SS American Legion (1919)
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| History | |
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| Name: | American Legion |
| Namesake: | The American Legion, a patriotic organization |
| Builder: | New York Shipbuilding |
| Cost: | $7,309,189.37 |
| Yard number: | 242 |
| Launched: | 11 October 1919 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs. Joseph S. Frelinghuysen |
| Christened: | American Legion |
| Acquired: | (by the Navy) 22 August 1941 |
| Commissioned: | (Navy) 26 August 1941 |
| Decommissioned: | (Navy) 20 March 1946 |
| Maiden voyage: | 23 July 1921 |
| Reclassified: | AP-35 to APA-17, 1 February 1943 |
| Struck: | (Navy) 20 March 1946 |
| Identification: | United States official number: 221478 |
| Honors and awards: |
Two battle stars for World War II service |
| Fate: | Sold for scrap, 5 February 1948 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | |
| Displacement: | 13,529 tons (lt), 21,900 t.(fl) |
| Length: | 535 ft 2 in (163.12 m) |
| Beam: | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Draft: | 31 ft 3 in (9.53 m) |
| Propulsion: |
2 × Westinghouse geared turbine drives, 8 × Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, 2 propellers, designed shaft horsepower 12,000. |
| Speed: | 18 knots |
| Capacity: |
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| Complement: | Officers 43, Enlisted 639 |
| Armament: |
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2 × Westinghouse geared turbine drives, 8 × Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers,
American Legion was built for the United States Shipping Board (USSB), one of the planned World War I troop transports converted before construction into passenger and cargo vessels, the Emergency Fleet Corporation Design 1029 ships. The ship was laid down as Koda and perhaps assigned the name Badger State at one point, but renamed American Legion before launch and one of only a few of the design not taking a state nickname. Originally operated by the USSB's agents and the Munson Steamship Line the ship saw commercial service until laid up 13 March 1939.
American Legion was formally transferred to the War Department for use as an Army transport on 19 December 1939 operating as USAT American Legion until transfer to the Navy 22 August 1941. The Navy commissioned the ship USS American Legion initially classifying the ship a transport with hull number AP-35. On 1 February 1943 the Navy reclassified the ship as an attack transport (Harris-class attack transport) with hull number APA-17. American Legion decommissioned on 28 March 1946 and was sold for scrap 5 February 1948.
American Legion was a steel-hulled, twin-screw passenger and cargo steamship, laid down as yard hull number 242 on 10 January 1919 under a United States Shipping Board (USSB) contract at Camden, New Jersey, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation. The name was the result of efforts by William J. Brown, an Emergency Fleet Corporation inspector and member of the American Legion, who inspected the hull, proposed its name change to the Pennsylvania American Legion conference with passage of a resolution which was immediately publicized. A week from that publication the ship was launched as American Legion on 11 October 1919 with the wife of one of the United States Senators from Pennsylvania, Mrs. Joseph S. Frelinghuysen christening the ship. The ship, a type known in commercial service as "535's" for their length overall, was assigned the United States official number 221478.
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