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UNITED STATES NAVY (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

AMPHIBIOUS SHIPS AND CRAFT

ORMSBY amphibious personnel transports (1943)

No Name Yard No Builder Laid down Launched Comm Fate
APA49 Ormsby (ex-Twillight) 224 Moore, Oakland 7.1942 20.10.1942 3.1943 stricken 4.1946
APA50 Pierce (ex-Northern Lights) 225 Moore, Oakland 7.1942 10.10.1942 6.1943 stricken 4.1946
APA51 Sheridan (ex-Messenger) 226 Moore, Oakland 8.1942 11.11.1942 7.1943 stricken 4.1946

 

Displacement standard, t

7300

Displacement full, t

13910

Length, m

132.6 wl 140.0 oa

Breadth, m

19.2

Draught, m

7.32 full load

No of shafts

1

Machinery

1 set General Electric geared steam turbines, 2 Foster-Wheeler boilers

Power, h. p.

6000

Max speed, kts

16.5

Fuel, t

oil 1380

Endurance, nm(kts)

12000(15.5)

Armament

2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12, 4 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 12 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 4

Electronic equipment

presumably SF or SG or SH or SL or SO or SU radar
Military load

26 LCVP, 2 LCM(3), 2700 t of cargo, 1548 troops

by 1945: 2 LCM(6), 1 LCM(3), 19 LCVP, 1 LCPL, 1 LCPR, 2700 t of cargo, 1615 marines

Complement

524

Project history: USN military transport vessels were sectioned into two groups: ÀÐ for transportation of troops and ÀÊ for carriage of goods and technics. The majority of them were built on the basis of standard types Ñ2, Ñ3 and Ñ4 and differed from usual cargo ships a little.

For delivery of troops and cargoes directly to a beaching place assault landing transport ships (ÀÐÀ and ÀÊÀ) served, which main difference from ÀÊ and ÀÐ 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 ÀÐ and ÀÊ. In February, 1943 reorganisation was done and assault transports have received indexation ÀÐÀ and ÀÊÀ.

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 ÀÐÀ and ÀÊÀ 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 (ÀÐÀ) and Artemis (ÀÊÀ) classes.

Besides the large landing transport ships of ÀÐÀ and ÀÊÀ 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.

Ormsby class transport belonged to standard C2-S-B1 type.

Modernizations: None.

1/1946: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 30, 4 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 12 x 2 - 20/70 Mk 24, SF or SG or SH or SL or SO or SU radar

Naval service: No significant events.

Pierce

© Ivan Gogin, 2014-15