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USS Noble (APA-218)
Encyclopedia
USS Noble (APA-218) was a which saw service with the US Navy in World War II and the Korean War
. She was later transferred to the Spanish Navy in the 1960s under a mutual assistance agreement.
Noble was named after counties in Indiana
, Ohio
and Oklahoma
. She was laid down as MCV hull 566 on 20 July 1944 by Permanente Metals Corporation of Richmond, California
as a modified Victory ship
; completed by the Kaiser Shipyard at Richmond; launched 18 October 1944; acquired by the Navy on 27 November 1944; and commissioned the same day, Comdr. Solomon S. Isquith in command.
to the Philippines
. She also participated in Operation Magic Carpet, returning servicemen from the Pacific to the United States. Noble was attached to the Atlantic Fleet from 1946 through 1949, operating out of Norfolk, Virginia
.
, San Francisco, when war broke out in Korea
in June 1950. In August, she steamed to Korea to participate in the September Inchon amphibious
assault. Thereafter, she assisted in the transport of U.S. and foreign troops and equipment to and from the Korean combat zone.
In July 1953, she participated in Operation "Big Switch," moving Communist North Korea
n prisoners from Koje Do to Inchon pursuant to the armistice agreement.
. At the outset of the Cuban missile crisis
27 October 1962, Noble embarked 1,400 Marines with their equipment and steamed for the Caribbean in company with other Pacific Fleet amphibious units. She returned to San Diego in December, then deployed to WestPac in March 1963 for a tour with the 7th Fleet Amphibious Ready Group.
Renamed attack transport Aragón (TA-11) by the Spanish, the ship served until being laid up and struck from the Spanish Navy Vessel Register on 1 January 1982. She was sold for scrap in 1987.
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. She was later transferred to the Spanish Navy in the 1960s under a mutual assistance agreement.
Noble was named after counties in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. She was laid down as MCV hull 566 on 20 July 1944 by Permanente Metals Corporation of Richmond, California
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
as a modified 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...
; completed by the Kaiser Shipyard at Richmond; launched 18 October 1944; acquired by the Navy on 27 November 1944; and commissioned the same day, Comdr. Solomon S. Isquith in command.
World War II
Nobles primary mission was to transport to a combat area the men and some of the material necessary for an assault on an enemy shore. Her main armament, her boat group, was designed to deliver her troops and cargo to the beach in a planned and orderly fashion. After discharging troops and equipment, she could evacuate casualties or prisoners of war.Invasion of Okinawa
In January 1945, Noble steamed westward to participate in the Okinawa campaign.After hostilities
Upon termination of the war, she assisted in the delivery of released allied prisoners of war from KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
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...
. She also participated in Operation Magic Carpet, returning servicemen from the Pacific to the United States. Noble was attached to the Atlantic Fleet from 1946 through 1949, operating out of Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, 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....
.
Korean War
Noble returned to San Diego 13 September 1949 and was undergoing overhaul at Mare Island Naval ShipyardMare Island Naval Shipyard
The Mare Island Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates the peninsula shipyard from the main portion of the...
, San Francisco, when war broke out in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
in June 1950. In August, she steamed to Korea to participate in the September Inchon 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...
assault. Thereafter, she assisted in the transport of U.S. and foreign troops and equipment to and from the Korean combat zone.
In July 1953, she participated in Operation "Big Switch," moving Communist North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n prisoners from Koje Do to Inchon pursuant to the armistice agreement.
Peacetime operations
Subsequent to the Korean War, Noble conducted training operations in both the eastern and western Pacific areas. In 1955, she assisted in the evacuation of Chinese civilians and military from the Tachen Islands to FormosaFormosa
Formosa or Ilha Formosa is a Portuguese historical name for Taiwan , literally meaning, "Beautiful Island". The term may also refer to:-Places:* Formosa Strait, another name for the Taiwan Strait...
. At the outset of the Cuban missile crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
27 October 1962, Noble embarked 1,400 Marines with their equipment and steamed for the Caribbean in company with other Pacific Fleet amphibious units. She returned to San Diego in December, then deployed to WestPac in March 1963 for a tour with the 7th Fleet Amphibious Ready Group.
Transfer to the Spanish Navy
Noble returned to San Diego in December 1963 and conducted upkeep and training operations until she decommissioned 1 July 1964. She then entered the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for preparation for transfer to Spain under the Mutual Assistance Program. The transfer ceremony took place 19 December at San Francisco.Renamed attack transport Aragón (TA-11) by the Spanish, the ship served until being laid up and struck from the Spanish Navy Vessel Register on 1 January 1982. She was sold for scrap in 1987.