USS Olmsted

USS Olmsted (APA-188) in 1954
History
United States
Name	Olmsted
Namesake	Olmsted County, Minnesota
Ordered	as a Type VC2-S-AP5 hull, MCE hull 656[1]
Builder	Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington
Yard number	656[1]
Laid down	11 April 1944
Launched	4 July 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. Duncan Gregg
Commissioned	5 September 1944
Decommissioned	21 February 1947
Recommissioned	2 February 1952
Decommissioned	27 February 1959
Stricken	1 July 1960
Identification	Hull symbol: APA-188 Code letters: NDVV
Motto	"You Call We Haul"
Honors and awards	1 × battle stars for World War II service
Fate	Sold for scrapping, 1 August 1981
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	2 × Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, 465 psi (3,210 kPa) 750 °F (399 °C) 8,500 shp (6,300 kW)
Propulsion	1 × Westinghouse geared turbine 1 x propeller
Speed	17.7 kn (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph) (ship's trials)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 × LCMs 1 × open LCPL 18 × LCVPs 2 × LCPRs 1 × closed LCPL (Captain's Gig)
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	99 officers, 593 enlisted
Armament	1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber dual purpose gun 1 × quad 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft (AA) gun mounts 4 × twin 40mm Bofors (AA) gun mounts 10 × single 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon cannons AA mounts
Service record
Part of:	TransRon 14
Operations:	Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (1–22 April 1945)
Awards:	American Campaign Medal Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal National Defense Service Medal Philippine Liberation Medal

USS Olmsted (APA-188) was a Haskell-class attack transport that saw service with the US Navy for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type. Olmsted was named for Olmsted County, Minnesota.

World War II service

Olmsted (APA–188), approved 16 March 1944, was laid down by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, Washington, 11 April 1944, as MCV Hull no. 656; launched 4 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Duncan Gregg; accepted and commissioned 5 September 1944.^[3]

Western Pacific operations

On completion of shakedown 27 October 1944, Olmsted joined the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Transporting troops and supplies in support of amphibious operations, she spent the last year of the war in the Pacific Ocean with an itinerary that reads like a summary of the war's climactic stages: New Guinea, the Admiralties, Leyte, Lingayen Gulf, Okinawa and Japan.^[3]

Apparently charmed, she was bombed at Luzon and again at Okinawa without damage. Twice before the surrender of Japan, she returned to the States to lift reserve troops into the battle zone. She was in Japan to participate in the first occupational landings there, debarking the Army's 81st (Wildcat) Division.^[3]

Getting U.S. troops back to the States

Landing the 81st at Honshū was Olmsted’s last full dress amphibious operation before post war “Operation Magic Carpet” duty. Olmsted made three voyages from the states to the war torn Western Pacific to return veterans and materials until she was ordered to the U.S. East Coast for deactivation.^[3]

Reactivated during Korean War

On 21 February 1947, Olmsted was placed out of commission in reserve at Norfolk, Virginia. Due to deteriorating international conditions, Olmsted was recalled to active service and commissioned 2 February 1952 under command of Captain R. C. Leonard, and assigned to the Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet.^[3]

After shakedown, operating out of Norfolk, Olmsted participated in training exercises along the U.S. East Coast, at Guantánamo Bay and in the Mediterranean conducting amphibious assault landings. Her primary mission was training Marines and Sailors in Amphibious Warfare tactics. She also conducted training cruises for Midshipmen and Naval Reservists. With interim periods for overhaul and operational readiness training, Olmsted served in this capacity until she decommissioned 27 February 1959, at Norfolk, Virginia, and was assigned to the Norfolk Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet,^[3] 14 January 1960.^[4]

Fate

Transferred to the custody of MARAD, 30 June 1960, Olmsted was struck from the Naval Register 1 July 1960.^[3]

On 1 August 1983,^[5] the Waterman Steamship Corporation bought Olmsted and then resold her to Balbao Desquaces Maritimos for scrapping. She was withdrawn from the fleet on 16 September 1983.^[4]

Military awards and honors

Olmsted earned one battle stars for service in World War II.^[3]

References

Bibliography

External links

• NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive - APA/LPA-188 Olmstead

This page was last edited on 24 September 2023, at 09:53