USS Charles Carroll

USS Charles Carroll (APA-28) was a Crescent City-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.

USS Charles Carroll (APA-28) underway November 1943, location unknown
History
United States
Name	USS Charles Carroll (APA-28)
Namesake	Charles Carroll, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence
Builder	Bethlehem Steel
Launched	24 March 1942
Sponsored by	Mrs C. W. Flesher
Christened	Deluruguay
Acquired	13 August 1942
Commissioned	13 August 1942
Decommissioned	30 April 1948
Renamed	USS Charles Carroll
Reclassified	AP-58 to APA-28, 1 February 1943
Stricken	27 December 1946
Identification	MCV Hull Type C3P-Delta, MCV Hull No. 150
Honours and awards	Six battle stars for World War II service
Fate	Sold, 1 April 1977, broken for scrap
General characteristics
Class and type	Crescent City class attack transport
Displacement	8,409 tons (lt), 14,247 t.(fl)
Length	491 ft
Beam	65 ft 6 in
Draft	25 ft 8 in
Propulsion	1 x General Electric geared drive turbine, 2 x boilers, designed shaft horsepower 7,800
Speed	16 knots
Capacity	Troops: 67 Officers, 1,255 Enlisted Cargo: 130,000 cu ft, 2,700 tons
Complement	Officers 58, Enlisted 554
Armament	4 x 3"/50 caliber dual-purpose gun mounts, 2 x twin Bofors 40mm gun mounts, 18 x single20mm gun mounts.

Charles Carroll was named after a signatory to the American Declaration of Independence. Initially classified a transport ship, AP-58, the ship was launched as Deluruguay 24 March 1942 by Bethlehem Steel of Sparrows Point, Maryland; acquired by the Navy 13 August 1942; and commissioned the same day.

World War II

Mediterranean Theatre

Invasion of French Morocco

The transport departed Norfolk, Virginia, 24 October 1942 in the Center Attack Group for the landings in North Africa, and on 8 November arrived off Fedhala, French Morocco, to begin the difficult landing of soldiers and their equipment over a beach whose narrow entrance was confined by rocky entrances. Her untried boat crews completed their part in the landing successfully, and on 15 November, Charles Carroll got underway for Norfolk, which she reached 26 November.

Damaged by mine

After replenishment, she sailed 27 December, bound for the Pacific, but while approaching the Canal Zone, struck a mine, and had to put into Balboa for repairs. On 1 February 1943, she was reclassified APA-28, and in March 1943 returned to Chesapeake Bay for training operations. On 8 June, the attack transport sailed for action once more. She carried the 40th Engineer Combat Regiment from Hampton Roads to Oran to Sicily.

Invasion of Sicily

Arriving at Oran 22 June 1943, Charles Carroll rehearsed, then loaded, for the assault on Sicily, and on 10 July, began putting troops ashore through the heavy surf of the Scoglitti beaches. Remaining off Sicily for 6 days, the attack transport repeatedly fired on attacking planes in the furious German air attacks on the assault forces.

Invasion of Italy

After ferrying reinforcements from North Africa, she returned to Oran 18 August to prepare for the invasion of Italy itself, for which she sailed 5 September.

Operating with the Southern Attack Force, Charles Carroll began landing the initial attack waves at Salerno 9 September, where a strong defense of the beach called for, and received, skill and determination from the boat crews. As resistance stiffened, Charles Carroll joined in bringing fresh troops into action, continuing support until 17 November.

Western Theatre

Normandy landings

After short overhaul in Norfolk from 2 January 1944 to 11 February, on 22 February, she arrived in British waters to begin her share of the long and intricate preparations for the return to the continent.

On 5 June 1944, Charles Carroll left England astern headed for formidably protected Omaha Beach with the initial landing force. Overcoming the difficult obstacles placed by the Germans there, her boat crews successfully landed troops of the 29th Division under enemy fire, and all through that historic 6 June plied back and forth, landing additional troops and equipment, and evacuating casualties. Charles Carroll sailed for England that evening.

Invasion of Southern France

After training off Scotland and in Italian waters, Charles Carroll sailed from Naples 13 August 1944 for the invasion of southern France, assigned to the thoroughly mined, well-defended beaches of Saint Raphael, where she got her troops ashore without mishap on 15 August. Until October, she continued to support the advance of troops in southern France with voyages to Marseilles from Naples and Oran with French, British, and American troops, and Italian labor battalions.

Pacific Theatre

Charles Carroll returned to Norfolk 8 November 1944 for overhaul, and to prepare for Pacific deployment. The veteran of five major assaults reached Espiritu Santo, Noumea, 19 January 1945.

Invasion of Okinawa

On 27 March 1945, she sailed from Ulithi in the Northern Attack Force for Okinawa, carrying elements of the 1st Marines to the Hagushi beaches. She landed her troops 1 April in the deceptively quiet opening hours of this later fierce campaign, and remained to support the rapid advance of the Marines across the island for 4 days, firing on the many kamikaze attacks which began to sketch the bloody pattern of this operation. She returned by way of Saipan to Pearl Harbor, where she embarked passengers for San Francisco, arriving 22 August.

After hostilities

After the war, Charles Carroll made five voyages from the west coast to the Philippines and the Far East, carrying occupation troops west-bound, and returning servicemen east-bound. Ports of call included Manila; Nagoya, Sasebo, and Yokosuka, Japan; Tientsin, Shanghai, Qingdao, and Taku, China; and Guam.

Decommission

She was decommissioned and placed in reserve at San Francisco 27 December 1946. She was transferred to the Maritime Commission 29 October 1958. The vessel was sold for scrap on 1 April 1977 and was broken at General Metals Inc. in Tacoma, Wash., in 1978.

Awards

Charles Carroll received six battle stars for World War II service.

References

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

External links

Photo gallery of USS Charles Carroll at NavSource Naval History