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USS Pickens (APA-190)
Encyclopedia
USS Pickens (APA-190) 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.
, 22 April 1944; launched 21 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Howard Denhart; delivered to the Navy and commissioned 18 September 1944, Comdr. John V. McElduff in command.
, Pickens steamed west, engaged in amphibious training in Hawaii
an waters, and on 27 January 1945, got underway for the western Pacific Ocean
with elements of the 4th Marine Division embarked. A unit of TransDiv
45 she arrived off Iwo Jima
on the morning of 19 February and despite cold weather and high seas stood off the assault beach, 0730–1800, to land troops and equipment. Retiring at night, she returned daily to continue offloading cargo and to take on casualties. On the 28th she got underway for Saipan
, thence, to Guam
to disembark her casualty passengers.
d. She effected the rescue of survivors from that APA, LST-884
, and LST-724
. On the 2nd she repeated the feint, then swung around to the stand-by area where she remained until the 9th. Pickens then returned to Saipan
and on the 14th debarked her troops.
On 4 June Pickens sailed for Noumea
, whence she carried cargo back to the Marianas before heading back to California
and availability. Arriving at San Francisco, California
, 3 August, she completed availability after the end of the war and at the end of the month joined others of her type in carrying occupation troops to the Far East
and bringing back veterans. She completed “Operation Magic Carpet” duty at San Francisco 7 January 1946, then got underway for the U.S. East Coast
and inactivation.
, 12 April 1946, she was redelivered to the United States Maritime Commission
18 April and on 1 May her name was struck from the Navy List
. Into 1970 she remained with the National Defense Reserve Fleet
, laid up at the James River, Virginia, berthing area. Her ultimate fate is not recorded.
Haskell class attack transport
Haskell-class attack transports were amphibious assault ships of the United States Navy created in 1944. They were designed to transport 1,500 troops and their combat equipment, and land them on hostile shores with the ships' integral landing craft....
attack transport
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...
acquired by the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during 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...
for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.
World War II service
Pickens (APA–190), built under Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 658), was laid down by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, WashingtonVancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, 22 April 1944; launched 21 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Howard Denhart; delivered to the Navy and commissioned 18 September 1944, Comdr. John V. McElduff in command.
Landing troops and their equipment on Iwo Jima
Following shakedownShakedown (testing)
A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other craft and its crew before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to...
, Pickens steamed west, engaged in amphibious training in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an waters, and on 27 January 1945, got underway for the western Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
with elements of the 4th Marine Division embarked. A unit of TransDiv
TransDiv
TransDiv is the authorized abbreviation or acronym used by the U.S. Navy during World War II for "transport division."The commander of a transport division was known as ComTransDiv .- References :*...
45 she arrived off Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
on the morning of 19 February and despite cold weather and high seas stood off the assault beach, 0730–1800, to land troops and equipment. Retiring at night, she returned daily to continue offloading cargo and to take on casualties. On the 28th she got underway for Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
, thence, to Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
to disembark her casualty passengers.
Diversionary landings on Okinawa
For the next month Pickens, with 2nd Division Marines embarked, rehearsed for Operation Iceberg. On 27 March she departed the Marianas and on 1 April participated in the diversionary landings on Okinawa’s southeastern coast, during which she assumed duties of Division Commander (TransDiv 44) after was kamikazeKamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
d. She effected the rescue of survivors from that APA, LST-884
USS LST-884
USS LST-884 was an LST-542-class tank landing ship in the United States Navy. Like many of her class, she was not named and is properly referred to by her hull designation....
, and LST-724
USS LST-724
USS LST-724 was an LST-542-class tank landing ship acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II for the task of landing troops and supplies on enemy beachheads.- World War II service :...
. On the 2nd she repeated the feint, then swung around to the stand-by area where she remained until the 9th. Pickens then returned to Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
and on the 14th debarked her troops.
On 4 June Pickens sailed for Noumea
Nouméa
Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...
, whence she carried cargo back to the Marianas before heading back to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and availability. Arriving at San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, 3 August, she completed availability after the end of the war and at the end of the month joined others of her type in carrying occupation troops to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
and bringing back veterans. She completed “Operation Magic Carpet” duty at San Francisco 7 January 1946, then got underway for the U.S. East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
and inactivation.
Post-war decommissioning
Decommissioning at Norfolk, VirginiaNorfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, 12 April 1946, she was redelivered to the United States Maritime Commission
United States Maritime Commission
The United States Maritime Commission was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the Merchant Marine Act of 1936, passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and replaced the U.S. Shipping Board which had existed since World War I...
18 April and on 1 May her name was struck from the Navy List
Navy List
A Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval authorities of a country....
. Into 1970 she remained with 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...
, laid up at the James River, Virginia, berthing area. Her ultimate fate is not recorded.