USS War Hawk (AP-168)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
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| Name: | USS War Hawk |
| Builder: | Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland, California |
| Laid down: | 24 December 1942 |
| Launched: | 3 April 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 9 March 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 12 August 1946 |
| Struck: | 8 October 1946 |
| Honors and awards: |
3 battle stars (World War II) |
| Fate: |
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| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | La Salle-class transport |
| Displacement: | 13,910 long tons (14,133 t) full |
| Length: | 459 ft 2 in (139.95 m) |
| Beam: | 63 ft (19 m) |
| Draft: | 23 ft 2 in (7.06 m) |
| Speed: | 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph) |
| Boats & landing craft carried: |
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| Troops: | 1,575 men |
| Complement: | 276 officers and enlisted |
| Armament: |
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USS War Hawk (AP-168) was a La Salle-class transport ship of the United States Navy, built at the Moore Dry Dock Company in Oakland, California in 1942. The La Salle class transport had a displacement of almost 14,000 tons and were designed to ferry troops and supplies to and from the war zone during World War II.
The War Hawk carried eight LCVP (Higgins Boat) type landing craft used to move troops and four LCMs used to move heavy equipment to and from the shore.
Her keel was laid on 24 December 1942. The hull was completed in a little over three months and was launched on 3 April 1943 under the control of Commander S. H. Thompson. After launch, the War Hawk was fitted out and acquired by the U.S. Navy on 9 March 1944. She was commissioned on the same day and designated AP-168.
On 21 April 1944 she left the San Francisco Bay headed for Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu. At Pearl Harbor the War Hawk joined the 5th Fleet Amphibious Force and after training, left for her part in "Operation Forager", the liberation of the Marianas Islands. At the time of the landing there were about 59,000 Japanese troops stations in the Southern Marianas Islands, in particular on Saipan, Tinian and Guam.
The assault on Marianas was conducted with overwhelming force. All total there were 198 vessels involved including 110 transports and auxiliary ships and 88 warships. These ships carried and supported a force of 110,000 men. However, Saipan had been in Japanese control for more than ten years and was heavily fortified. There were approximately 31,000 Japanese troops (including navy), and well entrenched on the island.
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