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USS Barnwell (APA-132)
Encyclopedia
USS Barnwell (APA-132/LPA-132) was a Haskell-class
attack transport
of the US Navy. She was built and used during World War II
. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship
design type. Barnwell was named for Barnwell County, South Carolina
.
, by the Moore Dry Dock Co.; and commissioned on 19 January 1945, Capt. M. M. Stephens in command.
The attack transport spent the rest of the month getting ready for her shakedown by holding drills and taking on supplies. On 30 January, she stood out of San Francisco Bay
and set course for San Pedro
. There, shakedown training took up the first two weeks of February, and type training occupied the remainder. On 2 March, she put in at Terminal Island
for a three-week post-shakedown availability. On 21 March, Barnwell got underway for San Diego where she embarked passengers and loaded cargo bound for Hawaii
. She reached Pearl Harbor
on 29 March and spent April conducting amphibious training in the islands.
Early in May, troops and cargo filled her spaces, and Barnwell left Oahu
for the central Pacific on the 8th. She first stopped in the Marshall Islands
then moved on to Guam
to unload part of her cargo and to disembark some of her passengers, before delivering the remainder of both to Saipan
. Next, she sailed to the Caroline Islands
where she took troops on board at Ulithi
for passage to Leyte
. After stopping at Tacloban on Leyte, Barnwell transferred 23 landing craft
to the boat pool at Samar
and then headed back to the United States
, carrying sailors and marines. Following a stop at Pearl Harbor en route, she disembarked her passengers and unloaded her cargo at San Francisco before starting voyage repairs.
At the work's conclusion, Barnwell embarked over 1,800 troops and took on a cargo of 15,000 mailbags
. Underway on 14 July, Barnwell proceeded via Eniwetok and Ulithi to the Philippines
. After delivering passengers and mail to both Guinan Harbor on Samar and Tacloban on Leyte, the attack transport sailed for the Admiralty Islands
on 10 August. She reached Manus
on the 14th and, while disembarking the rest of her troops there, received word of the war's end
. Departing Manus on the 16th, she touched briefly at Ulithi before continuing on to New Caledonia
. At Noumea
, she took on more cargo and embarked part of a Construction Battalion (or "Seabee")
. Early in September, she picked up the rest of the "Seabees" and their gear at Espiritu Santo
in the New Hebrides
. From there, the attack transport set sail for the Philippines. At Lingayen
, she embarked an Army medical unit bound for occupation duty in Japan. She then set sail for Sasebo
on 20 September.
Barnwell made one more troop lift for the Army, a round-trip voyage from Japan
to Lingayan and back, in October. Then, after touching at Kure
and Hiroshima
, Barnwell sailed to Guam, entering Apra Harbor
on 30 October. Assigned to the "Magic Carpet"
fleet on 23 October, Barnwell departed Guam with returning servicemen on the last day of October. Bound for San Francisco at first, she received orders diverting her to Seattle while en route, and Barnwell made that port on 12 November. For the remainder of 1945, she operated in coastwise service, visiting Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon
; as well as San Francisco and San Pedro. Released from such tasks on 15 January 1946 by the arrival of , Barnwell left California
soon thereafter on her way to the east coast
to be deactivated.
on 12 November 1946, Barnwell was decommissioned on 1 February 1947. Her name was struck from the Navy list
on 1 October 1958. On 12 May 1959 she was berthed with the James River, Virginia contingent of the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet
. The ship remained there for more than two decades, during which time she was redesignated LPA 132. At 1107 EDT, on 4 August 1982 she was withdrawn by the Navy from the Reserve Fleet for stripping and to be used as a target hulk. She was apparently sunk as a target sometime in the early 1980s.
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...
of the US Navy. She was built and used 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...
. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship
Victory 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...
design type. Barnwell was named for Barnwell County, South Carolina
Barnwell County, South Carolina
-History:The Barnwell District was created in 1798 from the southwestern portion of the Orangeburg District, along the Savannah River...
.
World War II service
Barnwell was laid down on 25 July 1944 at Wilmington, California, by the California Shipbuilding Corp., under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 48); launched on 30 September 1944; and sponsored by Mrs. M. L. Rhodes; fitted out at Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, by the Moore Dry Dock Co.; and commissioned on 19 January 1945, Capt. M. M. Stephens in command.
The attack transport spent the rest of the month getting ready for her shakedown by holding drills and taking on supplies. On 30 January, she stood out of San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
and set course for San Pedro
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
San Pedro is a port district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area...
. There, shakedown training took up the first two weeks of February, and type training occupied the remainder. On 2 March, she put in at Terminal Island
Terminal Island
Terminal Island is an island located in Los Angeles County, California between Los Angeles Harbor and Long Beach Harbor. Originally a mudflat known to the Spanish as Isla Raza de Buena Gente, and later called Rattlesnake Island, it has officially been Terminal Island since 1918...
for a three-week post-shakedown availability. On 21 March, Barnwell got underway for San Diego where she embarked passengers and loaded cargo bound for 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...
. She reached Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 29 March and spent April conducting amphibious training in the islands.
Early in May, troops and cargo filled her spaces, and Barnwell left Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
for the central Pacific on the 8th. She first stopped in the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
then moved on 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 unload part of her cargo and to disembark some of her passengers, before delivering the remainder of both 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...
. Next, she sailed to the Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
where she took troops on board at Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
for passage to Leyte
Leyte Island
Leyte is an island in the Visayas group of the Philippines.The island measures about 180 km north-south and about 65 km at its widest point. In the north it nearly joins Samar, separated by the San Juanico Strait, which becomes as narrow as 2 km in some places...
. After stopping at Tacloban on Leyte, Barnwell transferred 23 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...
to the boat pool at Samar
Samar
Samar, formerly and also known as Western Samar, is a province in the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Catbalogan City and covers the western portion of Samar as well as several islands in the Samar Sea located to the west of the mainland...
and then headed back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, carrying sailors and marines. Following a stop at Pearl Harbor en route, she disembarked her passengers and unloaded her cargo at San Francisco before starting voyage repairs.
At the work's conclusion, Barnwell embarked over 1,800 troops and took on a cargo of 15,000 mailbags
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
. Underway on 14 July, Barnwell proceeded via Eniwetok and Ulithi to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. After delivering passengers and mail to both Guinan Harbor on Samar and Tacloban on Leyte, the attack transport sailed for the Admiralty Islands
Admiralty Islands
The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...
on 10 August. She reached Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
on the 14th and, while disembarking the rest of her troops there, received word of the war's end
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
. Departing Manus on the 16th, she touched briefly at Ulithi before continuing on to New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
. At 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,...
, she took on more cargo and embarked part of a Construction Battalion (or "Seabee")
Seabee
Seabees are members of the United States Navy construction battalions. The word Seabee is a proper noun that comes from the initials of Construction Battalion, of the United States Navy...
. Early in September, she picked up the rest of the "Seabees" and their gear at Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
in the New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
. From there, the attack transport set sail for the Philippines. At Lingayen
Lingayen, Pangasinan
Lingayen is a 1st class municipality in the province of Pangasinan on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is the capital municipality and the seat of government of the province of Pangasinan. According to the latest census, it has a population of 95,773 people in 16,467 households.Lingayen...
, she embarked an Army medical unit bound for occupation duty in Japan. She then set sail for Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
on 20 September.
Barnwell made one more troop lift for the Army, a round-trip voyage from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to Lingayan and back, in October. Then, after touching at Kure
Kure, Hiroshima
is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
and Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, Barnwell sailed to Guam, entering Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor
Apra Harbor is a deep-water port on the western side of Guam in the Mariana Islands. The harbor is formed by Orote Peninsula in the south and Cabras Island in the north. To the south, the harbor narrows and then widens again to form an inner harbor. The southern end of the harbor is the location...
on 30 October. Assigned to the "Magic Carpet"
Operation Magic Carpet (World War II)
Operation Magic Carpet was the post-World War II effort by the War Shipping Administration to repatriate over eight million American military personnel from the European, Pacific, and CBI theaters. Hundreds of Liberty ships, Victory ships, and troop transports began repatriating soldiers from...
fleet on 23 October, Barnwell departed Guam with returning servicemen on the last day of October. Bound for San Francisco at first, she received orders diverting her to Seattle while en route, and Barnwell made that port on 12 November. For the remainder of 1945, she operated in coastwise service, visiting Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
; as well as San Francisco and San Pedro. Released from such tasks on 15 January 1946 by the arrival of , Barnwell left 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...
soon thereafter on her way to the 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...
to be deactivated.
Fate
Placed in reserve 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....
on 12 November 1946, Barnwell was decommissioned on 1 February 1947. Her name was struck from the Navy list
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 1 October 1958. On 12 May 1959 she was berthed with the James River, Virginia contingent of the Maritime Administration's 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...
. The ship remained there for more than two decades, during which time she was redesignated LPA 132. At 1107 EDT, on 4 August 1982 she was withdrawn by the Navy from the Reserve Fleet for stripping and to be used as a target hulk. She was apparently sunk as a target sometime in the early 1980s.