NAVYPEDIA

Photo

William P. Biddle

Ships

No	Name	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comm	Fate
AP12, 2.1943- APA6	Heywood (ex-City of Baltimore, ex-Steadfast)	170	Bethlehem, San Francisco //	1919	1919	5.1919 // 1941	for disposal 7.1946
AP14, 2.1943- APA7	Fuller (ex-City of Newport News, ex-Archer)	169	Bethlehem, San Francisco //	1919	1919	2.1919 // 4.1941	to Maritime Comm. 7.1946
AP15, 2.1943- APA8	William P. Biddle (ex-City of San Francisco, ex-City of Hamburg, ex-Eclipse)	168	Bethlehem, San Francisco // Moore DD		1919	2.1919 // 2.1941	stricken 6.1946
AP16, 2.1943- APA9	Neville (ex-City of Norfolk, ex-Independence)	162	Bethlehem, San Francisco // Willamette Iron		1918	11.1918 // 5.1941	stricken 8.1946

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	8789
Displacement full, t	14450
Length, m	154.5
Breadth, m	17.1
Draught, m	7.80
No of shafts	1
Machinery	De Laval geared steam turbine, 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Power, h. p.	9500
Max speed, kts	16.8
Fuel, t	oil 1523
Endurance, nm(kts)	9000(12)
Armament	4 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 10.17, 4 x 1 - 12.7/90
Military load	22 LCVP, 2 - 4 LCM(3), cargo, 1278 troops by 1945: 4 LCM(6), 21 LCVP, 1 LCPL, 1 LCPR, 2900t of cargo, 1275 marines
Complement	550

Graphics

Project history

USN military transport vessels were sectioned into two groups: АР for transportation of troops and АК for carriage of goods and technics. The majority of them were built on the basis of standard types С2, С3 and С4 and differed from usual cargo ships a little.

For delivery of troops and cargoes directly to a beaching place assault landing transport ships (АРА and АКА) served, which main difference from АК and АР consisted that they were extra equipped with disembarkation craft of LCVP, LCM and LCP (L) types; with their help delivery of people and cargoes to beach also was effected.

Originally similar ships were not outlined in own subclass and were registered as АР and АК. In February, 1943 reorganisation was done and assault transports have received indexation АРА and АКА.

Two ships of Doyen class, projected even on the eve of war for landing operations in Caribbean basin, became the first American assault military transports. The overwhelming majority of remaining АРА and АКА has been converted from merchant cargo and cargo-passenger vessels or constructed in hulls of standard cargo vessels built by the big series in days of war. An exception were specially projected as assault transports Gilliam (АРА) and Artemis (АКА) classes.

Besides the large landing transport ships of АРА and АКА classes, small landing parties and subversive groups were landed by fast landing transports (APD) converted from become outdated Wickes and Clemson classes destroyers and destroyer escorts of Buckley and Rudderow classes.

Heywood class transports were former passenger liners of Baltimore Mail Line Co.

Modernizations

by 1945 ships were armed with 4 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 10.17, 2 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 16 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, SC or SF or SL or SN or SO or SU radar

1/1946: 4 x 1 - 76/50 Mk 20/21, 2 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 16 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, SC or SF or SL or SN or SO or SU radar

Naval service

No significant events.  



© Ivan Gogin, 2014-15