USS Dickens (APA-161)
Attack Transport 161, Dickens
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
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| Builder: | Oregon Shipbuilding |
| Launched: | 8 September 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 18 October 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 21 May 1946 |
| Honors and awards: |
2 Battle stars |
| Fate: | Scrapped 1974 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 6,873 tons |
| Length: | 455 ft (139 m) |
| Beam: | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Draft: | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 17 knots |
| Boats & landing craft carried: |
26 |
| Complement: | 56 Officers, 480 Enlisted |
| Armament: | |
USS Dickens (APA-161) was a Haskell-class attack transport built and used by the US Navy in World War II. She was a Victory ship design, VC2-S-AP5. She was named after Dickens County, Texas, United States.
Dickens was launched 8 September 1944 by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, Oregon, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. A. M. Owens; transferred to the Navy 18 October 1944; and commissioned the same day, Captain R. M. Ingram, USNR, in command.
Dickens arrived at Pearl Harbor 11 December 1944 with an unusual cargo, $150 million worth of occupation script [sic.] for use later in the war. From 11 December to 27 January 1945 she conducted amphibious training operations with elements of the 5th Marines, then sailed by way of Eniwetok and Saipan, to Iwo Jima for the initial assault landings 19 February. She remained off Green Beach under famed Mount Suribachi until 25 February when she sailed for Saipan carrying casualties and 455 survivors of USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95).
After her landing craft were replaced at Tulagi, Dickens rehearsed at Espiritu Santo, then sailed from Ulithi 4 April 1945 for support landings on Okinawa between 9 and 14 April. Returning to Saipan with casualties 18 April, she embarked reinforcements at Guam and landed them on Okinawa from 15 to 19 May, again returning to Saipan with casualties and troops relieved of duty at Okinawa. On 1 June, Dickens entered Subic Bay where she joined in amphibious training until the cessation of hostilities.
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Wikipedia