USS Sheridan
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| History | |
|---|---|
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| Namesake: | Counties named after Civil War General Philip H. Sheridan |
| Builder: | Moore Dry Dock |
| Laid down: | 5 August 1942 |
| Launched: | 11 November 1942 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs Thomas Rolph |
| Christened: | Messenger |
| Acquired: | 31 July 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 31 July 1943 |
| Decommissioned: | 5 March 1946 |
| Renamed: | USS Sheridan (APA-51), Pioneer Sun, American Scientist |
| Reclassified: | AP-94 to APA-51, 1 February 1943 |
| Struck: | 12 April 1946 |
| Identification: | MCV Hull Type C2-S-B1, MCV Hull No. 290 |
| Honours and awards: |
Six battle stars for World War II service |
| Fate: | Scrapped July 1969 after explosion |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Ormsby-class attack transport |
| Displacement: |
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| Length: | 459 ft 3 in (139.98 m) |
| Beam: | 63 ft (19 m) |
| Draft: | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h) |
| Capacity: |
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| Complement: | Officers 42, Enlisted 478 |
| Armament: |
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USS Sheridan (APA-51) was an Ormsby-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.
Sheridan was named after five United States counties which were in turn named after Civil War General Philip H. Sheridan. The ship was laid down on 5 August 1942 under Maritime Commission contract by the Moore Dry Dock Company of Oakland, California as SS Messenger; renamed Sheridan and designated AP-94 by the Navy on 5 October 1942; launched on 11 November 1942; reclassified APA-51 on 1 February 1943; acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on 31 July 1943; and commissioned the same day, Comdr. John J. Mockrish, USNR in command.
Sheridan moved from Oakland to San Francisco on 31 August 1943; and, on 7 September, got underway for shakedown. Returning to San Francisco on 26 September, she loaded cargo and sailed for the western Pacific on 1 October. On 18 October, she delivered cargo at Nouméa; and, on the 25th, she arrived at Wellington, New Zealand, where she embarked marines and their equipment.
Departing New Zealand on 1 November, she underwent amphibious training at Efate Island from the 7th to the 9th and sailed from there on the 13th for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. Sheridan arrived off Tarawa early in the morning of 20 November 1943 and began debarking troops shortly before noon and cargo in mid-afternoon. The next day, she began reembarking troops, boats, and casualties. Sailing on 24 November, she arrived on 2 December at Pearl Harbor, where she discharged her casualties and was inspected by Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz.
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