USS Rockbridge

Last updated
USS Rockbridge (APA-228) underway at sea, circa in the 1960s.jpg
History
Flag of the United States.svgUnited States
NameUSS Rockbridge
Namesake Rockbridge County, Virginia
Builder Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington
Laid down2 September 1944
Launched28 October 1944
Commissioned18 November 1944
Decommissioned8 March 1947
Recommissioned23 December 1950
Decommissioned29 November 1968
Stricken1 December 1968
Honors and
awards		1 battle star (World War II)
FateSold for scrapping, 27 May 1969
Badge USS Rockbridge (APA-228) insignia, in 1964 (NH 64895-KN).png
General characteristics
Class and type Haskell-class attack transport
Displacement12,450 long tons (12,650 t) full
Length455 ft (139 m)
Beam62 ft (19 m)
Draft24 ft (7.3 m)
Propulsion
Speed17.7 knots (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph)
Troops1,561 troops
Complement536 officers and enlisted
Armament

USS Rockbridge (APA-228) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947 and from 1950 to 1968. She was scrapped in 1969.

Contents

History

Rockbridge was named for Rockbridge County in Virginia. She was laid down for the Maritime Commission (MCV hull 674) on 2 September 1944 by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company in Vancouver, Washington, launched on 28 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. C. J. Hearn, acquired by the Navy on loan-charter on 18 November 1944; and commissioned the same day.

1944–1947

The new attack transport arrived at Pearl Harbor on 4 February 1945, sailed for Iwo Jima on the 20th, and operated off that island for two weeks. She returned to Seattle, Washington, on 28 May and on 6 June embarked Army troops for Okinawa. Rockbridge arrived at the Hagushi anchorage on 24 July to debark the men and discharge cargo. During the six days she spent off Okinawa, the ship was harassed by night air attacks, but suffered no damage because of the concealing smoke made by all the vessels in the harbor.

Rockbridge was off Ulithi in mid-August when the Japanese surrender was announced. During September and October she made two voyages to Japan with occupation troops and then joined the "Magic Carpet" fleet to bring home servicemen eligible for discharge.

Assigned to Joint Task Force 1 in the spring of 1946, she served as a floating hotel for the crews of target vessels Arkansas (BB-33), New York (BB-34), and Salt Lake City (CA-25) during that summer's atomic bomb tests on Bikini.

Rockbridge was decommissioned on 8 March 1947 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

1950–1968

After the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, she was ordered reactivated. She was recommissioned on 23 December 1950, and in May 1951 joined Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

From 1951 to 1968, the transport participated in numerous amphibious training programs at Onslow Beach, North Carolina, Little Creek, Virginia; Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and Vieques, Puerto Rico.

During her long service, she made eight Mediterranean cruises. Highlights included her participation in "Weldfast" a large-scale NATO operation in 1953, standby alert for possible evacuation of U.S. citizens from Egypt during the 1956 Suez Canal nationalization crisis, and aid to earthquake victims of Greece in 1953; and to flood victims in France in 1959.

During the Cuban Missile Crisis in the fall of 1962, Rockbridge carried reinforcements to Guantanamo Bay and returned to the United States for additional troops, which she held in combat readiness until December. In January 1964 Rockbridge, along with other ships from Phibron 8, was in Cristobal, Panama during the riots. She spent roughly 45 days tied up at the Coco Solo Naval Air Station. During July, 1966, the transport took part in the production of an amphibious training film, Boat Group Tactics, filmed in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Rockbridge also starred in The Proud and Profane and supported the filming of PT-109 . A boat crew from Rockbridge was assigned to the film crew to operate the LCVP and Japanese landing craft used in the film.

Rockbridge was again decommissioned on 29 November 1968, struck from the Navy List on 1 December 1968 and sold to Boston Metals Company of Baltimore, Maryland, on 27 May 1969 for scrapping.

Awards

For her World War II service, Rockbridge received one battle star.

Related Research Articles

USS <i>Attala</i>

USS Attala (APA-130) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Sherburne</i> (APA-205)

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>Arenac</i>

USS Arenac (APA-128) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Gage</i>

USS Gage (APA-168) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947. Gage was the sole remaining example of the 117-ship Haskell-class and was scrapped in 2009.

USS <i>Bosque</i>

USS Bosque (APA-135) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>Botetourt</i>

USS Botetourt (APA-136) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946 and from 1950 to 1956. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Granville</i>

USS Granville (APA-171) was a Haskell-class attack transport inservice with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>Randall</i> (APA-224)

USS Randall (APA-224) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1956. She was sold for scrap in 1972.

USS <i>Latimer</i>

USS Latimer (APA-152) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947 and from 1950 to 1956. She was scrapped in 1972.

USS <i>Lycoming</i>

USS Lycoming (APA-155) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.

USS <i>Gosper</i>

USS Gosper (APA-170) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Grimes</i> (APA-172)

USS Grimes (APA-172) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1947. She was scrapped in 1974.

USS <i>Karnes</i> (APA-175)

USS Karnes (APA-175) 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>Kershaw</i>

USS Kershaw (APA-176) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1982.

USS <i>Olmsted</i>

USS Olmsted (APA-188) was a Haskell-class attack transport that saw service with the US Navy for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type. Olmsted was named for Olmsted County, Minnesota.

USS <i>Pondera</i>

USS Pondera (APA-191) 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>Sanborn</i>

USS Sanborn (APA-193) 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>Magoffin</i>

USS Magoffin (APA/LPA-199) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946 and from 1950 to 1968. She was scrapped in 1980.

USS <i>Mountrail</i> US Navy attack transport ship

USS Mountrail (APA/LPA-213) was a Haskell-class attack transport of the US Navy in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War era. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type. Mountrail was named for Mountrail County, North Dakota.

USS <i>Rockwall</i>

USS Rockwall (APA-230) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1947 and from 1951 to 1955. She was scrapped in 1984.

References

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.