USS Colusa (APA-74)

History
United States
Name: USS Colusa (APA-74)
Namesake: A county in California
Builder: Consolidated Steel
Launched: 7 October 1944
Sponsored by: Mrs J. F. Chandler
Acquired: 18 December 1944
Commissioned: 20 December 1944
Decommissioned: 16 May 1946
Fate: Unknown
General characteristics
Class and type: Gilliam-class attack transport
Tonnage: 85,000 cu. ft., 2,600 t.
Displacement: 4,247 tons (lt), 7,080 t.(fl)
Length: 426 ft (130 m)
Beam: 58 ft (18 m)
Draft: 16 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion: Westinghouse turboelectric drive, 2 boilers, 2 propellers, Design shaft horsepower 6,000
Speed: 17 knots
Capacity: 47 Officers, 802 Enlisted
Crew: 27 Officers, 295 Enlisted
Armament: 1 x 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose gun mount, 4 x twin 40mm gun mounts, 10 x single 20mm gun mounts
Notes: MCV Hull No. ?, hull type S4-SE2-BD1

USS Colusa (APA-74) was a Gilliam-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II. Commissioned late in the war, she was initially assigned to transport duties and consequently did not participate in combat operations.

Colusa was named after a county in California. She was launched 7 October 1944 by Consolidated Steel at San Pedro, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; acquired by the Navy 18 December 1944; commissioned 20 December 1944, Lieutenant Commander H. W. Neill, USNR, in command; and reported to the Pacific Fleet.

Operational history

Colusa stood out from San Francisco 15 February 1945 for Pearl Harbor, arriving 21 February. She departed Pearl Harbor 27 February, discharged cargo at Eniwetok, Tinian, and Guam and returned to Pearl Harbor 26 March for training and inter-island transport duties until 24 June.

After a cargo-passenger voyage to Midway, she sailed 4 July from Pearl Harbor for San Francisco, where she disembarked passengers and loaded cargo for Pearl Harbor, returning 30 July.

After hostilities

After another voyage to carry men to Midway, Colusa departed Pearl Harbor 1 September and called at Saipan, Sasebo, Okinawa, and Wakayama on duty redeploying occupation personnel. Between 7 October, when she cleared Wakayama, and 5 January 1946, when she arrived at San Francisco, she crossed the Pacific on two Operation Magic Carpet voyages, calling at Guam, Seattle, Pearl Harbor, Nouméa, Brisbane, Hollandia, and Manus to load homeward-bound servicemen.

She sailed from San Francisco 16 January to transport Canadian naval officers to Sydney, Australia, called at Brisbane and New Caledonia, and returned to San Francisco 1 March.

Decommission

Colusa returned to Pearl Harbor 6 April, and there was decommissioned 16 May 1946, and transferred to the Maritime Commission 14 August 1947 for disposal. Her final disposition was the bikini islands where they had atomic bomb testings after the war

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

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