_underway_on_9_March_1944_(80-G-221230).jpg) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | |
| Builder | Ingalls Shipbuilding |
| Reclassified | AP-91 to APA-46, 1 February 1943 |
| Launched | 17 July 1943 |
| Sponsored by | Mrs. R. K. Forde |
| Acquired | 30 September 1943 |
| Commissioned | 30 September 1943 (ferry) |
| Decommissioned | 14 October 1943 |
| Refit | Conversion byBethlehem Steel |
| Commissioned | 4 March 1944 (full) |
| Decommissioned | 14 March 1946 |
| Stricken | 1 May 1946 |
| Honors and awards | 5battle stars, World War II |
| Fate |
|
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | |
| Displacement | 8,100 tons, 16,100 tons fully loaded |
| Length | 492 ft (150 m) |
| Beam | 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m) |
| Draft | 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m) |
| Propulsion | Westinghouse geared turbine, 2 xFoster Wheeler D-type boilers, singlepropeller, designed shafthorsepower 8,500 |
| Speed | 18knots |
| Boats & landing craft carried | |
| Capacity | 4,700 tons (175,000 cu. ft). |
| Complement |
|
| Armament |
|
USSKnox (APA-46) was aBayfield-classattack transport in service with theUnited States Navy from 1944 to 1946. in 1947, she was sold into commercial service and was finally scrapped in 1971.
USSKnox was named for counties inIllinois,Indiana,Kentucky,Maine,Missouri,Nebraska,Ohio,Tennessee, andTexas. The vessel was laid down byIngalls Shipbuilding under aMaritime Commission contract, and launched 17 July 1943, sponsored by Mrs. R.K. Forde. She was fitted out as an attack transport atBethlehem Steel inBrooklyn, New York and commissioned as USSKnox (APA-46) on 4 March 1944.Knox was originally classified as troop transport AP-91 and re-classified APA-46 on 1 February 1943.
After shakedown, Knox departedNaval Base Norfolk on 6 April 1944 for thePacific, arrivingPearl Harbor 23 April withU.S. Marines andSeabees embarked. Assigned to the 5th Amphibious Force, the transport sailed 29 May as part of Task Force 52 bound for theMarianas. Steaming viaEniwetok,Marshall Islands, Knox arrived offSaipan 15 June and made a diversionary landing at Garapan before debarking her troops that afternoon at the actual landing area. She remained off Saipan until 24 June, then sailed for Eniwetok, arriving the 28th with Saipan casualties on board.
Departing Eniwetok 15 July, she returned to Saipan 19 July to prepare for the assault onTinian. With troops of the2nd Marine Division embarked, she engaged in another amphibious diversion during the 24 July invasion of Tinian. She then landed her troops the next day and operated off Tinian and Saipan until she departed 28 July for Pearl Harbor via Eniwetok, arriving 10 August.
After completing amphibious exercises,Knox sailed 15 September forManus Island,Admiralty Islands, where she arrived on 3 October 1944 to prepare for the long-awaitedliberation of the Philippines. Loaded withUnited States Army troops and equipment, she departed Manus on 14 October in the Southern Attack Force (Task Force 79). The transport arrived offDulag, Leyte, on 20 October and lowered boats for the first assault.Knox completed unloading under a smoke screen on 21 October and departedLeyte Gulf forNew Guinea arriving atHollandia on 26 October 1944.
Knox steamed out ofHumboldt Bay on 5 November and returned toLeyte on 18 November after loading troops and cargo atNoemfoor,Schouten Islands, from 7 to 14 November 1944. From Leyte she proceeded the same day to Manus; and, arriving 24 November, began a month of landing exercises off Manus,New Britain, and New Guinea in preparation for theinvasion of Luzon. Loaded with 1,278 U.S. Army troops, she departed Manus on 31 December 1944 forLingayen Gulf,Luzon. Fighting through heavy enemy air attack, she reached Lingayen Gulf 9 January 1945, unloaded all troops and cargo within 8 hours, and headed back toward Leyte. While repelling air attacks 9 to 10 January,Knox hit two Japanese planes, shooting down one of them.
After arriving Leyte Gulf 12 January,Knox proceeded toUlithi 19 to 23 January and thence toGuam 6 to 8 February to embark Marines of the3rd Marine Division for theinvasion of Iwo Jima. Departing on 17 February 1945, she arrived offIwo Jima on 22 February and debarked her troops on the 24th as part of a reserve force. After embarking casualties and loading cargo,Knox departed on 6 March. Steaming via Saipan, Guam, andTulagi,Solomon Islands, she reachedNouméa,New Caledonia, on 18 March. Following overhaul and landing exercises, she got underway on 3 May 1945 for the Philippines. Touching Manus en route, she arrivedSan Pedro Bay, Leyte, on 16 May and unloaded troops and cargo. On 25 May she sailed for theUnited States arrivingPortland, Oregon, foroverhaul on 14 June 1945.
Knox sailed from Portland toSan Francisco,California(USA) from 14 to 16 August. After loading troops and cargo, she departed 18 August for the Philippines. Sailing via Pearl Harbor Eniwetok, Guam, and Ulithi, she reached Leyte Gulf 13 September. She operated among the Philippines until 1 October 1945; then she carriedoccupation troops to Japan between 1 and 29 October. Returning toSamar on 5 November, she embarked homebound veterans and sailed the 6th as a unit ofOperation Magic Carpet. She arrivedSan Pedro, Los Angeles on 24 November 1945. After another "Magic Carpet" cruise to the Philippines from 7 December to 26 January 1946, she departedLong Beach, California on 31 January 1945 forNew Orleans,Louisiana, where she arrived on 12 February.
Knox proceeded toMobile, Alabama, on 6 March and was decommissioned on 14 March 1946. Her name was struck from the Navy List 1 May and she was transferred to the Maritime Commission on 14 May 1946. In 1947Knox was sold toIsthmian Lines and renamedSteel Recorder. She was later sold on toStates Marine Lines and namedConstitution State. She was scrapped inTaiwan in 1971.
Knox received five battle stars for World War II service.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.