USS Colbert (APA-145)

USS Colbert (APA-145) was a Haskell-class attack transport acquired by the U.S. Navy during World War II for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas.

History
United States
Ordered: as type VC2-S-AP5
Laid down: 30 September 1944
Launched: 1 December 1944
Acquired: 7 February 1945
Commissioned: 7 February 1945
Decommissioned: 26 February 1946
Stricken: 16 September 1945
Fate: fate unknown
General characteristics
Displacement: 15199 tons (full load)
Length: 455 ft 0 in (138.68 m)
Beam: 62 ft 0 in (18.90 m)
Draught: 24 ft 3 in (7.39 m)
Draft: 21 ft 10.5 in (6.668 m)
Depth: 38 ft 0 in (11.58 m)
Propulsion: Single Screw
Speed: 19 knots
Complement: 536
Armament:

Colbert (APA-145) was launched 1 December 1944 by California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. L. G. Miller; acquired 7 February 1945 and commissioned the same day, Captain L. Jeffrey in command.

World War II service

Colbert sailed from San Francisco, 15 April 1945 with passengers for Honolulu, where she remained from 21 April to 20 May, disembarking her original troops and loading reinforcements for Okinawa, where she arrived 7 June. She sailed on to Ulithi to load Japanese and Korean prisoners of war, with whom she returned to Pearl Harbor 28 June.

End-of-war operations

After a brief stateside overhaul, Colbert put to sea 21 July 1945 to carry troops to Ulithi and Okinawa, where she lay until 5 September. She voyaged to Jinsen, Korea, and Dairen, Manchuria, to embark Allied soldiers and sailors formerly held prisoner at Mukden, Manchuria, and returned to Okinawa 16 September.

Striking a floating mine while riding out a typhoon

Next day she put to sea to evade a typhoon, and that same day struck a floating mine, which caused the death of three men and damaged the ship extensively. Towed back to Okinawa 18 September, she was later towed to Guam, Pearl Harbor, and San Francisco for repairs, reaching the U.S. West Coast 30 January 1946.

Showing hull damage to the USS Colbert after being struck by a sea mine on 17 September 1945, 120 miles off the coast of Okinawa

Post-war decommissioning

On 26 February 1946, she was decommissioned and transferred to the War Shipping Administration at Suisun Bay, California.

Military awards and honors

Colbert received one battle star for World War II service.

See also

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

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