USS La Salle (AP-102) Class

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USS War Hawk (AP-168) on 23 May 1945.
Click on this photograph for links to larger images of this class.

Class:        LA SALLE (AP-102)
Design:        MC C2-S-B1
Displacement (tons):        7,440 light, 12,200 lim.
Dimensions (feet):        459.2' oa, 435.0' pp x 63.0' e x 23.0' lim.
Original Armament:        1-5"/51 4-3"/50 13-20mm (1943: AP-102)
Later armaments:        1-5"/51 4-3"/50 12-20mm (1944: AP-102, 169-70, 173);
1-5"/38 4-3"/50 12<18-20mm (1944-45: AP 166-170, 173); 1-5"/38 4-3"/50 10-20mmT (1945: AP-167)
Complement:        305 (AP-166, 1944)
Speed (kts.):        16.5
Propulsion (HP):        6,000
Machinery:        G.E. turbine, 1 screw

Construction:

AP	Name	Acq.	Builder	Keel	Launch	Commiss.
102	LA SALLE	18 Mar 43	Moore DD, Oakland	29 Apr 42	2 Aug 42	31 Mar 43
166	COMET	15 Feb 44	Moore DD, Oakland	13 Oct 42	21 Dec 42	15 Feb 44
167	JOHN LAND	8 Apr 44	Moore DD, Oakland	14 Nov 42	22 Jan 43	8 Apr 44
168	WAR HAWK	9 Mar 44	Moore DD, Oakland	24 Dec 42	3 Apr 43	9 Mar 44
169	GOLDEN CITY	29 May 44	Moore DD, Oakland	16 Aug 43	28 Oct 43	29 May 44
170	WINGED ARROW	21 Apr 44	Moore DD, Oakland	26 Jan 43	3 Apr 43	21 Apr 44
173	HERALD OF THE MORNING	22 Apr 44	Moore DD, Oakland	12 Jun 43	14 Aug 43	22 Apr 44

Disposition:

AP	Name	Decomm.	Strike	Disposal	Fate	MA Sale
102	LA SALLE	24 Jul 46	15 Aug 46	25 Jul 46	MC/D	17 Aug 48
166	COMET	14 Aug 46	8 Oct 46	14 Aug 46	MC/D	26 Aug 48
167	JOHN LAND	5 Aug 46	8 Oct 46	6 Aug 46	MC/D	24 Sep 48
168	WAR HAWK	12 Aug 46	8 Oct 46	13 Aug 46	MC/D	1 Oct 48
169	GOLDEN CITY	10 Aug 46	8 Oct 46	12 Aug 46	MC/D	2 Sep 48
170	WINGED ARROW	12 Aug 46	28 Aug 46	12 Aug 46	MC/D	18 Oct 48
173	HERALD OF THE MORNING	9 Aug 46	8 Oct 46	9 Aug 46	MC/D	8 Nov 48

Class Notes:
FY 1943 (AP-102), 1944 (others). On 24 Mar 43 the Auxiliary Vessels Board noted that the success of South Pacific operations required the delivery of organized construction units (SEABEES) by Navy manned ships direct to combat zones immediately after the attacking forces. It noted that restrictions did not permit merchant crews to go into combat areas and that valuable time was lost transshipping the units and their cargoes at rear bases. On 20 Feb 43 the VCNO had recognized this need and identified one C2 hull, HOTSPUR, as available for acquisition to transport construction units. The Board identified a C1 hull as available for the delivery of construction unit cargo (she became AURIGA, AK-98). The Board recommended the acquisition of the two ships and their conversion to accommodate Navy crews. HOTSPUR, a MC C2-S-B1 cargo ship, became USS LA SALLE (AP-102). AP-102 was already being converted by WSA to a troopship able to carry 60 officers and 1500 enlisted passengers; the Navy modified the conversion to provide for a naval crew and armament.

On 30 Oct 43 the Auxiliary Vessels Board noted that CinCPac had recently requested that 11 Navy-manned Liberty cargo ships (AKs) be given facilities for transporting about 1,000 troops on short hauls in order to relieve regular transports now being retained in the Third Fleet area for that purpose. The Board identified 11 candidates for this conversion (AK 114-123 and 129), but subsequently WSA agreed to make five C-type cargo vessels available in lieu of five of these conversions (AK 120-123 and 129). On 23 Nov 43 the Board noted that WSA had already nominated COMET and JOHN LAND for assignment to the Navy and recommended that these and three equivalent C-type vessels be acquired after conversion by WSA to carry troops, that they be manned by Navy crews as soon as possible, and that as their operations permitted they be made available for improvements and alterations to bring them up to Navy standards as APs. Also in its 23 Nov 43 report, the Auxiliary Vessels Board noted that CinCPac had requested 10 more Navy-manned Liberty ships, five to be fitted as short-haul troop transports and five as cargo ships. Again, WSA offered to make C-type vessels available in place of Liberty ships for the transports, and the Board recommended that five C3, C2 or C1 type vessels (in order of preference) be acquired as soon as facilities were available for their conversion by WSA to APs. These ten ships were designated first, becoming AP 166-170 and AK 136-40, while the other five C-type transports followed them as AP 171-75. AP-169 was originally to have been ex-GOLDEN GATE (MC# 1155), and the name GOLDEN GATE was assigned to AP-169 on 13 Dec 43. Ex-GOLDEN CITY (MC# 1167) was soon substituted and the name of AP-169 was accordingly changed to GOLDEN CITY on 18 Jan 44. The conversion plans for these C2 transports included deck stowage positions for two LCM(3)'s forward and 4 LCVP's aft, but the boats themselves were not part of the ships' regular allowance and Welin davits were not fitted. The history written by AP-170 states that she later carried 14 landing craft, and she and most of the other C2's and C1's of the AP-102, AP-171, and AP-172 classes were subsequently used in direct support of amphibious operations. Unlike the earlier converted C3's like AP-67 (q.v.), however, these ships were not resubordinated to the Pacific Fleet's Amphibious Forces as improvised APA's but remained part of its Service Forces as AP's with a limited assault capability.

Ship Notes:

AP	Name	MC#	Notes
102	LA SALLE	284	Ex merc. HOTSPUR (completed 18 Jan 43). Converted for WSA by General Engineering & DD, Alameda, Cal. Merc. HOTSPUR 1946 (MC), STONEWALL JACKSON 1948. Scrapped 1968 as JOHN C.
166	COMET	293	Ex merc. COMET (completed 17 Aug 43). Converted for WSA by Matson Navigation, San Francisco, Cal., 11 Nov 43-16 Feb 44. Merc. PIONEER REEF 1948. Scrapped 1970 as AUSTRALIAN REEF.
167	JOHN LAND	294	Ex merc. JOHN LAND (completed 25 Aug 43). Converted for WSA by United Engineering, Alameda, Cal., Dec 43-Apr 44. Merc. JEFF DAVIS 1948. Scrapped 1969 as NORBERTO CAPAY or GALICIA LEE.
168	WAR HAWK	1154	Ex merc. WAR HAWK (completed 18 Nov 43). Converted for WSA by General Engineering & DD, Alameda, Cal., 26 Dec 43-12 Feb 44. Merc. WAR HAWK 1948. Scrapped 1971 as OVERSEAS DINNY.
169	GOLDEN CITY	1167	Ex merc. GOLDEN CITY (completed 31 Dec 43). Converted for WSA by Matson Navigation, San Francisco, Cal. Merc. GOLDEN CITY 1948. Scrapped 1973 as CORTLAND.
170	WINGED ARROW	1156	Ex merc. WINGED ARROW (completed 6 Dec 43). Converted for WSA by Hurley Marine Works, Oakland, Cal., Jan 44-21 Apr 44. Merc. FAIRHOPE 1948. To MA 12 Aug 65 as WINGED ARROW, to have been operated commercially for MSTS but damaged by Hurricane Betsy at New Orleans and to NDRF 3 Oct 65. Sold by MA 7 Aug 70.
173	HERALD OF THE MORNING	1161	Ex merc. HERALD OF THE MORNING (completed 30 Nov 43). Converted for WSA by United Engineering, Alameda, Cal., 6 Jan 44-Apr 44. Merc. CITRUS PACKER 1948. Scrapped 1973 as BOWLING GREEN.