USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30)
USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30) underway, date and location unknown
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 United States
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| Name: | USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30) |
| Namesake: | Thomas Jefferson, American founding father and US President |
| Builder: | Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Laid down: | 5 February 1940 |
| Launched: | 20 November 1940 |
| Sponsored by: | Miss Eugenia Merrill |
| Christened: | President Garfield |
| Acquired: | 1 May 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 31 August 1942 |
| Decommissioned: | 18 July 1955 |
| Renamed: | USS Thomas Jefferson |
| Reclassified: | AP-60 to APA-30, 1 February 1943 |
| Struck: | 1 October 1958 |
| Identification: | MCV Hull Type C3-P, MCV Hull No. 56 |
| Honours and awards: |
Six battle stars for World War II service and four for the Korean War |
| Fate: | Sold for scrap, 1 March 1973 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | President Jackson-class attack transport |
| Displacement: | 11,670 tons (lt)?, 16,175 t (fl) |
| Length: | 492 ft (150 m) |
| Beam: | 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m) |
| Draft: | 26 ft 9 in (8.15 m) |
| Propulsion: | 1 × Newport News geared drive turbine, 2 × Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers, 1 × propeller, designed shaft horsepower 8,500 |
| Speed: | 18.4 knots (21.2 mph; 34.1 km/h) |
| Capacity: |
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| Complement: | Officers 58, Enlisted 535 |
| Armament: | 4 × 3"/50 caliber dual-purpose guns, 2 × twin Bofors 40mm guns, 18 × single 20mm guns. |
USS Thomas Jefferson (APA-30), serving from 1 May 1942 until 18 July 1955, was a transport and then reclassified on 1 February 1943 as an President Jackson-class attack transport. She was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 56) as President Garfield on 5 February 1940 at Newport News, Virginia, by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company for the American President Lines. The ship was launched on 20 November 1940, sponsored by Miss Eugenia Merrill.President Garfield was completed 26 March 1941 and acquired by the War Shipping Administration (WSA) 29 November 1941 with American President Lines, the WSA agent, operating the ship as a troop transport. On 1 May 1942 the United States Navy purchased the ship and commissioned her USS Thomas Jefferson on 31 August 1942, Commander Chauncey R. Crutcher in command.
President Garfield operated as a WSA troop transport that had sailed from San Francisco 6 December 1941 with troops and the remainder of the 35th Pursuit Group, whose main group had embarked the previous day aboard President Johnson, intended for the Philippines, but turned back after the attack on Pearl Harbor. During the rush to increase defenses in Hawaii President Garfield and the Army transport Tasker H. Bliss sailed from San Francisco 17 December for the islands with troops, aircraft and supplies.
President Garfield was purchased by the United States Navy at Newport News, Virginia on 1 May 1942 and commissioned USS Thomas Jefferson (AP-60) on 31 August 1942, Commander Chauncey R. Crutcher in command.
Following a brief shakedown, the new transport participated in amphibious exercises in the Hampton Roads-Virginia Capes area. On 23 October, the transport embarked elements of the 3rd Infantry Division and got underway the next day with Task Group (TG) 34.9, the Center Attack Group, for the invasion of North Africa. All units of Task Force (TF) 34, the Western Naval Attack Force, rendezvoused south of Cape Race, Newfoundland, on the 28th and arrived off Morocco on 7 November. Thomas Jefferson was one of four transports loaded with the troops that comprised the assault wave against Fedhala. She was in Fedhala Roads at 2353 that night and had her boats in the water before 0200 the next morning. The transport lost 16 of her 33 boats that began the assault, because they landed on a rocky beach approximately three miles from their designated area.
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