Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
U.S.S CRESENT CITY AP-40
Crescent City (AP-40) was launched 17 February 1940 as Del Orleans by
Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard, Inc., Sparrows Point, Md., under a
Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. M. L. Pedrick; acquired by
the Navy 9 June 1941; converted at Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Co.,
Mobile, Ala.; and commissioned 10 October 1941, Commander W. C. Calhoun in
command. She was reclassified APA-21, 1 February 1943.
Departing Norfolk 15 December 1941 loaded with troops and equipment Crescent
City debarked her passengers in the Canal Zone, then sailed to San Diego to
load Navy and Marine passengers for Pearl Harbor. She carried civilian
evacuees back to San Diego, returning immediately with workers and equipment
to rush repairs of the damaged naval base at Pearl Harbor. Assigned to
transport men and equipment to set up the advanced base at Efate, New
Hebrides, she voyaged on this mission until arriving at San Diego 22 April
1942 for a brief overhaul.
On 1 July 1942 Crescent City sailed from San Diego bound for the initial
assault landings on Guadalcanal. Landing her troops 7 August under heavy air
attack, she splashed at least four of the enemy planes. For 2 days she
remained at anchor unloading the necessary supplies to hold the beachhead,
then returned to Espiritu Santo to unload material to set up a new forward
base to supply the Guadalcanal operations. Sailing from Brisbane, Australia,
and Wellington, New Zealand, to the advanced bases at Noumea and Espiritu
Santo, then dodging enemy forces to deliver men and equipment to sway the
balance toward victory on Guadalcanal was Crescent City 's mission through
the next few months. When the offensive began to swing north through the
Solomons in early 1943, she continued her transport duty to the base
established on hard-won Guadalcanal. On 13 August, while unloading, she aided
in repelling an air attack in which John Penn (APA-23) was sunk.
On 28 October 1943 Crescent City sortied for the invasion of Bougainville,
landing troops at Empress Augusta Bay under air attack 1 November. On the
13th, after helping repel a torpedo bomber attack, she landed support troops
brought from Tulagi and Port Purvis. Continuing her inter-Solomons transport
and resupply duty, she took part in the assault landings on Emirau Island on
11 April 1944 and reported to Guadalcanal 30 April to prepare for the
Marianas operation.
Crescent City was held in reserve during the assaults on Kwajalein and
Eniwetok, then landed her troops and embarked casualties at Guam from 21 to
25 July 1944. She returned to Guadalcanal 16 August for the staging of the
Palau operation, taking part in the landings on Peleliu 15 September. Ten
days later she arrived at Humboldt Bay, New Guinea and sailed on 16 October
for the invasion of Leyte. After landing troops of the 6th Army at San Pedro
Bay 22 October, she sailed before the outbreak of the Battle for Leyte Gulf.
The transport brought reinforcements to Leyte from Hollandia, and arrived at
Manus 20 November to embark passengers for the United States.
After overhaul, Crescent City departed San Francisco 25 February 1945 and
arrived at Pearl Harbor 4 March. Here she was converted to a temporary
hospital evacuation ship, and 2 weeks later was underway for Kerama Retto,
arriving 6 April. Receiving casualties from the beaches of Okinawa and from
other ships, she transferred them to Hope (AH-7) for evacuation. Crescent
City remained at Okinawa receiving casualties and transients until the end of
the war.
Aiding in the redeployment of troops for the occupation of China, Crescent
City lifted the 1st Marines to Taku between 30 September and 6 October 1945,
and carried Chinese troops from Hong Kong to Chinwangtao and Tsingtao in
November. Returning to Okinawa 1 December she embarked men eligible for
discharge and sailed for Seattle, arriving 20 December.
Departing Seattle 23 January 1946 Crescent City arrived at Norfolk 14
February. She operated from New York and Norfolk on training duty in the
Caribbean until 10 October 1947 when she sailed for the west coast. Arriving
at San Francisco 1 November, Crescent City was placed out of commission in
reserve 30 April 1948 and transferred to the Maritime Commission 3 September
1948.
Crescent City was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her outstanding
performance throughout World War II, and received 10 battle stars.