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USS Mifflin

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USS Mifflin (APA-207) was a Haskell-class attack transport in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1975.

Mifflin in 1945-46
History
United States
NameMifflin
NamesakeMifflin County, Pennsylvania
Orderedas a Type VC2-S-AP5 hull, MCE hull 555[1]
BuilderPermanente Metals Corporation, Richmond, California
Yard number555[1]
Laid down15 May 1944
Launched7 August 1944
Sponsored byAlma De Bretteville Spreckles
Commissioned11 October 1944
Decommissioned5 July 1946
Stricken1 October 1958
Identification
Honors and
awards		2 × battle stars for World War II service
FateSold for non-transportation use (NTU), 17 July 1975, delivered, 6 August 1975
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeHaskell-class attack transport
TypeType VC2-S-AP5
Displacement
  • 6,873 long tons (6,983 t) (light load)
  • 14,837 long tons (15,075 t) (full load)
Length455 ft (139 m)
Beam62 ft (19 m)
Draft24 ft (7.3 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
Speed17.7 kn (32.8 km/h; 20.4 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried
Capacity
  • 2,900 long tons (2,900 t) DWT
  • 150,000 cu ft (4,200 m3) (non-refrigerated)
Troops87 officers, 1,475 enlisted
Complement56 officers, 480 enlisted
Armament
Service record
Part of: TransRon 15
Operations:
Awards:

History

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Mifflin was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type and was named for Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. She was laid down 15 May 1944, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 555, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2, Richmond, California; launched 7 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Alma De Brettville Sprecies; acquired from MARCOM on loan-charter; commissioned 11 October 1944.[3]

Pacific War

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After shakedown, Mifflin embarked 1,100 troops and sailed to Pearl Harbor. Exchanging her initial passengers for members of the 4th Marine Division, she continued amphibious exercises off Maui, until ordered to Saipan 27 January 1945.[3]

Invasion of Iwo Jima

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Further information: Battle of Iwo Jima

On 19 February, her boats landed the[3] 2nd Battalion 23rd Marines and their Shore Party, B Co 133 NCB—4th Marine Division on beach "Yellow 2", Iwo Jima.[4] She remained almost a week to offload priority, then request cargo, and to take on board battle casualties. This included her own, for the ship's beach party was hard hit the first day suffering 14 wounded and three missing.[5] Mifflin also sustained a shell hit on her 40mm gun director before retiring with the wounded to Saipan on 28 February.[3]

Invasion of Okinawa

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Further information: Battle of Okinawa

Having replaced lost equipment and boats, she sailed 16 March, to nearby Tinian to practice for the invasion of Okinawa. In position for this last great assault, on 1 and 2 April, her boats feinted a landing of 2d Division Marines on the southeastern shore to lessen opposition to the main effort on the western beaches.[3]

Again returning her Marines to Saipan, she remained until early June. Steaming to the New Hebrides, Mifflin loaded stores which she discharged 30 June, at Guam. Independence Day, she weighed anchor for San Francisco with a small passenger list and a need for repairs.[3] Two months later, when she returned to the western Pacific to disembark 1,600 US Army replacement troops at Manila, Philippines, the war had ceased. Mifflin reloaded with men of the 33rd Infantry Division assigned to occupation duty and arrived Wakayama, Japan, 25 September. The next month, over 1,000 troops of the 24th Infantry Division were transported from Mindanao, Philippines, to Okajama, Japan. Sailing to Okinawa 30 October, she engaged in "Magic Carpet" duty from November to March 1946, returning additional thousands of veterans to San Francisco.[3]

Decommissioning and fate

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Inactivation soon began with Mifflin placed out of service in reserve 5 July 1946, assigned to the 19th Fleet, Stockton, California. Struck from the Naval Register 1 October 1958, she was returned to MARCOM the same day. Assigned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, she was berthed as Suisun Bay, California, into 1969.[3] She was sold under a "non-transportation use" (NTU) contract to West Waterway Lumber Company, 17 July 1975, for $128,009. She was transferred out of the fleet 6 August 1975.[6]

Awards

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Mifflin received two battle stars for World War II service.[3]

Notes

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Citations
  1. ^ a b Kaiser No. 2 2010.
  2. ^ Navsource 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i DANFS 2015.
  4. ^ Fox Annex to the 4th Marine Division Operations Report, April 1945, National Archives, College Park, MD 20704
  5. ^ "KXII Channel 12: Iwo Jima Vet". Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  6. ^ MARAD.

Bibliography

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Online resources

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Mifflin (APA-207).
  • Photo gallery of USS Mifflin (APA-207) at NavSource Naval History
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