_anchored_in_San_Francisco_Bay%2c_California_(USA)%2c_circa_in_late_1945_(NH_98704).jpg) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSAudubon |
| Namesake | Audubon County, Iowa |
| Ordered |
|
| Laid down | 21 October 1944 |
| Launched | 3 December 1944 |
| Acquired | 19 December 1944 |
| Commissioned | 20 December 1944 |
| Decommissioned | 19 February 1946 |
| Stricken | 1946 |
| Fate | Scrapped, 9 April 1973 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 12,450 tons (full load) |
| Length | 455 ft 0 in (138.68 m) |
| Beam | 62 ft 0 in (18.90 m) |
| Draught | 24 ft 0 in (7.32 m) |
| Speed | 19 knots |
| Complement | 536 |
| Armament |
|
USSAudubon (APA-149) was aHaskell-classattack transport in service with theUnited States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.
Audubon (MCV hull 814) was laid down on 21 October 1944 by theKaiser Shipyards Co., Inc.,Vancouver, Washington; launched on 3 December 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Fons Hughes; acquired by the Navy on 19 December 1944; designatedAPA-149; and commissioned on 20 December 1944.
Following shakedown atSan Pedro, Los Angeles, the attack cargo ship sailed on 24 February forPearl Harbor. Upon her arrival, her passengers disembarked, and she began loading more cargo. Theattack transport got underway forEniwetok on 29 March, reached thatatoll on 6 April, and continued on toUlithi on the 11th. There,Audubon tookU.S. Army passengers and equipment on board and sailed forOkinawa. She anchored offHagushi Beach on 26 April during theBattle of Okinawa and began discharging her passengers and cargo.
Audubon departed Okinawa on 30 April and headed forSaipan. After a brief stop there, the ship got underway forHawaii. Having topped off her fuel and provisions atPearl Harbor, she sailed on toSan Francisco, California, where she arrived on 22 May. The ship was next ordered toLeyte, Philippines. She made intermediate stops atPearl Harbor,Eniwetok, andUlithi before reaching Leyte on 30 June. On 9 July, the ship proceeded toGuadalcanal to transport Army troops to the Philippines. Following a fuel stop atHollandia,New Guinea, on 17 July, she arrived atLeyte on 26 July. After disembarking most of her passengers, the ship moved on toCebu on 29 July and the remaining contingent left the ship.Audubon paused atSamar on 2 August, then got underway to return to the United States.
At the time of theJapanese capitulation,Audubon was in the vicinity ofPearl Harbor. The transport pulled into San Francisco on 19 August and began a period of voyage repairs. Upon their completion,Audubon joinedOperation Magic Carpet and sailed on 31 August, headed for thePhilippines. She arrived atLeyte on 18 September, then shifted toSamar on the 20th. While at Samar,Audubon developed mechanical problems which necessitated a period ofdrydocking. In early October, the ship was ordered back toCalifornia. On 22 October, she began an availability period atSan Pedro, Los Angeles.
Audubon sailed once again for the Philippines on 11 November. After negotiating heavy seas, the attack transport arrived atManila on 1 December. Thirty-six hours later, she sailed with almost 2,000 passengers embarked and reached San Francisco on 20 December.
Audubon began 1946 making preparations for a trip toYokosuka, Japan. However, just before she was due to leave, her orders were cancelled; and she sailed on 11 January for the east coast of the United States. She transited thePanama Canal on 20 January and reachedNorfolk, Virginia, on 27 January 1946.
The ship was decommissioned on 19 February 1946, returned to theUnited States Maritime Commission on 13 March 1946, placed in theNational Defense Reserve Fleet, and laid up in theJames River, Virginia. She was sold on 9 April 1973 to theUnion Minerals and Alloys Corporation, ofNew York City, and scrapped.
Audubon earned onebattle star for herWorld War II service
 | American Campaign Medal |
 | Asiatic–Pacific Campaign Medal |
 | World War II Victory Medal[1] |
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.
