Tarsus (ship)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
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| Name: | USS Harry Lee (APA-10) |
| Namesake: | General Harry Lee, USMC |
| Builder: | New York Shipbuilding |
| Christened: | Exochorda |
| Acquired: | 30 October 1940 |
| Commissioned: | 27 December 1940 |
| Decommissioned: | 9 May 1946 |
| Renamed: | USS Harry Lee, Tarsus |
| Reclassified: | AP-17 to APA-10, 1 February 1943 |
| Honours and awards: |
Seven battle stars for World War II service |
| Fate: | Sold to Turkey April 1948, destroyed by fire 14 December 1960 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Harry Lee-class attack transport |
| Class before: | Heywood |
| Class after: | Crescent City |
| Displacement: | 9,989 tons (l) |
| Length: | 475 ft 4 in (144.88 m) |
| Beam: | 61 ft 6 in (18.75 m) |
| Draft: | 25 ft 4 in (7.72 m) |
| Speed: | 16 knots |
| Capacity: |
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| Complement: | 453 |
| Armament: | 2 x 6" guns, 4 x 40 mm guns. |
USS Harry Lee (APA-10) was a Harry Lee-class attack transport that saw service with the US Navy during World War II. She served in the Pacific War, as well as in North Atlantic Ocean operations, and safely returned home post-war with seven battle stars to her credit. She was the only ship in her class.
Harry Lee was built as the passenger ship SS Exochorda by New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden, New Jersey, in 1931 and operated in the Mediterranean area for American Export Lines. Acquired by the Navy 30 October 1940, she was converted at Tietjen and Lang Dry Dock Co., Hoboken, New Jersey, and commissioned Harry Lee (AP-17) 27 December 1940, Captain R. P. Hinrichs in command. Harry Lee was redesignated APA-10, 1 February 1943.
Harry Lee spent the first few months of her commissioned service transporting U.S. Marine combat units to the Caribbean for training exercises, helping to build the amphibious teams which were to find such great success in the later stages of World War II. After a stay at Norfolk, Virginia, the transport was assigned in July to the Iceland route, carrying troops and supplies to that country from Norfolk and New York.
After making two such passages, she returned to Boston, Massachusetts, 22 December 1941 to take part in additional training exercises. With America then in the war, Harry Lee spent the next 18 months in amphibious maneuvers in the Caribbean area. During this time the ship carried out many valuable experiments with landing craft and boat control procedures, all of which bore fruit in the dangerous months to come.
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Wikipedia