USS President Hayes

Last updated

USS President Hayes APA-20.jpg
USS President Hayes (APA-20) underway, date and location unknown
History
US flag 48 stars.svgUnited States
NameUSS President Hayes (APA-20)
Builder Newport News Shipbuilding
Laid down26 December 1939
Launched4 October 1940
Sponsored by Mrs. Cordell Hull
Acquired7 July 1941
Commissioned15 December 1941
Decommissioned30 June 1949
ReclassifiedAP-39 to APA-20, 1 February 1943
Stricken1 October 1958
Identification MCV Hull Type C3-P&C, MCV Hull No. 55
Honours and
awards		Seven battle stars for World War II service
FateSold for scrap, February 1973
General characteristics
Class and type President Jackson-class attack transport
Displacement9,500 tons (lt), 16,175 t (fl)
Length491 ft 10 in (149.91 m)
Beam69 ft 6 in (21.18 m)
Draft26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
Propulsion1 × Newport News geared drive turbine, 2 × Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, 1 × propeller, designed shaft 8,500 hp (6,338 kW)
Speed18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h)
Capacity
  • Troops: 76 Officers, 1,312 Enlisted
  • Cargo: 185,000 cu ft (5,200 m3), 2,500 short tons (2,300 t)
ComplementOfficers 36, Enlisted 477
Armament4 × 3"/50 caliber dual-purpose guns, 2 × twin Bofors 40mm guns, 14 × single 20mm guns.

USS President Hayes (APA-20) was a President Jackson-class attack transport that saw service with the US Navy in World War II. It was named for Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th U.S. president.

Contents

President Hayes was laid down as MC Hull No. 55 by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. 26 December 1939; launched 4 October 1940; turned over to American President Lines 20 February 1941; acquired by the Navy 7 July 1941; designated AP–39; and commissioned 15 December 1941. The ship was redesignated an attack transport (APA-20) on 1 February 1943.

World War II

On 6 January 1942 President Hayes sailed for San Diego, via the Panama Canal. During February and March she evacuated civilians and service dependents from Pearl Harbor, then conducted amphibious assault exercises off San Diego, California. On 1 July, with U.S. Marines embarked, she sailed for the Tonga Islands to stage for the assault on Guadalcanal.

Invasion of Guadalcanal

On the evening of 7 August, while under air attack, President Hayes landed units of the 2nd Marine Regiment on the northeastern side of Guadalcanal. For the next two months she brought supplies and reinforcements from Tonga, Nouméa, and New Zealand. Then, during December, she moved cargo forward from Australia and New Zealand to New Caledonia. In January 1943 she resumed reinforcement runs to Guadalcanal and, as APA–20 (effective 1 February 1943), continued that duty until June.

Rendova landings

In June she participated in the Rendova landings, shooting down 7 enemy planes. In July, President Hayes completed another troop lift to Guadalcanal, then carried cargo between Guadalcanal, Nouméa, Efate and Espiritu Santo. On 30 October she embarked units of the 3rd Marine Division at Guadalcanal for the invasion of Bougainville Island, 1 November, then brought in reinforcements and replacements during the rest of November into early January 1944.

Invasion of Guam

On 20 March units of the 4th Marine Regiment, transported by President Hayes, peacefully occupied Emirau Island. In April and May she transported Army replacements for the Marines on New Britain. On 4 June she sailed, with units of the 3rd Marine Division embarked, for the Marshall Islands to stage for the assault on Guam. Enemy resistance during the Saipan operation delayed sailing, but on 21 July she landed her troops and supplies east of Apra Harbor.

Rescue of survivors from Mount Hood

After resupply runs to various bases, President Hayes was off Leyte 21 October. Retiring to Manus Island 29 October after unloading her troops, she witnessed the explosion of ammunition ship USS Mount Hood (AE-11) on 10 November. President Hayes was not hit and dispatched fire and rescue parties to the stricken ships.

Invasion of the Philippines

Steaming for San Francisco and overhaul the following day, she returned to the Pacific and made runs between Espirito Santo, Guadalcanal, and Nouméa. During the invasion of Okinawa, President Hayes, with other units of Transport Division 32, had Ready Reserve troops embarked, and after the beachhead had been secured landed her troops and embarked the 81st Army Infantry Division to stand by as a floating reserve. She then steamed to the Philippines, and from May to July moved more troops up from the southwest Pacific to the Philippines. Japan surrendered while she was at San Pedro, California loading more troops for deployment to the Pacific Theater.

End-of-war assignments

President Hayes arrived at Manila 14 September, then, with troops of the 25th Infantry Division aboard, continued on to Wakayama, Japan, arriving 7 October. On 29 October the troops were debarked at Nagoya, and the next day President Hayes departed for duty with Operation Magic Carpet, returning 1400 dischargees from the Marianas to Los Angeles, on each of two round trips.

Postwar service

On 1 January 1946 she reported to the Naval Transportation Service to deliver dependents of service personnel to Honolulu. President Hayes continued to operate with the U.S. Pacific Fleet into 1949.

Decommission

President Hayes was decommissioned 30 June 1949 at Mare Island. She was assigned to the Stockton Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet, 28 November 1950. On 14 May 1958 at about 4.50am the President Hayes ran aground onto the coral of Observation Bank, in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. Eight hours later the tug Tai Koo, captained by William "Steamboat Bill" Worrall, was dispatched from Hong Kong to salvage her. After jettisoning her deck cargo of thousands of Carboys of acid, and pumping out her ballast and some oil, she was successfully re-floated on 19 May 1958. [1] [2]

Her name was stricken from the Navy List and she was transferred to the Maritime Commission 1 October 1958. She was sold for scrap in February 1973.

Awards

President Hayes earned seven battle stars for World War II service.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Neville</i>

USS Neville (AP-16/APA-9) was a Heywood-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1918 to 1919 and from 1940 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1957.

USS <i>Fuller</i> (APA-7)

USS Fuller (AP-14/APA-7) was a Heywood-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1941 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1957.

USS <i>Sumter</i> (APA-52) Sumter-class attack transport ship

USS Sumter (APA-52) was a Sumter-class attack transport that served with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was subsequently sold into commercial service and was scrapped in 1978.

USS <i>Doyen</i> (APA-1)

USS Doyen (APA-1) was a Doyen-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>Thomas Jefferson</i> (APA-30) President Jackson-Class Attack Transport Ship

USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30), serving from 1 May 1942 until 18 July 1955, was a transport and then reclassified on 1 February 1943 as a President Jackson-class attack transport. She was laid down under Maritime Commission contract as President Garfield on 5 February 1940 at Newport News, Virginia, by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company for the American President Lines. The ship was launched on 20 November 1940, sponsored by Miss Eugenia Merrill. President Garfield was completed 26 March 1941 and acquired by the War Shipping Administration (WSA) 29 November 1941 with American President Lines, the WSA agent, operating the ship as a troop transport. On 1 May 1942 the United States Navy purchased the ship and commissioned her USS Thomas Jefferson, named for Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, on 31 August 1942.

USS <i>President Jackson</i>

USS President Jackson (APA-18) was a President Jackson-class attack transport that saw service with the US Navy in World War II and the Korean War. She was the lead ship in her class.

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>Fayette</i>

USS Fayette (APA-43) was a Bayfield-class attack transport that served with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. In 1947, she was sold into commercial service, where she served as SS Robin Gray until being scrapped in 1972.

USS <i>Audrain</i>

USS Audrain (APA-59) was a Gilliam-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.

USS <i>Windsor</i> (APA-55)

USS Windsor (APA-55) was a Windsor-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1972.

USS <i>Rawlins</i>

USS Rawlins (APA-226) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1987.

USS <i>Wayne</i> (APA-54)

USS Wayne (APA-54) was a Sumter-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.

USS <i>Ormsby</i> US naval ship

USS Ormsby (APA-49) was an Ormsby-class attack transport that served with the US Navy from 1943 to 1946. She was subsequently sold into commercial service and was scrapped in 1969.

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.

USS <i>Harris</i>

USS Harris (APA-2) was an Emergency Fleet Corporation Design 1029 ship launched for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) on 19 March 1921 by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, at Sparrows Point, Maryland as Pine Tree State. After operation by commercial lines for the USSB, during which the ship was renamed President Grant and operated commercially until laid up in the late 1930s.

USS <i>J. Franklin Bell</i>

USS J. Franklin Bell (APA-16) was a Harris-class attack transport ship. She was built in 1921 and spent 20 years in merchant service as a passenger and cargo liner. She was acquired for the United States Army in 1940 and transferred to the United States Navy shortly after the USA entered the Second World War. She served throughout and after the Pacific War, was decommissioned in 1946 and scrapped in 1948.

USS <i>Barnett</i> US Navy attack transport

USS Barnett (APA-5) was a McCawley-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.

USS <i>William P. Biddle</i> WWII US attack transport

USS William P. Biddle (APA-8) was a Heywood-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1941 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1957.

USS <i>George Clymer</i>

USS George Clymer (APA-27) was an Arthur Middleton-class attack transport that saw service with the US Navy in four wars - World War II, the Chinese Civil War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. It was named after United States Founding Father George Clymer.

USS <i>President Adams</i>

USS President Adams (AP-38/APA-19) was a President Jackson-class attack transport of the United States Navy, named for Founding Father John Adams and his son, John Quincy Adams, the second and sixth Presidents of the United States.

References

  1. ↑ "Telegrams in Brief". The Times. No. 54151. London. 15 May 1958. col E, p. 11.
  2. ↑ Captain William Worral, and Kevin Sinclair (1981). NO CURE NO PAY. Hong Kong: South China Morning Post. pp. 13–21. ISBN   978-0907771241.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships .The entry can be found here.

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.