USS Highlands (APA-119)
USS Highlands (APA-119) in the Pacific,
c. 1945 or early 1946. |
|
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
|
|
| Builder: | California Shipbuilding |
| Launched: | 8 July 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 5 October 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 14 February 1946 |
| Honors and awards: |
2 Battle stars |
| Fate: | Scrapped 1973 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 6,873 tons |
| Length: | 455 ft (139 m) |
| Beam: | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Draft: | 24 ft (7.3 m) |
| Propulsion: |
|
| Speed: | 17 knots |
| Boats & landing craft carried: |
26 |
| Complement: | 56 Officers, 480 Enlisted |
| Armament: | |
USS Highlands (APA-119) 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 Highlands County, Florida, United States.
Highlands was launched 8 July 1944 under Maritime Commission contract by California Shipbuilding Company, Wilmington, California; sponsored by Mrs. G. W. D. Dashiell; acquired by the Navy and commissioned 5 October 1944, Captain G. D. Lyon commanding.
The new transport conducted shakedown training out of San Pedro until 30 October. Following a rigorous period of drills, which would serve her well in the months to come, Highlands sailed to San Francisco to embark her troops, and got underway 23 November for Hawaii.
Arriving Pearl Harbor 29 November, the ship again turned to amphibious training, in preparation for the epochal Iwo Jima landings, one of the most important steps in the Navy's island campaign that drove relentlessly toward Japan. Highlands sailed with her task group 27 January 1945 via Eniwetok for Saipan, where she arrived 11 February. Five days later she sailed for Iwo Jima and commenced unloading on the beaches the morning of 19 February. For the next 6 days the transport unloaded troops and supplies during the day and retired under escort cover each night. Japanese air attacks were heavy during this period, claiming escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) in a kamikaze attack 21 February and damaging several other ships, including USS Saratoga (CV-3). In addition to her regular duties, Highlands received over 150 survivors of Bismarck Sea 22 February, as well as casualties from the hard-pressed Marine units ashore.
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