View source for Haskell-class attack transport

{{Short description|US amphibious assault ship}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Noble APA-218.jpg
|Ship caption={{USS|Noble|APA-218|6}}, a ship of the ''Haskell'' class, in 1956
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Name=''Haskell'' class
|Builders=* [[California Shipbuilding]]
* [[Oregon Shipbuilding]]
* [[Permanente Metals]]
* [[Kaiser Shipbuilding]]
|Operators=
|Class before={{sclass|Gilliam|attack transport|4}}
|Class after={{sclass|Paul Revere|attack transport|4}}
|Subclasses=
|Cost=
|Built range=1944–1945
|In service range=
|In commission range=11 September 1944 – 29 October 1945
|Total ships building=
|Total ships planned=131
|Total ships completed=117
|Total ships cancelled=14
|Total ships active=
|Total ships laid up=
|Total ships lost= 0
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
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|Header caption=
|Ship type=[[Attack transport]]
|Ship displacement=6,873 tons (lt), 14,837 t (fl) 
|Ship length={{convert|455|ft|m|abbr=on|0}} 
|Ship beam={{convert|62|ft|m|abbr=on|0}} 
|Ship height=
|Ship draught=
|Ship draft={{convert|24|ft|m|abbr=on|0}} 
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|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power=
|Ship propulsion=1 × geared turbine ([[Westinghouse Electric Corporation (1886)|Westinghouse]], [[Joshua Hendy]] or [[Allis-Chalmers]]), 2 × header-type [[boiler]]s ([[Babcock & Wilcox]] or [[Combustion Engineering]]), 1 × propeller, designed  {{convert|8500|shp|lk=in|abbr=on|0}}
|Ship speed={{convert|18|-|19|kn|lk=in|0}}
|Ship range=
|Ship endurance=
|Ship test depth=
|Ship boats=* 2 × [[Landing Craft Mechanized|LCM]]
* 12 × [[LCVP (United States)|LCVP]]
* 3 × [[LCPL]]
|Ship capacity=* ''Troops:'' 86 officers, 1,475 enlisted
* ''Cargo:'' 150,000 cu ft, 2,900 tons
|Ship troops=
|Ship complement=56 officers, 480 enlisted
|Ship crew=
|Ship time to activate=
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|Ship armament=* 1 × [[5"/38 caliber gun|5"/38 dual-purpose gun]]
*  4 × twin [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40mm guns]]
* 10 × single [[Oerlikon 20 mm gun|20mm guns]]
* late armament, add 1 × 40mm quad mount 
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'''''Haskell''-class attack transports''' ([[Hull classification symbol#Amphibious warfare type|APA]]) were [[amphibious assault ship]]s 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]].
  
The ''Haskell''s were very active in the World War II [[Asiatic-Pacific Theater|Pacific Theater of Operations]], landing [[USMC|Marines]] and [[US Army|Army troops]] and transporting casualties at [[Battle of Iwo Jima|Iwo Jima]] and [[Battle of Okinawa|Okinawa]]. Ships of the class were among the first [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] ships to enter [[Tokyo Bay]] at the end of World War II, landing the first occupation troops at [[Yokosuka]].  After the end of World War II, most participated in [[Operation Magic Carpet]], the massive [[sealift]] of US personnel back to the United States.  A few of the ''Haskell'' class were reactivated for the [[Korean War]], with some staying in service into the [[Vietnam War]]. 
<!-- I need some harder numbers than "a few" and "some", will tabulate when done writing ship articles -->

The ''Haskell'' class, [[Maritime Commission]] standard type VC2-S-AP5, is a sub‑type of the World War II [[Victory ship]] design.  117 were launched in 1944 and 1945, with 14 more being finished as another VC2 type or canceled. Built by the [[War Shipping Administration]] under the [[Emergency Shipbuilding program]]. The class was named for the Haskell Counties of [[Haskell County, Kansas|Kansas]], [[Haskell County, Oklahoma|Oklahoma]], and [[Haskell County, Texas|Texas]].

==Design==
The VC2-S-AP5 design was intended for the transport and assault landing of over 1,500 troops and their heavy combat equipment.  During [[Operation Magic Carpet]], up to 1,900 personnel per ship were carried homeward.<ref group=Note>See {{USS|Rutland|APA-192|6}}</ref>

The ''Haskell''s carried 25 [[landing craft]] to deliver the troops and equipment right onto the beach. The 23 main boats were the {{convert|36|ft|m|adj=on|0}}-long [[LCVP (United States)|LCVP]]. The LCVP was designed to carry 36 equipped troops.  The other two landing craft were the {{convert|50|ft|m|adj=on|0}}-long [[Landing Craft Mechanized#LCM (3)|LCM (3)]], capable of carrying 60 troops or 30 tons (27 t) of cargo, or the {{convert|56|ft|m|adj=on|0}} [[Landing Craft Mechanized#LCM (6)|LCM (6)]].<ref>{{cite book|title={{USS|Lanier|APA-125}} Deck Log, September 1945}}</ref>  They also carried one [[captain's gig|gig]].

The ''Haskell''-class ships were armed with one [[5"/38 caliber gun]], twelve [[Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun]]s (one quad mount, four dual mounts), and ten [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|Oerlikon 20 mm guns]].
<!-- put the additional info on boilers, turbines, etc. from reference here someday -->

==Ships of the ''Haskell'' class==
{{main|List of United States Navy amphibious warfare ships#Haskell class}}

[[File:USS St Mary's APA-126.jpg|thumb|{{USS|St. Mary's|APA-126|6}} in [[San Francisco Bay]], [[California]], in late 1945 or early 1946. She is returning troops from the western Pacific to the United States as part of Operation Magic Carpet. Note the long homeward bound pennant trailing from her after mast, and the sign on shore (in the right distance) stating "''Welcome Home, Well Done''."]]
''Haskell''-class attack transports included APA-117, {{USS|Haskell|APA-117|6}}, the [[lead ship]], through APA-247, the never completed USS ''Mecklenburg''.  The hulls for APA-181 through APA-186 were repurposed to be [[hospital ship]]s before they were named.  Ultimately those hospital ships were built on larger [[Type C4 ship|C4 plan]] and the six VC2 hulls were built in a merchant configuration.<ref>{{cite book |title= U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft|last= Friedman |first= Norman |year= 2002 |publisher= Naval Institute Press|isbn= 978-1-55750-250-6 |page= 190 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=oWX-x0b4pw4C&q=APA-181+hospital&pg=PA190 |access-date= 2009-07-13 }}</ref>  APA-240 through APA-247 were named, but cancelled in 1945 when the war ended.  With the special exception of {{USS|Marvin H. McIntyre|APA-129|6}}, the ''Haskell''-class ships were all named after [[County (United States)|counties of the United States]].

==Fate==
Most of the ''Haskell''-class ships were mothballed in 1946, with only a few remaining in service.  Many of the ''Haskell'' class were scrapped in 1973–75.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://pmars.marad.dot.gov/sistership.asp?Ship=2951 |title= Sister Ship Display |access-date= 2006-09-23 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110721035857/https://pmars.marad.dot.gov/sistership.asp?Ship=2951 |archive-date= 2011-07-21 }}</ref>  A few were converted into [[Missile Range Instrumentation Ship]]s.

*{{USS|Gage|APA-168|6}}, the last remaining ship in the ''Haskell'' configuration, was scrapped in 2009 at ESCO Marine, in Brownsville, Tx.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://pmars.marad.dot.gov/detail.asp?Ship=1782 |title=PMARS is currently down for maintainence &#91;sic&#93;|access-date=2010-08-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304022719/https://pmars.marad.dot.gov/detail.asp?Ship=1782 |archive-date=2012-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*{{USS|Sherburne|APA-205|6}}, which was converted and renamed {{USS|Range Sentinel|AGM-22|6}}, lasted until she was scrapped in 2012.
*[[SS Rutland Victory#Private use|SS ''Rutland Victory'']] was sold to a private company and sank on 13 February 1976 600 miles East of Tokyo, Japan.

[[File:Rutland lowers LCM.jpg|thumb|{{USS|Rutland|APA-192|6}} lowering an LCM off [[Iwo Jima]] in 1945]]

==Notable incidents==
* {{USS|Hinsdale|APA-120}} had Kamikaze attack damage on 1 April 1945 at Okinawa. Over 15 men were killed. The extensive engine room damage was later repaired.
* {{USS|Telfair|APA-210}} on 2 April 1945 was hit by kamikaze attack, the plane hit the side of the ship then dropped into the sea. She was later repaired.
* {{USS|La Grange|APA-124}} on 13 August 1945 damaged in last kamikaze attack of WW2, 21 sailors killed and 89 wounded. 
*  {{USS|Colbert|APA-145}} had mine damage on 17 September 1945, off Okinawa, this caused the death of three men and damaged the ship extensively.

==In fiction==
The 1956 movie ''[[Away All Boats]]'' presents operations on an attack transport.  It was based on a popular novel of the same name, written by an officer who served on one during World War 2.<ref>[https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kenneth-dodson-2/away-all-boats-2/ AWAY ALL BOATS]</ref>

The opening chapters of the novel "Cinderella Liberty" were set on the APA USS Begonia.

==See also==
* [[Victory ship]]
*[[Gilliam-class attack transport]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=Note}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*[http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/amphib/apa125.txt Class information in Hazegray/DANFS APA-125 page]
*[http://www.marad.dot.gov/documents/NDRF_Inventory.pdf MARAD National Defense Reserve Fleet "Current Inventory"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202083704/http://www.marad.dot.gov/documents/NDRF_Inventory.pdf |date=2010-12-02 }}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20031206212859/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/shusn-no/apa-no.htm US Naval Historical Center Photo Library – APA List by Hull Number]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721035941/https://pmars.marad.dot.gov/sistership.asp?Ship=2214 MARAD Records for ''Haskell'' class]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20030817005005/http://www.dobrinkman.net/lowndes/ship.htm Ship Model and Blueprints for ''Haskell'' class]}}

{{Haskell class attack transport}}
{{Kaiser Vancouver Shipyard}}
{{California Shipbuilding Corporation, Los Angeles Shipyards}}
{{Victory ships}}
{{WWII US ships}}
{{MARCOMships}}

[[Category:Haskell-class attack transports| ]]