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USS Wakefield (AP-21)


nicolas75
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nicolas75

Hi guys

 

I’ve just acuired a grouping of photos said to have been shot in the USS Wakefield during ww2

 

I’ll begin with quoting the story of the ship :

 

“USS Wakefield (AP-21) was a troop transport that served with the US Navy during World War II. Prior to her war service, she operated as a luxury ocean liner named SS Manhattan.

 

After trials in and off the Delaware River, Manhattan departed New York City at midnight on 10 August 1932 for her maiden Atlantic crossing. Arriving at Hamburg 10 days later, she made the return voyage to New York in 5 days, 14 hours, and 28 minutes - a record for passenger liners.

 

The Government chartered her on 6 June 1941 for a two-year period and renamed her Wakefield. Converted to a troop transport at Brooklyn, New York by the Robins Drydock Company, her costly furnishings and trappings of a luxury cruise liner were carefully removed and stored for future use.

 

On 30 January 1942, bombed at Keppel Harbor. One bomb hit 50 yards (46 m) off Wakefield's port quarter, and another blew up in the dock area 40 feet (12 m) from the transport's bow before a third struck the ship's "B" deck and penetrated through to "C" deck where it exploded in the sick bay spaces. A fire broke out, but it was extinguished in less than one-half hour. Using oxygen masks, fire-fighting and damage control crews extricated five dead and nine wounded.

 

Underway on 11 May 1942 for Hampton Roads, Wakefield arrived at Norfolk, Virginia two days later to load cargo in preparation for Naval Transportation Service Operating Plan Lone Wolf.

 

While the transport was en route to her destination, on the evening of 3 September 1942, fire broke out deep within the bowels of the ship and spread rapidly. In the port column of the formation, Wakefield swung to port to run before the wind while fire-fighting began immediately.

 

Temporarily decommissioned, the charred liner proceeded for Boston with a four-tug tow, and was declared a "constructive total loss." The Government purchased the hulk from the United States Lines and stripped the vessel to the waterline. The repairs and alterations began in the fall of 1942, and lasted through 1943. On 10 February 1944, Wakefield was recommissioned at Boston, with Capt. R. L. Raney, USCG, in command. It was the largest ship on hands of the USCG

 

She departed Boston on 13 April 1944, beginning the first of 23 round trips in the Atlantic theater, and three in the Pacific. Between 13 April 1944 and 1 February 1946, Wakefield transported 110,563 troops to Europe and brought some 106,674 men back to America - a total of 217,237 passengers.

 

After D-Day, 6 June 1944, Wakefield began the first of her trips as a casualty-evacuation ship, bringing home wounded GI's. On occasion, she also brought back German prisoners of war for internment in the United States. Sometimes she even carried both evacuees and prisoners on the same voyage. After 13 trips to Liverpool, Wakefield was sent to the Mediterranean theater to carry men and equipment to Italy. She made three visits to Naples and a run each to Marseille, Oran, Taranto, Le Havre, and Cherbourg-Octeville. Returning from her 22nd voyage to Europe, the transport departed Boston on 4 December 1945 for Taku, China, and a Magic Carpet mission - returning to San Diego, California, on 1 February 1946. Two round trips to Guam, in February through April 1946, rounded out the ship's active service as a Navy transport.

 

Mooring at New York on 27 May 1946, Wakefield was decommissioned on 16 June 1946 - five years to the day since she first entered service. There she was laid up in reserve, out of commission, with the Maritime Administration's Hudson River Reserve Fleet at Jones Point, New York. She was struck from the Navy Register in 1959. She was sold for scrap to Union Minerals & Alloys Corporation for $263,000 in 1965.”

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nicolas75

Studio portait

 

Marked on back Honnolulu - Hawai December 1945

 

Note the USCG shields on the end of the sleeves

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nicolas75

On deck

 

Many mens are wearing the N-1 jacket, some are wearing the N-1 rubber boots

 

They also have avriuous usual USN rigs

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nicolas75

The buddies – Among enemies and bad weather, what they feared most i guess : hairy leged and bearded mermaids ;-)

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nicolas75

buddies and other guys living the good life (Who said there was no alcholol on board ?)

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  • 11 months later...

Hi all

 

- Nobody has pics of this famous ship ?

 

- Does, as me, you read PA 21 on this officier jacket ? or is it my eyes in trouble ...

 

At this time :

APA 21 "Crescent City" is in PTO

AP 21 "Wakefield" is said to be saling from Boston to Liverpool at this time till 15 June, from this date i guess they better way of wounded evacuation

... maybe this officer was transfered of ship ... ?

 

 

Larger size : http://www.archivesnormandie39-45.org/PhotosHD/p012561.jpg

 

 

Thanks

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pararaftanr2

Hi Nicholas,

I don't have any still photos of the USS Wakefield, but there was a black and white documentary, filmed in 1944, that featured this Coast Guard manned troop transport. It is called "Story of a Transport" and runs approximately 20 minutes. If you do a google search for that title, you will find several sources to either purchase or download the video. I've had a copy on VHS for many years and can recommend it. Thanks for showing those great photos. Regards, Paul

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  • 1 year later...

Ho

 

Back there

 

Do you think the guys pictured are "Seamans" (Sc1 or SC2) ?

 

Their jackets are with deck paint (like blue or white) and i can remember it's of their duties to scrap and paint ?

 

Thanks

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RustyCanteen

Nicolas, if you are talking about the pictures in post #4, then it's possible.

 

Nice photos.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Hi all

 

- Nobody has pics of this famous ship ?

 

Just dug a bunch of stuff out of storage to photograph for sale and found this: the bag is about two feet long and the photo appears to be hand-colored.

 

1.jpg

 

3.jpg

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