USS Sylvania (AKA-44)

USS Sylvania (AKA-44)
History
Laid down:	24 February 1945
Launched:	25 April 1945
Commissioned:	19 May 1945
Decommissioned:	17 December 1946
Struck:	7 February 1947
Fate:	Unknown
General Characteristics
Builder:	Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc.
Hull type:	S4-SE2-BE1
Displacement:	4,087 tons light, 7,080 tons loaded
Length:	426 ft (129.8 m)
Beam:	58 ft (17.7 m)
Draft:	16 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion:	Steam turbo-electric drive; two boilers, two propellers, 6,000 shp (4.5 MW)
Speed:	16.9 knots (31.3 km/h)
Complement:	321 (20 officers, 301 men), plus 255 embarked troops
Armament:	1 × 5"/38 caliber DP gun, 4 × twin 40 mm AA guns, 16 × 20 mm AA guns
Boats:	14 LCVP, 8 LCM

USS Sylvania (AKA-44) was an Artemis class attack cargo ship named after the minor planet 519 Sylvania, which in turn is a word for forests. She served as a commissioned ship for 18 months.

History

Sylvania (AKA-44), ex-MC hull 1905, was laid down on 24 February 1945 by the Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc., Providence, R.I.; launched on 25 April 1945; sponsored by Miss Mary H. O'Neil; delivered to the Navy and commissioned on 19 May 1945, LCDR F. O. Bryce, USNR, in command.

Sylvania completed fitting out and loading at Boston, Massachusetts and sailed for Norfolk on 4 June to begin her shakedown training. Training was completed on 15 June; and, six days later, the ship got underway for Marseilles, France. She arrived there on 3 July and, nine days later, was underway for the Philippine Islands. The Panama Canal was transited on 27 July; and, after a port call at Eniwetok, Marshall Islands, the transport arrived at Manila on 26 August. The cargo and troops from France were off-loaded; and, until 19 September, vehicles, cargo, and troops were loaded which were destined for Japan.

Sylvania and other ships of Transport Squadron 14 sortied from Manila on 20 September en route to Japan. She arrived at Wakayama, Honshū, on 25 September, unloaded, and began the return voyage to the Philippines the next day. The cargo ship arrived at Subic Bay on 1 October and operated in the Philippines until 15 October when she sailed for Mitsugahama, Shikoku Island, Japan. She arrived there on the 21st and remained for a week prior to departing for Saipan, Mariana Islands.

Sylvania arrived at Saipan on the last day of October and was assigned duty with the "Magic Carpet" fleet. She embarked 325 passengers on 1 November and sailed for California. She arrived at San Francisco, California on 14 November; discharged her passengers; and sailed for Samar, P.I., two weeks later. Her sailing orders were modified en route, and she was directed to proceed to Saipan. She remained at Saipan from 13 December to 15 December when she stood out for California, arriving at Los Angeles on 30 December 1945.

Sylvania sailed for Bikini, Marshall Islands, on 19 February to participate in Operation "Cross Roads," and operated between there and Pearl Harbor until 21 September when she returned to San Francisco. She moved up the coast to Seattle on 3 October and then to Bremerton. Sylvania was decommissioned at Bremerton on 17 December 1946 and struck from the Navy list on 7 February 1947.

See also

See USS Sylvania for other ships of the same name.

References

• Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (Primary source for this article)