BAYFIELD amphibious personnel transports (1943-1944)

Fremont 1963

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
APA33	Bayfield (ex-Sea Bass)	80	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	11.1942	15.2.1943	6.1943	stricken 10.1968
APA34	Bolivar (ex-Sea Angel)	81	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	5.1942	7.9.1942	3.1943	stricken 7.1946
APA35	Callaway (ex-Sea Mink)	82	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	6.1942	10.10.1942	4.1943	stricken 9.1946
APA36, 1.1969- LPA36	Cambria (ex-Sea Swallow)	83	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	7.1942	10.11.1942	5.1943	stricken 9.1971
APA37	Cavalier	88	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	12.1942	15.3.1943	7.1943	stricken 10.1968
APA38, 1.1969- LPA38	Chilton (ex-Sea Needle)	85	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	9.1942	29.12.1942	5.1943	stricken 7.1972
APA39	Clay (ex-Sea Carp)	86	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	10.1942	23.1.1943	6.1943	stricken 9.1946
APA40	Custer (ex-Sea Eagle)	325	Ingalls, Pascagoula	1942	6.11.1942	7.1943	stricken 6.1946
APA41	Du Page (ex-Sea Hound)	326	Ingalls, Pascagoula	1942	19.12.1942	2.1943	stricken 6.1946
APA42	Elmore (ex-Sea Panther)	327	Ingalls, Pascagoula	1942	29.1.1943	3.1943	stricken 5.1946
APA43	Fayette (ex-Sea Hawk)	328	Ingalls, Pascagoula	1942	25.2.1943	4.1943	stricken 5.1946
APA44, 1.1969- LPA44	Fremont (ex-Sea Corsair)	329	Ingalls, Pascagoula	1942	31.3.1943	5.1943	stricken 6.1973
APA45, 1.1969- LPA45	Henrico (ex-Sea Darter)	330	Ingalls, Pascagoula	1942	31.3.1943	6.1943	stricken 6.1973
APA46	Knox	335	Ingalls, Pascagoula	2/1943	17.7.1943	9.1943	stricken 5.1946
APA47	Lamar	336	Ingalls, Pascagoula	3.1943	28.8.1943	11.1943	stricken 4.1946
APA48	Leon (ex-Sea Dolphin)	333	Ingalls, Pascagoula	2.1943	19.6.1943	9.1943	stricken 1946
APA92	Alpine (ex-Sea Arrow)	93	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	4.1943	10.7.1943	9.1943	stricken 5.1946
APA93	Barnstable (ex-Sea Snapper)	94	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	5.1943	5.8.1943	10.1943	stricken 4.1946
APA95	Burleigh	406	Ingalls, Pascagoula	7/1943	3.12.1943	4.1944	stricken 7.1946
APA96	Cecil (ex-Sea Angler)	121	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	6.1943	27.9.1943	2.1944	to Maritime Comm. 5.1946
APA99	Dade (ex-Lorain)	408	Ingalls, Pascagoula	11/1943	14.1.1944	4.1944	to Maritime Comm. 2.1946
APA100	Mendocino	410	Ingalls, Pascagoula	9.1943	11.2.1944	5.1944	stricken 3.1946
APA101	Montour	412	Ingalls, Pascagoula	10.1943	10.3.1944	6.1944	stricken 5.1946
APA102	Riverside	414	Ingalls, Pascagoula	11.1943	13.4.1944	6.1944	stricken 5.1946
APA104	Westmoreland	416	Ingalls, Pascagoula	12.1943	28.4.1944	7.1944	stricken 6.1946
APA106	Hansford (ex-Gladwin, ex-Sea Adder)	128	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	12.1943	25.4.1944	10.1944	to Maritime Comm. 6.1946
APA107	Goodhue (ex-Sea Wren)	129	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	1.1944	31.5.1944	11.1944	stricken 1946
APA108	Goshen (ex-Sea Hare)	130	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	1.1944	29.6.1944	12.1944	to Maritime Comm. 5.1946
APA109	Grafton (ex-Sea Sparrow)	131	Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco	3.1944	10.8.1944	12.1944	to Maritime Comm. 5.1946

Displacement standard, t	8100
Displacement full, t	16100
Length, m	141.7 wl 150.0 oa
Breadth, m	21.2
Draught, m	8.08 full load
No of shafts	1
Machinery	1 set General Electric geared steam turbines, 2 Combustion Engineering or Foster Wheeler boilers
Power, h. p.	8500
Max speed, kts	18
Fuel, t	oil 1282
Endurance, nm(kts)	10450(12)
Armament	2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12, (2 - 4) x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 18 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4
Electronic equipment	presumably SF or SG or SH or SL or SO or SU radar
Military load	24 - 26 LCVP, 2 LCM(3), 5500 t of cargo, 1500 troops by 1945: 4 LCM(6), 18 - 21 LCVP, 2 - 3 LCPL, 1 - 2 LCPR, 4700 t of cargo, 1502 - 1875 marines
Complement	575

Project history: USN military transport vessels were sectioned into two groups: АР for transportation of troops and АК for carriage of goods and technics. The majority of them were built on the basis of standard types С2, С3 and С4 and differed from usual cargo ships a little.

For delivery of troops and cargoes directly to a beaching place assault landing transport ships (АРА and АКА) served, which main difference from АК and АР consisted that they were extra equipped with disembarkation craft of LCVP, LCM and LCP (L) types; with their help delivery of people and cargoes to beach also was effected.

Originally similar ships were not outlined in own subclass and were registered as АР and АК. In February, 1943 reorganisation was done and assault transports have received indexation АРА and АКА.

Two ships of Doyen class, projected even on the eve of war for landing operations in Caribbean basin, became the first American assault military transports. The overwhelming majority of remaining АРА and АКА has been converted from merchant cargo and cargo-passenger vessels or constructed in hulls of standard cargo vessels built by the big series in days of war. An exception were specially projected as assault transports Gilliam (АРА) and Artemis (АКА) classes.

Besides the large landing transport ships of АРА and АКА classes, small landing parties and subversive groups were landed by fast landing transports (APD) converted from become outdated Wickes and Clemson classes destroyers and destroyer escorts of Buckley and Rudderow classes.

Bayfield class transports were built in standard C3-S-A2 type hulls.

Modernizations: None.

1/1946: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 30, (2 - 4) x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 18 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, SF or SG or SH or SL or SO or SU radar

Naval service: Alpine 17.11.1944 was damaged in Leyte Gulf by kamikaze. Callaway and Dupage were damaged by kamikazes 7 and 10.1.1945 respectively at coast of Philippines. Cavalier 30.1.1945 was damaged by a torpedo from Japanese submarine RO46. Bolivar 3.3.1945 was damaged at Iwojima by Japanese coastal guns. As a result of attacks of Japanese aircraft and kamikazes at Okinawa following ships received damages of various severity level: Alpine and Elmore 1.4.1945; Chilton, Goodhue and Henrico 2.4.1945.

Fremont 1944

Elmore

UNITED STATES NAVY (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

AMPHIBIOUS SHIPS AND CRAFT

BAYFIELD amphibious personnel transports (1943-1944)