USS Montrose (APA-212)

History
United States
Name: Montrose
Namesake: Montrose County, Colorado
Ordered: as a Type VC2-S-AP5 hull, MCE hull 560[1]
Builder: Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Yard number: 560[1]
Laid down: 17 June 1944
Launched: 13 September 1944
Sponsored by: Mrs Marcia C. Barnhart
Commissioned: 2 November 1944
Decommissioned: 26 October 1946
Identification:
Honors and
awards:		 1 × battle star for World War II service
Fate: laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Stockton Group, 26 October 1946
United States
Recommissioned: 12 September 1950
Decommissioned: 2 November 1969
Struck: 2 November 1969
Identification:
  • Hull symbol: APA-212
  • Hull symbol: LPA-212
Honors and
awards:
  • 3 × battle stars for Korean War service
  • 6 × battle stars for Vietnam War service
Fate: returned to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 2 November 1969, laid up in the Bremerton Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington
Status: sold for scrapping, 4 June 1970, withdrawn, 10 June 1970
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: Haskell-class attack transport
Type: Type VC2-S-AP5
Displacement:
  • 6,873 long tons (6,983 t) (light load)
  • 14,837 long tons (15,075 t) (full load)
Length: 455 ft (139 m)
Beam: 62 ft (19 m)
Draft: 24 ft (7.3 m)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: 17.7 kn (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried:
Capacity:
  • 2,900 long tons (2,900 t) DWT
  • 150,000 cu ft (4,200 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Troops: 86 officers, 1,475 enlisted
Complement: 99 officers, 503 enlisted
Armament:
Service record
Part of: TransRon 17 (WWII)
Operations:
  • World War II
  • Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (26 March–26 April 1945)
  • Korean War
  • First UN Counter Offensive (9–11 February, 12 March–12 April 1951)
  • Communist China Spring Offensive (23–25 April, 13–14 May, 5–6 June 1951)
  • UN Summer–Fall Offensive (12 July 1951)
  • Vietnam War
  • Vietnam Defense(8–18 November, 20 November–4 December, 10–24 December 1965)
  • Vietnam Counteroffensive (25 December 1965, 28 January–1 March 1966)
  • Vietnam Counteroffensive–Phase II (23 March–28 April, 25–27 May 1967)
  • Vietnam Counteroffensive–Phase III (6–7 June 1967)
  • Vietnam Counteroffensive–Phase V (30 August–1 September 1968)
  • Vietnam Counteroffensive–Phase VI (28 November–11 December 1968, 8–9 January 1969)
Awards:

USS Montrose (APA/LPA-212) was a Haskell-class attack transport of the US Navy in World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam War. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type. Montrose was named for Montrose County, Colorado.

Construction

Montrose was laid down 17 June 1944, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCV hull 560, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2, Richmond, California; launched 13 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Marcia C. Barnhart; and commissioned 2 November 1944, Commander Hallock G. Davis in command.[3]

Service history

World War II

After shakedown off California, Montrose embarked troops at Seattle, Washington, and steamed to the Philippines, arriving at Leyte 21 February, to prepare for the invasion of the Okinawa.[3]

Invasion of Okinawa

Montrose participated in the landings in Kerama Retto 26 March, and on 2 April, shot down two kamikazes. She steamed to Menna-shima off Okinawa 15 April, and disembarked units of the 306th Field Artillery. Four days later she took part in a diversionary feint on the southwest tip of Okinawa, returning to Menna Shima 23 April. Leaving the Ryukus she sailed to Ulithi with Army casualties, en route to San Francisco to embark more troops. She debarked these units at Manila 27 July.[3]

For the next 2 months she shuttled troops between the Philippines and Hawaii. From 25 August to 24 October, Montrose was busy carrying occupation troops to Sasebo, Kyūshū.[3]

Decommissioning

She was decommissioned on 26 October 1946, and was assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Stockton, California.[3]

Korean War

After hostilities broke out in Korea, Montrose recommissioned 12 September 1950, and arrived Yokosuka, Japan, 8 January 1951, to help repel the invasion by North Korea. She took troops to Inchon early in 1951; and, in April, after a run to Hong Kong, she steamed for the California coast. She returned to Yokosuka 30 July 1952, and joined TF 90, supporting operations off Korea, until returning to San Diego 6 December 1952.[3]

Peacetime operations

She returned to Japan in March 1954 and took part in training exercises from Iwo Jima to Korea.[3]

Operation Passage to Freedom

When war threatened in Indochina, she sailed to Saigon. Leaving Saigon 9 August, she proceeded to Haiphong to evacuate refugees from there to Saigon as part of Operation Passage to Freedom. By 12 September, Montrose had evacuated 9,060 people. She sailed home, arriving San Diego 21 November.[3]

Transport and training missions

In March 1955, Montrose travelled again to Japan, disembarking members of the 3rd Marine Division. Between April and November, she helped train South Korean amphibious forces and operated off the Japanese coast, until steaming to San Diego in November. She spent the early part of 1956 in training, before proceeding to the Far East for operations in the Bay of Siam in October. She arrived San Diego 13 April 1957, and operated off the California coast for the next 5 months.[3]

In September, she took part in cold weather landing exercises near Kodiak, Alaska, then remained on the west coast until 12 June, when she sailed for Japan. Between 1958 and 1965, she operated off the California coast, and made several voyages to the Far East.[3]

Vietnam War

With the situation in South Vietnam becoming more precarious, Montrose left San Diego 23 August 1965, to begin training off Okinawa. In November, she conducted several successful strikes against the Vietcong, the first attack coming at Lang Keaa. The following month she participated in a massive attack on the Vietcong near Da Nang. She sailed 25 January 1966 for Cù Lao Ré, and assisted in an attack on a Vietcong stronghold there.[3]

She arrived 14 April, at San Diego, and returned for her 12th deployment in the western Pacific early in 1967. She anchored at the mouth of Lòng Tàu River, South Vietnam, on 23 March, and took part in the establishment of a powerful riverine force. While delivering supplies at Đông Hà 25 May, Montrose came under hostile fire. She arrived 16 September 1968, at San Diego, and began preparation for a return trip to the western Paciflc into 1969.[3]

Final decommission

Montrose was decommissioned and struck from the Naval register on 2 November 1969.[2] The Navy returned permanent custody to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 4 June 1970, who immediately sold her for scrapping to Zidell Corporation, Portland, Oregon, the same day for $100,343.43. She was transferred out of the Bremerton Navy Yard on 10 June 1970.[4]

Awards

Montrose received one battle star for World War II service, three for Korean War service[3] and six for Vietnam War service, giving her a career total of ten battle stars.[2]

Notes

    Citations

    Bibliography

    Online resources

    • "Montrose". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
    • "Kaiser Permanente No. 2, Richmond CA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
    • "USS Montrose (APA-212)". Navsource.org. 29 July 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
    • "Montrose (APA-212)". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
    • Photo gallery of USS Montrose (APA-212) at NavSource Naval History


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