_underway_in_the_Atlantic_Ocean_on_9_March_1945_(80-G-313903).jpg) USSWilliam J. Pattison on 9 March 1945 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSWilliam J. Pattison |
| Namesake | Signalman Third Class William J. Pattison (1921-1943), aU.S. Navysailor andNavy Cross recipient |
| Builder | Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc.,Hingham, Massachusetts |
| Laid down | 4 January 1944 |
| Launched | 15 February 1944 |
| Sponsored by | Miss Sally McKillop |
| Commissioned | 27 February 1945 |
| Decommissioned | March 1946 |
| Reclassified | Fromdestroyer escort (DE-594) tohigh-speed transport (APD-104) 17 July 1944 |
| Stricken | 1 June 1960 |
| Fate | Sold for scrapping 18 January 1962 |
| Notes | Laid down asRudderow-classdestroyer escort USSWilliam J. Pattison (DE-594) |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Crosley-classhigh speed transport |
| Displacement | 2,130 long tons (2,164 t) full |
| Length | 306 ft (93 m) |
| Beam | 37 ft (11 m) |
| Draft | 12 ft 7 in (3.84 m) |
| Speed | 23knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) |
| Troops | 162 |
| Complement | 204 |
| Armament |
|
USSWilliam J. Pattison (APD-104), ex-DE-594, was aUnited States Navyhigh-speed transport in commission from 1945 to 1946.
William Joseph Pattison was born on 15 January 1921 atLong Island City,New York . Heenlisted in the U.S. Navy on 23 August 1939 atIndianapolis,Indiana.[1] Pattison advanced steadily inrating and, at least once, was meritoriously promoted. By the beginning of 1943, he had reached the rank ofsignalman third class and was serving in thedestroyerUSS Eberle in theSouth Atlantic Ocean.
On 10 March 1943,Eberle encountered the Germanblockade runnerKarin, which was flying theDutchflag. Thetask group commander,Rear AdmiralO. M. Read, orderedEberle to ignoreKarin'sAllied flag and board her. Pattison was one of the 14 men chosen fromEberle's complement to boardKarin beforeKarin's crew could scuttle her. In spite of rising flames and explosions, Pattison performed hissalvage duties, primarily by maintaining contact withEberle while his colleagues searched fordemolition charges. While executing his duty, Pattison was killed by the explosion of one of the German demolition charges. He was posthumously awarded theNavy Cross.
William J. Pattison was laid down as theRudderow-classdestroyer escort USSWilliam J. Pattison (DE-594) on 4 January 1944 byBethlehem-Hingham Shipyard, Inc., atHingham, Massachusetts, and waslaunched on 15 February 1944, sponsored by Miss Sally McKillop. The ship was reclassified as aCrosley-classhigh-speed transport and redesignated APD-104 on 17 July 1944. After conversion to her new role, she wascommissioned on 27 February 1945.
Followingshakedown training out ofGuantanamo Bay, Cuba, andamphibious training atHampton Roads,Virginia,William J. Pattison underwent post-shakedown repairs at thePortsmouth Navy Yard inKittery, Maine, between 20 April 1945 and 27 April 1945.
On 27 April 1945,William J. Pattison departedPortsmouth, New Hampshire, bound forNew York City. There she rendezvoused with thetransportUSSGeneral William Weigel (AP-119), and the two ships got underway on 1 May 1945 and headed for theWest Indies. After a stop atSan Juan,Puerto Rico, from 4 May 1945 to 8 May 1945, the two ships continued on to thePanama Canal Zone, where they arrived on 10 May 1945.William J. Pattison transited thePanama Canal on 12 May 1945 and set course forSan Diego, California. Diverted en route in order to provide emergency medical treatment to anappendicitis victim on board aLiberty ship, she did not reach San Diego until 22 May 1945.
William J. Pattison remained at San Diego only two days before putting to sea on 24 May 1945 in company with high-speed transportsUSSBegor (APD-127) andUSSCavallaro (APD-128). After a six-day voyage filled with gunnery drills and tactical exercises, the three high-speed transports arrived inPearl Harbor,Territory of Hawaii, on 30 May 1945.William J, Pattison spent the next two weeks in amphibious andunderwater demolition team training inHawaiian waters, mostly atMaui.
On 13 June 1945,William J. Pattison embarked 10officers and 50enlisted men and got underway for theMarshall Islands, in company withCavallaro andSSCape Meares. The three ships entered thelagoon atEniwetok on 21 June 1945, but on 23 June 1945 got underway again with aconvoy bound forUlithi Atoll in theCaroline Islands.William J. Pattison remained at Ulithi from 26 June 1945 to 1 July 1945, when she began the two-day voyage toLeyte in thePhilippine Islands. After eight days at Leyte, she headed back to Ulithi Atoll on 12 July 1945.
In late July and early August 1945,William J. Pattison made two voyages from Ulithi Atoll toOkinawa. Though both visits were somewhat enlivened byair raid alerts, she saw no action. Thesurrender of Japan which endedWorld War II on 15 August 1945 found the ship on her way from Okinawa to theMariana Islands.
William J. Pattison arrived atGuam in the Marianas on 17 August 1945 and embarkedUnderwater Demolition Team 18. On 20 August 1945, she departed Guam in company withBegor and a group oftank landing ships (LSTs) to join theUnited States Third Fleet offJapan.William J. Pattison andBegor soon parted company with the slower LSTs and made the rendezvous with the Third Fleet on the night of 24–25 August 1945.
_alongside_Nagato.jpg)
William J. Pattison arrived inTokyo Bay late in the afternoon of 27 August 1945 to begin her part in the postwaroccupation of Japan. On 30 August 1945, she supported theUnited States Marines who occupiedYokosuka Naval Base, and her underwater demolition team unit carried out an inspection of the base'sharbor facilities. Later, she participated in the demilitarization of captured Japanesewarships. For the next month,William J. Pattison steamed among various Japanese bases located throughout the JapaneseHome Islands, reconnoitering to prepare for their occupation byUnited States Marine Corps,United States Army, or U.S. Navy men. She also helped with further demilitarization projects.
On 30 September, the ship got underway on the first leg of her journey back to theUnited States. After stops at Guam, Eniwetok, and Pearl Harbor, she arrived back in San Diego on 22 October 1945.
William J. Pattison remained active with theAmphibious Forces,United States Pacific Fleet, into early 1946, when she moved toGreen Cove Springs, Florida.
William J. Pattison wasdecommissioned at Green Cove Springs sometime in March 1946. She remained inreserve there with theAtlantic Reserve Fleet until 1 June 1960, when her name was stricken from theNavy List.
On 18 January 1962,William J. Pattison was sold to theFirst Steel and Ship Corporation ofNew York City for scrapping.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
