USS Burleigh (APA-95)
USS Burleigh (APA-95) was a Bayfield-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.
| History | |
|---|---|
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| Name: | Burleigh |
| Namesake: | A county in south central North Dakota. The state capital, Bismarck, is located within its boundaries. |
| Builder: | Ingalls Shipbuilding |
| Laid down: | 6 July 1943 |
| Launched: | 3 December 1943 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs. Dallas H. Smith |
| Christened: | Sea Adder |
| Commissioned: | 30 October 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 11 June 1946 |
| Honors and awards: | Two battle stars for service in World War II. |
| Fate: | Scrapped May 1973 |
| Notes: | MC Hull No. 862 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Bayfield-class attack transport |
| Type: | Type C3-S-A2. |
| Displacement: | 8,100 tons, 16,100 tons fully loaded |
| Length: | 492 ft (150 m) |
| Beam: | 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m) |
| Draught: | 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m) |
| Propulsion: | Westinghouse geared turbine, 2 x Foster Wheeler D-type boilers, single propeller, designed shaft horsepower 8,500 |
| Speed: | 18 knots |
| Boats & landing craft carried: | 12 x LCVP, 4 x LCM (Mk-6), 3 x LCP(L) (MK-IV) |
| Capacity: | 4,800 tons (180,500 cu. ft). |
| Troops: | 80 officers, 1,146 enlisted |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: |
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Burleigh (named after Burleigh County, North Dakota), was launched on 3 December 1943 by Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi under a Maritime Commission contract, and placed in reduced commission on 1 April 1944. She was taken to New York, and placed out of commission on 13 April for conversion by Bethlehem Steel, 56th Street Yard, Brooklyn, New York. The ship was placed in full commission on 30 October 1944, with Commander D. G. Greenlee in command.
Operational history
On 3 December 1944 Burleigh departed Hampton Roads, Virginia, and proceeded to the Pacific, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 23 December. She became flagship of Transport Squadron 18 at San Francisco on 3 January 1945. During January and February, Burleigh transported passengers and supplies to Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, and the Russell Islands.
Okinawa
March 1945 was spent at Ulithi, Caroline Islands, in preparation for the assault on Okinawa. Burleigh departed Ulithi, in company with Transport Squadron 18, on 27 March, and arrived off Okinawa on 1 April. She remained in the area disembarking Marines and supplies until 10 April, when she got underway for Pearl Harbor. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 27 April, after stopping at Guam to embark casualties.
Returning to San Francisco on 4 June, Burleigh embarked troops and supplies and steamed to Guam via Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, and Saipan. She returned to San Francisco on 2 August.
Operation Magic Carpet
With the cessation of hostilities, Burleigh was assigned to the Operation Magic Carpet fleet returning veterans from the Pacific until March 1946. On 15 March 1946 she departed the West Coast for Norfolk, Virginia, where she arrived in April. She was decommissioned on 11 June 1946 and returned to the Maritime Commission the following day.
Burleigh received one battle star for her World War II service.
After the war, she was sold to a commercial concern and renamed Hawaiian Trader. She served over 20 years as a commercial cargo ship. She was sold for scrap in 1973.
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- APA-95 Burleigh, Navsource Online
- Burleigh, Hazegray.org