USSClearfield

History
United States
Name	USSClearfield
Namesake	Clearfield County, Pennsylvania
Builder	California Shipbuilding
Launched	21 November 1944
Commissioned	12 January 1945
Decommissioned	4 March 1946
Honors and awards	1Battle star
Fate	Sold for scrap, 9 April 1973
General characteristics
Class and type	Haskell-classattack transport
Displacement	6,873 tons (lt), 14,837 t (fl)
Length	455 ft (139 m)
Beam	62 ft (19 m)
Draft	24 ft (7 m)
Propulsion	1 × geared turbine, 2 × header-typeboilers,1 × propeller, designed 8,500shp(6,338 kW)
Speed	17knots(31 km/h; 20 mph)
Boats & landing craft carried	2 ×LCM 12 ×LCVP 3 ×LCPL
Capacity	Troops:86 officers, 1,475 enlisted Cargo:150,000 cu ft, 2,900 tons
Complement	56 officers, 480 enlisted
Armament	1 ×5 "/38 dual-purpose gun 4 × twin40 mm guns 10 × single20 mm guns late armament, add 1 × 40 mm quad mount

USSClearfield(APA-142)was aHaskell-classattack transportin service with theUnited States Navyfrom 1945 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.

History

Clearfieldwas aVictory shipdesign, VC2-S-AP5 and was named afterClearfield County, Pennsylvania,United States. She was launched 21 November 1944 byCalifornia Shipbuilding Corp.,Wilmington, California,under aMaritime Commissioncontract; sponsored by Mrs. F. L. Chambers; acquired by the Navy 11 January 1945; and commissioned 12 January 1945.

Clearfieldloadedconstruction battaliontroops and cargo atPort Hueneme, California,and departed 9 March 1945 forPearl Harbor,Eniwetok,UlithiandOkinawa,where she arrived 17 April, to disembark her passengers and their equipment atIe Shima,to build an airfield.

She sailed from Okinawa 26 April to loadArmyreplacements atSan Franciscoand transported these troops toManila,arriving 23 June. After moving occupation troops among the Philippine Islands,Clearfielddeparted Manila 27 August forTokyo,where she landed soldiers 2 September.

From 4 September 1945Clearfieldoperated between Okinawa and Manila and ports in China, supporting the reoccupation of northern China by transportingMarinesand Chinese troops. She got underway forTacoma, Washington,2 December, and after overhaul, sailed toNorfolk,arriving 4 February 1946.Clearfieldwas decommissioned 4 March 1946, and returned to theWar Shipping Administration6 March 1946.

Fate

Ex-Clearfieldwas laid up in theNational Defense Reserve FleetatJames River, Virginia.Between 2 September and 27 October 1955 she was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet for a Repair Program, GAA- Polarus, and returned.Ex-Clearfieldwas sold for$111,560 toUnion Minerals & Alloys Corporationfor scrapping on 9 April 1973.At 1440EDT,on 7 September 1973 she was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet and sent to thebreaker's yard.

Awards

Clearfieldreceived onebattle starfor World War II service.

References

This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.The entry can be foundhere.