USS Dutchess

USS Dutchess (APA-98) was a Windsor-class attack transport that served with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was subsequently sold into commercial service and was scrapped in 1974.

Dutchess in December 1944
History
United States
NameUSS Dutchess (APA-98)
NamesakeDutchess County, New York
BuilderBethlehem Steel
Launched26 August 1944
Sponsored byMiss Dorothy Unger
ChristenedDutchess
Acquired4 November 1944
Commissioned4 November 1944
Decommissioned4 April 1946
RenamedExcalibur, Oriental Jade
Honours and
awards		One battle star for World War II service
FateScrapped, 1974
General characteristics
Class and typeWindsor-class attack transport
Displacement7,970 tons (lt), 13,143 t. (fl)
Length473 ft 1 in
Beam66 ft
Draft25 ft
PropulsionBethlehem geared turbine drive, 2 × Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, single propeller, designed shaft horsepower 8,000
Speed18.6 knots
Capacity
  • Troops: Officer 94 Enlisted 1,463
  • Cargo: 150,000 cu ft, 1,600 tons
ComplementOfficer 42 Enlisted 434
Armament1 x 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose gun mounts, 2 x Bofors 40mm gun mounts, 2 x twin 20mm gun mounts, 18 x single 20mm gun mounts
NotesMCV Hull No. 1676, hull type C3-S-A1

History

Dutchess was named after a county in New York State. She was launched 26 August 1944 by Bethlehem Sparrow's Point Shipyard, Sparrow's Point, Maryland, under a United States Maritime Commission contract; transferred to the Navy 4 November 1944; and commissioned the same day. Arriving at Newport, Rhode Island, 8 December 1944, Dutchess served as schoolship for precommissioning crews until 27 February 1945 when she got underway from Davisville, Rhode Island, for the Pacific.

Pacific War

She reached Pearl Harbor 19 March for training exercises, then sailed by way of Eniwetok to Okinawa where she landed reinforcements and combat cargo on 1 May. A week later she sailed for Saipan to debark casualties, and continued to San Francisco, arriving 29 May.

Dutchess sailed from Portland, Oregon, 13 June 1945 with troops for Pearl Harbor, then transported men of the IXth Corps, U.S. Army, to San Pedro, Leyte, arriving 15 July. She voyaged to carry troops from San Francisco to Manila between 21 July and 12 September, then sailed in the Philippines in local redeployment of troops.[1] Left San Francisco, 1530, Tuesday, 31 August 1945. Crossed International Date line Wednesday night and had Friday next day, 31 August. Name of ship is U.S.S. Duchess or PA-98. First stop at Marshall, 3 September, at 11 o’clock. Left 2:30 that afternoon arrived Carolinas, 7 September, in morning. Left 8 September. Arrived at Manila Bay 12 September at quarter past nine.

Operation Magic Carpet

Dutchess arrived at Wakayama, Japan, 7 October 1945, and landed occupation troops at Nagoya on the 26th and 27th. She was assigned to Operation Magic Carpet and sailed from Nagoya 1 November to embark returning servicemen at Manila and carry them to San Francisco arriving 25 November. A similar voyage was made between 8 December 1945 and 25 January 1946.

Decommissioning

Dutchess left San Francisco 1 February for the East Coast, arriving at Norfolk 19 February. She was decommissioned there 4 April 1946 and delivered to the War Shipping Administration the next day for disposal.

Commercial service

In 1948, Dutchess was sold to American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines and renamed Excalibur. She was later resold to C. Y. Tung of Hong Kong, reflagged in the Republic of China, and renamed Oriental Jade. She was scrapped in 1974.

Awards

Dutchess received one battle star for World War II service.

References
  1. Notebook of Denton E Kopp

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

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