USS Harris (APA-2)

History of USS Harris (APA-2)

In the 1920s, travel and business travel from the United States to the East was by passenger ship. Bethlehem Steel, Newport News and New York Shipbuilding designed and built a class of 535-foot vessels to meet demand.

The SS Pine Tree State Transit and other ships were built by the Bethlehem Company in Sparrows Point, Maryland in 1921. They built 16 similar twin-steel hull ships of 13,500 dwt, designed as combined passenger and cargo ships. All cabins can accommodate approximately 474 passengers - 280 in first class and 194 in third class - and a cargo hold below deck that can hold 5,000 tons of cargo. The SS Pine Tree State displaces 21,000 tons at full load and is powered by 8 Yarrow header boilers and 2 twin-rotor Curtis turbines rated at 12,000 hp on shaft. The class had a speed of 17.2 knots or more, making it the fastest boat at sea in the 1920s.

The vessel manages a smoke funnel and four large cranes with supporting structures - two front and two rear - that can quickly load and then unload cargo.

In 1922, the U.S. Eastern Line reincorporated it into the U.S. Postal Line and renamed it SS President Grant.

SS President Grant's home port is Seattle, Washington, and her route is still east, sailing from Seattle to Yokohama/Kobe, Japan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Manila, Philippines, and Honolulu, Hawaii. SS President Grant completed more than 40 voyages from the West Coast to the East, with an average round-trip time of about six weeks. SS President Grant could travel at 20 knots when needed, and at one point held the speed record between Seattle and the Eastthe ship was named the Pacific Blue Ribbon Ship.

She displayed a black hull and an all-white uniform above the waterline, with a gold band around the midship. In the industry, SS President Grant was celebrated as the winner of the race on the luxury liner Russian Empress from Seattle to Hawaii. Grant remained in the Port of Seattle during the National Maritime Strike of 1936-37, so the U.S.

Navy took over the ship for the Maritime Commission in 1940 because of a potential war with Japan.

SS President Grant at Todd's Seattle Shipbuilding and Drydock Company drydock, August 8, 1940. This new troop carrier was commissioned as the Navy troop carrier USS Harris (AP-8) ("AP" is referred to herein as a dedicated "transport"). When she was adopted by the U.S. Navy on August 10, 1940, she was the first ship of its class. It is named in honor of the late U.S.

Marine Corps Colonel John Harris, who commanded the U.S. Marine Corps during the American Civil War (1861-1861). 1865). The passenger ship's cabin walls were removed to create larger berths, and four-storey bunk beds were built to accommodate 1,500 to 1,900 crew members.

The first class has been modified to accommodate up to 120 officers in a slightly less cramped space, and the ship's crew has almost doubled to 650 officers due to the need for gunners and boatmen. The cargo bay holds 2,200 tons of troop materiel and should be able to meet mission requirements. Cargo tonnage was reduced from the original 5,000 tons to accommodate additional personnel, 20 landing craft, defensive weapons and associated equipment.

The ship's landing craft were placed amidships of eight on the cradle and four on the quarter deck above cargo hold No. 3. Raised gun mounts were added to the bow and stern, originally placed for the 4 x 3"/50 caliber Dual Purpose (DP) gun, while the single 5"/38 Dual Purpose (AA) gun was mounted on a nearby mount held.

Twenty LCVPs ("Higgins boats") are usually made of plywood. This shallow-draft barge-like vessel was used to transport troops and supplies ashore and back. Displacement is 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) light, 36 ft long, 10 ft 10 in beam, 3 ft stern and 2 ft stern. The boats are powered by either a 225 hp Grey Marine diesel engine or a 250 hp Hall-Scott gasoline engine.

In ideal conditions, she travels at around 12 knots (14 mph) and can carry up to 6,000 pounds per boat - a bike or general cargo. The ship's crew capacity is a platoon-sized supplement that can carry 36 crew members and their personal items.

The men typically exit the vehicle by climbing off the cargo net hanging from the side of the personnel carrier and then exiting the vehicle via a large lower front ramp that runs against the beach. Four people are required to operate the ship: the helmsman, engineer, archer and sternman.

Weapons are limited to 2 x .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine guns.

Harris-class transports are also capable of carrying one to three LCM-3s (Mechanized Landing Craft) for transporting tanks, heavy equipment and/or additional troops. 52 tons loaded and 23 tons empty per shift. Her length is 50 feet, beam is 14 feet, draft is 3 feet fore and 4 feet aft. These are also operated by a crew of 4, armed with 2 x .50 caliber M2 Browning heavy machine guns. Top speed is 8 knots (9.2 mph) in ideal conditions and up to 11 knots (13 mph) unladen.

The vehicle has a capacity of a 30-ton main battle tank, 60 combat troops, or the equivalent of 60,000 pounds of cargo.

The aircraft carrier USS Harris (AP-8) made its first mission in late 1940 and early 1941, transporting troops from San Diego, California, to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Her mission changed in mid-1941 when she returned to San Diego as a troop training ship.

Your troops are trained to board cargo nets and board a variety of landing craft. Once in theater, there was no time for rehearsals, as the landing craft were loaded with troops and supplies, and the coordinated landing took place ashoreprobably under enemy fire. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, drawing the United States into World War II (1939-1945), the USS Harris was training troops for amphibious assault operations off San Diego. The USS Harris then returned to San Diego to and from Pearl Harbor to deliver supplies and troops.

The mission ended in January 1942.

Here, the USS Harris is also in service as a troop training ship near San Diego. On April 13, 1942, 7th Fleet interrupted training for the transfer of troops to Pago Pago, Samoa. Returning to Santiago for reinforcements, she then sailed to Uwea in the Wallis Islands. After arriving in late May, the Marines and their supplies were unloaded within 72 hours due to the steep beach front. The landing was for the imminent assault on New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific - 750 miles east of Australia.

In late May 1942, the USS Harris was ordered to return to the U.S. West Coast to train additional amphibious forces from Monterey Bay, California.

In August 1942, USS Harris was assigned to the 6th Transport Division and sailed from San Diego to Norfolk, Virginia. As the fleet approached Hampton Roads, Virginia, an attack cargo ship USS Algorab (AKA-8) collided head-on with USS Harris' port side behind the bridge. The USS Harris was able to enter the Baltimore, Maryland, shipyard and dry-dock under its own power, with all repairs completed by mid-October 1942. The USS Harris then sailed to Norfolk, where troops boarded her for an amphibious landing in the French Moroccan town of Safi. The force arrived at Safi on 8 November and landed the troops.

On 19 November, the USS Harris returned to Norfolk for minor repairs, which were completed on 1 December. Harris then picked up 1,800 Marines in Norfolk, Virginia, and arrived in San Diego, California, in mid-December.

On February 1, 1943, Harris was reclassified as an Assault Transporter under flag designation APA-2. All AP-type ships are not equipped with theater services because the class does not have a CIC (combat information center) - the nerve center of the ship - where all available sources of operational radar and radio information are collected and passed to the flag state and the Commanders, and control stations around other ships. In the new type of air combat of World War II, AP's crews had signalmen and radio operators who couldn't keep up with incoming enemy planes using binoculars. USS Harris and USS Zeilin had crew quarters, and the bridge facilities were modified to include a C.I.C. to fill her new position as the squadron flagship, adding 43 officers and 108 soldiers.

In port, her armament was upgraded to 2x2 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns and 10 x 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns. The ship spent the next four months training troops in the San Diego area. Then got orders to weigh anchors and steam for San Francisco. She arrived there on April 20, 1943.

By June 1942, the Japanese plan had morphed into a dual attack on Midway, providing the enemy with a base to attack Hawaii and arranging an invasion force to invade Alaska's Aleutian Islands. On April 24, 1943, USS Harris (APA-2) sailed for Alaska with 1,600 soldiers from the 7th Infantry Division.

Six days later, the fleet arrived in Cold Bay, Alaska and landed an Army contingent. She weighed anchor and sailed to land at Attu Island later in the day. Additional landings took place in inclement weather on 11 May, and more troops were unloaded in Massacre Bay. Harris remained in the theater until June 10, 1943, operating at various ports in the Adak-Dutch Harbor area while redeploying Army and Navy personnel.

Harris then returned to San Diego in mid-June to make necessary repairs before sailing to San Francisco on July 3, where she loaded combat troops before starting training exercises on July 10. Harris then traveled to Kuruk Bay on Adak Island, Alaska, making an unopposed landing on Kiska Island on August 15.

The landing took place over the next five days until she was called to San Francisco and arrived there on August 31.

Harris was reassigned and sailed to New Zealand on September 8, 1943, before being assigned to the Southern Assault Force for the invasion of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands. Harris arrived at Tarawa on D-Day +1 with a full Marine after his first landing on November 20.

As her troops were unloaded onto the landing craft, Harris came under fire from the battery on the shore. After being wounded by the 6th Regiment and 2nd Marine Division, she set sail for Pearl Harbor on December 2, arriving there on December 14, 1943.

On January 7, 1944, Harris began minor sailing repairs and amphibious maneuvers for the invasion of the Marshall Islands.

Harris and the invasion force arrived near Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands on the first day of February. Her 7th Infantry Division troops began disembarking as soon as she dropped anchor, and the fighting was fierce. Within a week, she re-boarded her shock troops, casualties, and Japanese prisoners on March 15.

Harris then required normal sail repairs and was sent to a repair shop in San Pedro. Upon completion, she returned to Pearl Island on May 9, 1944 to receive supplies and carry troops for the invasion of the Marianas, at which point the Allied island hopping strategy was in full effect.

She landed on Saipan on June 16 and stayed at the garrison for four days before re-boarding her force as the battle proved short and sweet.

The

contingent then traveled to Eniwetok before returning to Pearl City for a new mission in September. Harris arrived at Babel Tup in Palau on September 15, and her forces landed as the main attack was on the nearby island of Peleliu.

She sailed to Ulithi Atoll and Manus and was formed after resupply as part of the Philippine invasion force. Harris arrived in Leyte Gulf on October 20, 1944, leading the troops of the 1st Cavalry Division, and then after the survivors of Taffy 3 of the Battle of Samal Island, was ordered between the Japanese fleet and light ships, including the battleship Yamato Search for US aircraft carrier Gulf of Gambier including USS and destroyers USS Johnston and USS Samuel B. Roberts.

She left the area on October 28 and trained troops in December to advance in Huon Bay, Papua New Guinea.

Harris and assault troops arrive at Lingayen Bay, Luzon, Philippines, January 12, 1945. The decision was to land the troops under the thick smoke, and when ready, Harris set off for Leyte Gulf to start a new landing force. Her mission called her to La Paz in the Philippines, and fortunately, Harris allowed her troops to land without opposition from the Japanese invasion of Luzon. Harris was reloaded at Leyte Gulf and assigned to the invasion of Okinawa. The first landings were in progress when they sailed with the Southern Attack Force and arrived on April 1, 1945.

The troops thought it was an April Fool's joke and the landing was not hindered by the Japanese. However, the battle of Okinawa will be a costly one. Harris' gunners repelled multiple attacks from enemy suicide planes without being hit directly. On April 3, the troops were unloaded, and three days later they set off for Pearl Harbor. Harris returned to the United States in late April.

After demobilization, she returned to Okinawa with the troops on May 28, and was scheduled to sail again from Pearl Harbor to Okinawa in August 1945. The Japanese Empire officially surrendered on September 2, 1945, bringing the hostilities of World War II to a final end (the war in Europe ended in May). Harris was sent to Japan to transport the occupying forces, arriving in Tokyo Bay on September 8, 1945. She made her final crew voyage to Taku in Baer, ??China, where troops were needed to protect the Japanese surrendering from the Chinese. Upon completion, she sailed for the West Coast of the United States on November 16, 1945, before being ordered to sail from San Francisco to Boston.

Upon arrival, she retired on April 16, 1946, joining a massive global withdrawal of troops in the months following the war. As a reserve, she was eventually sold to American Ship Breakers, Incorporated in July 1948 for scrap and profit.