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USS President Monroe (AP-104)

USS President Monroe AP-104.jpg
USS President Monroe (AP-104) circa late 1945 (Official U.S. Navy Photo No NH 78583)
History
United States
Name: USS President Monroe (AP-104)
Namesake: US President James Monroe
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding
Laid down: 13 November 1939
Launched: 7 August 1940
Sponsored by: Mrs Thomas C. Corcoran.
Acquired: 19 December 1940; by the Navy, 18 July 1943
Commissioned: 20 August 1943
Decommissioned: 12 January 1946
Struck: 12 March 1946
Identification: MCV Hull Type C3-P&C, MCV Hull No. 54
Honours and
awards:
Five battle stars for World War II service
Fate: Scrapped
General characteristics
Class and type: President Jackson-class attack transport
Displacement: 10,210 long tons (10,370 t)
Length: 491 feet 9 inches (149.89 m)
Beam: 64 feet 6 inches (19.66 m)
Draft: 26 feet 6 inches (8.08 m)
Propulsion: 1 x geared drive turbine, 2 x Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, 1 x propeller, designed shaft horsepower 8,500
Speed: 18.4 knots (21.2 mph; 34.1 km/h)
Capacity: Unknown
Complement: 512
Armament: 1 x 5"/38 caliber gun, 4 x 3"/50 caliber dual-purpose gun mounts, 4 x Bofors 40mm gun mounts

USS President Monroe (AP-104) was a President Jackson-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.

President Monroe was the sixth of seven C3-P&C type vessels built for American President Lines around-the-world service just prior to the outbreak of World War II. She was laid down 13 November 1939 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company of Newport News, Virginia and launched 7 August 1940.

The new SS President Monroe was just clearing San Francisco Bay on her maiden voyage around the world when word was flashed to her Master to return, as Japan had just attacked Pearl Harbor. She and her six sisterships were immediately acquired by War Shipping Administration on bareboat charter for outfitting for war service.

SS President Monroe departed San Francisco 12 January 1942 destined for Suva in the Australian – Suva convoy with two other troopships, the SS President Coolidge and the SS Mariposa, which were destined for Australia, accompanied by two destroyers and the light cruiser USS Phoenix. This was the first large convoy to Australia and the south Pacific after Pearl Harbor with Mariposa and Coolidge transporting Army personnel ammunition and fifty P-40 fighters intended for the Philippines and Java.Monroe landed 660 troops, an air warning company and a pursuit squadron at Suva on 29 January 1942.

On 17 July 1942 the ship that was only partially converted for troop transport departed San Francisco, escorted most of the first day by a blimp and destroyer escort, transporting the 7th Naval Construction Battalion to Pago Pago arriving around noon on 28 July and spending the next few days unloading.


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