Doyen class attack transport
Encyclopedia
The Doyen-class attack transport was a class of attack transport
that saw service with the US Navy in World War II
. Ships of the class were named after Generals of the United States Marine Corps
.
Like all attack transports, the purpose of the Doyen class was to transport troops and their equipment to hostile shores in order to execute amphibious
invasions. To perform this task, attack transports were equipped with a substantial number of integral landing craft
, and heavily armed with antiaircraft weaponry to protect themselves and their vulnerable cargo of troops from air attack in the battle zone.
of Los Angeles, California
.
Laid down as part of the Navy's 1940 fiscal program, they were each designed to carry a battalion of the Marine Expeditionary Force
which was maintained on both coasts of the United States
in peacetime. The lead ship
, , was launched in July 1942 while her sister ship was not launched until the following November, but Feland was first to be commissioned, on May 22, 1943, about a month before Doyen. Both ships were reclassified from transports (AP) to attack transports (APA) while still dockside, in February 1943.
The Doyens were also slightly faster than most other classes of attack transport, listed as having a top speed of 19 knots compared to the 16–18 knots of other classes. Like most of the early classes of attack transport, their main armament was four 3"/50 caliber guns, later classes would be fitted with either one or two 5" guns and considerably more 40mm
weapons.
The profile of the ships is somewhat unusual, as the aft funnel was shorter than the fore one. The two masts were also unusually close together amidships, mounted on the front and rear superstructure. The main deck was cut away at quarterdeck
level and fitted with a special ramp aft for the launching of landing craft or the offloading of tanks and other heavy equipment.
, often on the same missions. The two saw action together at Tarawa, Saipan, Guam, Luzon and Iwo Jima. Doyen, however, saw additional action at Kiska
in the Aleutians and at Kwajalein
and earned six battle stars to Felands five.
Both returned to the United States
shortly before the end of the war for overhaul, after which they each made one more journey to the Pacific, Doyen on a Magic Carpet mission, and Feland on a cargo mission. Like most other attack transports, they were then decommissioned in March 1946 and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
.
Feland was eventually scrapped in 1964, but in 1959 Doyen received a new lease of life as TS Bay State, a training ship with the Massachusetts Maritime Academy
. She was returned to the Maritime Commission in January 1974 and resold.
Attack transport
Attack Transport is a United States Navy ship classification.-History:In the early 1940s, as the United States Navy expanded in response to the threat of involvement in World War II, a number of civilian passenger ships and some freighters were acquired, converted to transports and given hull...
that saw service with the US Navy in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Ships of the class were named after Generals of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.
Like all attack transports, the purpose of the Doyen class was to transport troops and their equipment to hostile shores in order to execute amphibious
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
invasions. To perform this task, attack transports were equipped with a substantial number of integral landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
, and heavily armed with antiaircraft weaponry to protect themselves and their vulnerable cargo of troops from air attack in the battle zone.
Background
There were only two ships of the Doyen class. They were based on the Maritime Commission's P1 hull type, specifically the P1-S2-L2 type. Both were built by the Consolidated Steel CorporationConsolidated Steel Corporation
Consolidated Steel Corporation was an American steel and shipbuilding business. Consolidated built ships during World War II in two locations: Wilmington, California and Orange, Texas...
of Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Laid down as part of the Navy's 1940 fiscal program, they were each designed to carry a battalion of the Marine Expeditionary Force
Marine Expeditionary Force
A Marine Expeditionary Force or MEF is the largest type of a Marine Air-Ground Task Force...
which was maintained on both coasts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in peacetime. The lead ship
Lead ship
The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...
, , was launched in July 1942 while her sister ship was not launched until the following November, but Feland was first to be commissioned, on May 22, 1943, about a month before Doyen. Both ships were reclassified from transports (AP) to attack transports (APA) while still dockside, in February 1943.
Description
The Doyen class ships, at only 414 feet in length and with a displacement of 4,351 tons, were considerably smaller than most other classes of attack transport. However, it appears their troop carrying capacity was adequate, with Feland listed as able to carry 1,100 troops. No information is available on their cargo capacity.The Doyens were also slightly faster than most other classes of attack transport, listed as having a top speed of 19 knots compared to the 16–18 knots of other classes. Like most of the early classes of attack transport, their main armament was four 3"/50 caliber guns, later classes would be fitted with either one or two 5" guns and considerably more 40mm
Bofors 40 mm gun
The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...
weapons.
The profile of the ships is somewhat unusual, as the aft funnel was shorter than the fore one. The two masts were also unusually close together amidships, mounted on the front and rear superstructure. The main deck was cut away at quarterdeck
Quarterdeck
The quarterdeck is that part of a warship designated by the commanding officer for official and ceremonial functions. In port, the quarterdeck is the most important place on the ship, and is the central control point for all its major activities. Underway, its importance diminishes as control of...
level and fitted with a special ramp aft for the launching of landing craft or the offloading of tanks and other heavy equipment.
In service
Both vessels served exclusively in the Pacific TheatrePacific Theater of Operations
The Pacific Theater of Operations was the World War II area of military activity in the Pacific Ocean and the countries bordering it, a geographic scope that reflected the operational and administrative command structures of the American forces during that period...
, often on the same missions. The two saw action together at Tarawa, Saipan, Guam, Luzon and Iwo Jima. Doyen, however, saw additional action at Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
in the Aleutians and at Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
and earned six battle stars to Felands five.
Both returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
shortly before the end of the war for overhaul, after which they each made one more journey to the Pacific, Doyen on a Magic Carpet mission, and Feland on a cargo mission. Like most other attack transports, they were then decommissioned in March 1946 and laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
National Defense Reserve Fleet
The National Defense Reserve Fleet consists of "mothballed" ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States of America during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises.The NDRF is...
.
Feland was eventually scrapped in 1964, but in 1959 Doyen received a new lease of life as TS Bay State, a training ship with the Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Massachusetts Maritime Academy is a regionally accredited, coeducational, state college offering undergraduate degrees in maritime-related fields, as well as graduate degrees and professional studies. Established in 1891, Mass Maritime is the second oldest state maritime academy in the country...
. She was returned to the Maritime Commission in January 1974 and resold.