McCawley class attack transport
Encyclopedia
The McCawley-class attack transport was a class of US Navy attack transport
that saw service in World War II
.
Like all attack transports, the purpose of the McCawley class ships was to transport troops and their equipment to hostile shores in order to execute amphibious
invasions. Attack transports carried a substantial number of integral landing craft
for making the assault, and were well armed with antiaircraft weaponry to protect themselves and their vulnerable cargo of troops from air attack in the battle zone.
hull types. The two ships of this class also hold the distinction of being the only attack transports not to be built in the United States.
The origin of the two ships which were to become the McCawley class goes back to a US government decision in the 1920s that allowed foreign-built ships to retain eligibility for US mail contracts. Accordingly, the American shipping company Grace Lines ordered two cargo liners from the Furness Shipbuilding Company of Haverton Hill-on-Tees
in Northern England
, which were completed in 1928 as Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. These ships were the first large diesel
-powered passenger ship
s to sail under the American flag.
The two Grace Lines ships continued to operate between the United States and South America
, and later on US coastal mail runs, until being bought by the US Navy for conversion to troop transports in late 1940. The conversions were duly carried out, and Santa Barbara and Santa Maria became USS McCawley (AP-10) and USS Barnett (AP-11) respectively. They were reclassified as attack transports APA-4 and APA-5 on 1 February 1943.
They were each armed with four 3"/50 caliber dual-purpose guns and a variable assortment of secondary armament.
. Sadly, this would prove to be McCawley 's one and only campaign. After participating in the initial landings in August 1942 as the command ship
of Admiral Richmond K. Turner
, and continuing in support missions to the island for the next nine months, she was mistaken for an enemy vessel by US Navy MTB
s on the night of 30 June 1943 and sunk by torpedoes.
Her sister ship, Barnett, survived the Guadalcanal campaign and went on to take part in most of the major amphibious operations in the European Theatre, including the invasions of Sicily, Italy
, Normandy
and Southern France
, before returning to the Pacific to participate in the invasion of Okinawa in 1945. Barnett was decommissioned along with most other attack transports in early 1946, and sold into commercial service not long thereafter.
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 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...
.
Like all attack transports, the purpose of the McCawley class ships 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. Attack transports carried 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...
for making the assault, and were well armed with antiaircraft weaponry to protect themselves and their vulnerable cargo of troops from air attack in the battle zone.
Background
The McCawley class is amongst the few classes of attack transport that were converted from pre-war tonnage rather than being built during the war from either Maritime Commission or Victory shipVictory ship
The Victory ship was a type of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace shipping losses caused by German submarines...
hull types. The two ships of this class also hold the distinction of being the only attack transports not to be built in the United States.
The origin of the two ships which were to become the McCawley class goes back to a US government decision in the 1920s that allowed foreign-built ships to retain eligibility for US mail contracts. Accordingly, the American shipping company Grace Lines ordered two cargo liners from the Furness Shipbuilding Company of Haverton Hill-on-Tees
Haverton Hill
Haverton Hill is an area within the borough of Stockton-on-Tees and ceremonial county of County Durham, England.It is situated to the north of the River Tees, near Billingham. The A1046 is the main road linking to Stockton and the A19 in the west and Port Clarence and the A178 in the east.- History...
in Northern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, which were completed in 1928 as Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. These ships were the first large diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
-powered passenger ship
Passenger ship
A passenger ship is a ship whose primary function is to carry passengers. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freighters once common on the seas in which the transport of passengers is...
s to sail under the American flag.
The two Grace Lines ships continued to operate between the United States and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and later on US coastal mail runs, until being bought by the US Navy for conversion to troop transports in late 1940. The conversions were duly carried out, and Santa Barbara and Santa Maria became USS McCawley (AP-10) and USS Barnett (AP-11) respectively. They were reclassified as attack transports APA-4 and APA-5 on 1 February 1943.
Description
The McCawleys were each powered by two eight-cylinder, two-cycle, 4000 hp diesel engines yielding a total horsepower of 8000 and a top speed of around 16 knots (31.4 km/h). In commercial service they carried 150 passengers and had a gross tonnage of 8000. After conversion to attack transports, they had a troop capacity of about 1,300 and a cargo capacity of about 165000 cubic feet (4,672.3 m³).They were each armed with four 3"/50 caliber dual-purpose guns and a variable assortment of secondary armament.
In service
Both ships saw their first action in the long and bitterly fought Guadalcanal campaign in the Pacific TheatrePacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. Sadly, this would prove to be McCawley 's one and only campaign. After participating in the initial landings in August 1942 as the command ship
Command ship
Command ships serve as the flagships of the Commander of a fleet. They provide communications, office space, and accommodations for a fleet commander and his staff, and serve to coordinate fleet activities....
of Admiral Richmond K. Turner
Richmond K. Turner
-Footnotes:...
, and continuing in support missions to the island for the next nine months, she was mistaken for an enemy vessel by US Navy MTB
Motor Torpedo Boat
Motor Torpedo Boat was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the Royal Navy, and the Royal Canadian Navy.The capitalised term is generally used for the Royal Navy boats and abbreviated to "MTB"...
s on the night of 30 June 1943 and sunk by torpedoes.
Her sister ship, Barnett, survived the Guadalcanal campaign and went on to take part in most of the major amphibious operations in the European Theatre, including the invasions of Sicily, Italy
Allied invasion of Italy
The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied landing on mainland Italy on September 3, 1943, by General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group during the Second World War. The operation followed the successful invasion of Sicily during the Italian Campaign...
, Normandy
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
and Southern France
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
, before returning to the Pacific to participate in the invasion of Okinawa in 1945. Barnett was decommissioned along with most other attack transports in early 1946, and sold into commercial service not long thereafter.