (2–12 April 1945)
Awards:

USS Pitt (APA-223/LPA-223) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947. She was scrapped in 1980.

Contents

History

Pitt was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type and named after Pitt County, North Carolina. She was laid down on 8 September 1944, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCV hull 571, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2, Richmond, California; launched on 10 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Gwin Fallis; and commissioned on 11 December 1944. [3]

Pacific War

After shakedown off the California coast, Pitt departed 10 February 1945, via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, for Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands, to join 600 other ships preparing for the invasion of Okinawa. She unloaded half of her ammunition cargo there, and the rest at Leyte. [3]

Invasion of Okinawa

After loading US Army troops from the damaged attack transport Samuel Chase), she steamed for Kerama Retto where her troops cleaned out Zamami Shima, a key island in the small group off the southwest coast of Okinawa. [3]

She then became "receiving ship" for the Kerama Retto Naval Base, caring for several hundred survivors of Japanese suicide attacks, and shooting down one suicide plane on 6 April. Pitt steamed to Saipan, Tulagi, Noumea, and Guam before returning with passengers to San Francisco, California, for the celebrations of the Japanese surrender. [3]

Operation Magic Carpet

On 19 August, Pitt sailed via Ulithi to Mindanao and Leyte, where she loaded troops to occupy Aomori, northern Honshū, Japan, on 25 September. Pitt then began a series of Operation Magic Carpet assignments, returning fighting men to the States from such Pacific Ocean locations as Saipan and Tinian, Manila, and Nagoya, Japan. [3]

Decommissioning and fate

She decommissioned and was transferred to the Maritime Commission (MARCOM) on 9 April 1947, and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 23 April 1947. [3] Placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay Group, Benicia, California. [2] She was briefly removed from the fleet 13 September 1954, by Pope & Talbet until 22 October 1954, under a Repair Program. [4] On 14 August 1968, the designation "attack transport", APA, was changed to "amphibious transport", LPA, and APA-223 became LPA-223. [2] On 15 February 1980, A. L. Burbank & Co., received Pitt along with Magoffin, Sevier, and Pickaway to trade with Moore McCormack Lines, Inc., for SS Mormaccape and SS Mormactrade. She was then sold to Carol Shipping & Trading Corporation, Liberia, who sold her to Kang Hiva Enterprise, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to be scrapped. She was withdrawn from the fleet 14 April 1980. [4]

Honors and awards

Pitt received one battle star for World War II service. [3]

Notes

    Citations

    Bibliography

    Online resources

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