USS Mifflin (APA-207)

USS Mifflin (APA-207) was a Haskell-class attack transport of the US Navy built and used during World War II. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type. Mifflin was named for Mifflin County, Pennsylvania.

USS Mifflin (APA-207), underway, 1 April 1946, location unknown.
History
United States
Name: Mifflin
Namesake: Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Ordered: as a Type VC2-S-AP5 hull, MCE hull 555[1]
Builder: Permanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Yard number: 555[1]
Laid down: 15 May 1944
Launched: 7 August 1944
Sponsored by: Alma De Bretteville Spreckles
Commissioned: 11 October 1944
Decommissioned: 5 July 1946
Struck: 1 October 1958
Identification:
Honors and
awards:		 2 × battle stars for World War II service
Fate:
Status: sold for non-transportation use (NTU), 17 July 1975, delivered, 6 August 1975
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:
  • 1 × Westinghouse geared turbine
  • 1 x propeller
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: 87 officers, 1,475 enlisted
Complement: 56 officers, 480 enlisted
Armament:
Service record
Part of: TransRon 15
Operations:
Awards:

Construction

Mifflin was laid down 15 May 1944, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 555, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2, Richmond, California; launched 7 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Alma De Brettville Sprecies; acquired from MARCOM on loan-charter; commissioned 11 October 1944, Commander Louis J. Modave, USNR, in command.[3]

Service history

After shakedown, Mifflin embarked 1,100 troops and sailed to Pearl Harbor. Exchanging her initial passengers for members of the 4th Marine Division, she continued amphibious exercises off Maui, until ordered to Saipan 27 January 1945.[3]

Invasion of Iwo Jima
Further information: Battle of Iwo Jima

On 19 February, her boats landed the[3] 2nd Battalion 23rd Marines and their Shore Party, B Co 133 NCB—4th Marine Division on beach "Yellow 2", Iwo Jima.[4] She remained almost a week to offload priority, then request cargo, and to take on board battle casualties. This included her own, for the ship's beach party was hard hit the first day suffering 14 wounded and three missing.[5] Mifflin also sustained a shell hit on her 40mm gun director before retiring with the wounded to Saipan on 28 February.[3]

Invasion of Okinawa
Further information: Battle of Okinawa

Having replaced lost equipment and boats, she sailed 16 March, to nearby Tinian to practice for the invasion of Okinawa. In position for this last great assault, on 1 and 2 April, her boats feinted a landing of 2d Division Marines on the southeastern shore to lessen opposition to the main effort on the western beaches.[3]

West Coast for repairs

Again returning her Marines to Saipan, she remained until early June. Steaming to the New Hebrides, Mifflin loaded stores which she discharged 30 June, at Guam. Independence Day, she weighed anchor for San Francisco with a small passenger list and a need for repairs.[3]

Return to Western Pacific

Two months later, when she returned to the western Pacific to disembark 1,600 US Army replacement troops at Manila, Philippines, the war had ceased. Mifflin reloaded with men of the 33rd Infantry Division assigned to occupation duty and arrived Wakayama, Japan, 25 September. The next month, over 1,000 troops of the 24th Infantry Division were transported from Mindanao, Philippines, to Okajama, Japan. Sailing to Okinawa 30 October, she engaged in "Magic Carpet" duty from November to March 1946, returning additional thousands of veterans to San Francisco.[3]

Decommission and fate

Inactivation soon began with Mifflin placed out of service in reserve 5 July 1946, assigned to the 19th Fleet, Stockton, California. Struck from the Naval Register 1 October 1958, she was returned to MARCOM the same day. Assigned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, she was berthed as Suisun Bay, California, into 1969.[3]

She was sold under a "non-transportation use" (NTU) contract to West Waterway Lumber Company, 17 July 1975, for $128,009. She was transferred out of the fleet 6 August 1975.[6]

Awards

Mifflin received two battle stars for World War II service.[3]

Notes
    Citations
    1. Kaiser No. 2 2010.
    2. Navsource 2014.
    3. DANFS 2015.
    4. Fox Annex to the 4th Marine Division Operations Report, April 1945, National Archives, College Park, MD 20704
    5. KXII Channel 12: Iwo Jima Vet
    6. MARAD.

    Bibliography

    Online resources

    • "Mifflin (APA-207)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 8 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 8 January 2017.
    • "USS Mifflin (APA-207)". Navsource.org. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
    • "MIFFLIN (APA-207)". United States Department of Transportation. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
    • Photo gallery of USS Mifflin (APA-207) at NavSource Naval History


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