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USS Gilliam
USS Gilliam
USS Gilliam
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History
United States
NameUSS Gilliam (APA-57)
NamesakeGilliam County, Oregon
BuilderConsolidated Steel
Launched28 March 1944
Sponsored byMrs. A. O. Williams of Wilmington
Acquired31 July 1944
Commissioned1 August 1944
DecommissionedN/A
StrickenN/A
Honours &
awards		Two battle stars for World War II service
FateSunk during Operation Crossroads on 1 July 1946 at Bikini Atoll
General characteristics
Class & typeGilliam-class attack transport
Displacement4,247 tons (lt), 7,080 t.(fl)
Length426 ft (130 m)
Beam58 ft (18 m)
Draft16 ft (4.9 m)
PropulsionWestinghouse turboelectric drive, 2 boilers, 2 propellers, Design shaft horsepower 6,000
Speed16.9 knots
Capacity47 Officers, 802 Enlisted
Complement27 Officers 295 Enlisted
Armament1 x 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose gun mount, 4 x twin 40mm gun mounts, 10 x single 20mm gun mounts
NotesMCV Hull No. 1850, hull type S4-SE2-BD1

USS Gilliam (APA-57), named for Gilliam County in Oregon, was the lead ship in her class of attack transports serving in the United States Navy during World War II.

Construction and commissioning

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Gilliam was launched on 28 March 1944 under a Maritime Commission contract by the Consolidated Steel Corporation at Wilmington in Los Angeles, California, sponsored by Mrs. A. O. Williams of Wilmington. The U.S. Navy acquired Gilliam on 31 July 1944 and commissioned her on 1 August 1944.

Operational history

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World War II

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The first of a new type of attack transport, Gilliam stood out of San Francisco Bay 16 October 1944 with 750 United States Army troops for Oro Bay, New Guinea, and delivered them to that port 4 November. Embarking nearly 1000 troops of the U.S. 11th Airborne Division, she sailed a week later and off-loaded her passengers at Leyte, subsequently returning to Humboldt Bay, New Guinea, 22 November. Gilliam got underway again 29 November under orders to steam to Leyte Gulf and embark elements of the 6th Army Headquarters for passage to Lingayen Gulf.

Heavy air attacks

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Gilliam was part of a 36-ship convoy heading toward the Philippines when, on 5 December 1944, the convoy came under heavy air attack while 100 miles (160 km) from Leyte Gulf. At 12:18 Gilliam spotted a plane coming in low over the water at deck level, headed for the middle of the convoy. Coming under limited fire, the Japanese plane released a torpedo two minutes later which hit SS Antoine Saugrain. Just after 12:30 two more planes came in low and fast, and one got another torpedo into the stricken merchantman, which was then dead in the water.

Intense fire from the convoy drove the planes off, but later that afternoon another Japanese aircraft dove in at 15:30, and after running into heavy fire, made a suicide crash on SS Marcus Daly. The Japanese caught her on the bow at waterline and started fires and explosions. A second kamikaze tried his luck but missed and crashed into the sea after repeated hits from the convoy's gunners.

Anton Saugraine and Marcus Daly were kept afloat by quick damage control, but the former ship was attacked again the next day while under tow and finally sunk. During this engagement, Gilliam's unflinching crew stood at General Quarters for nearly 12 hours and the ship reached Leyte on 6 December without damage.

Invasion of Luzon

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At Leyte Gilliam acted as receiving ship for the crews of damaged warships and undertook medical and salvage operations in spite of continued air alerts. After embarking over 500 soldiers at Tacloban, she sailed from that port 7 January 1945 bringing troops to Lingayen Gulf in support of the invasion. She returned to Leyte on 14 January to embark elements of the 32nd Infantry Division and brought them safely back to Lingayen Gulf 27 January.

Invasion of Okinawa

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After loading casualties for passage to Leyte, Gilliam sailed from that port 2 February to embark Marines of the III Amphibious Corps at Guadalcanal and conducted training exercises in preparation for the coming invasion of Okinawa.

Gilliam closed Okinawa on 1 April and in the face of kamikaze attacks debarked reconnaissance parties of the 3rd Amphibious Corps and unloaded vital cargo. On 5 April she sailed for the United States via Saipan and Pearl Harbor, mooring at San Francisco 27 April for drydock repairs.

Subsequently Gilliam embarked men of the 6th Seabee Battalion a Port Hueneme, California, and sailed 28 May 1945 for Okinawa via Eniwetok and Ulithi. She off-loaded cargo and passengers at Okinawa and then headed back to San Francisco.

After hostilities

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Gilliam arrived back at San Francisco on 10 August, where nearly 1,000 troops were embarked and brought to Pearl Harbor on 27 August. Men of the Headquarters and Service Battalions, 5th Amphibious Corps came on board at Hawaii, and Gilliam sailed 1 September for Sasebo, Japan, and put her occupation troops ashore 3 weeks later.

On 25 September 1945 she got underway for Manila, and after embarking more than 450 veterans of the 33rd Infantry Division at Lingayen Gulf, she carried them to Sasebo, arriving 15 October.

Operation Magic Carpet

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After returning to Cebu in the Philippines 29 October, she became part of the Operation Magic Carpet fleet and sailed 2 November with 1,000 sailors and soldiers, debarking them at Portland, Oregon, 21 November 1945.

Operation Crossroads

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Map showing Gilliam (5) near the center of the Able blast.

Following a voyage to Samar, Gilliam moored at Pearl Harbor on 16 February 1946 and prepared to participate in the atomic bomb tests at Bikini atoll in the summer of 1946. On the morning of 1 July 1946, Gilliam, a target ship for Test Able, was the first ship struck by the blast and sunk quickly in Bikini lagoon, badly damaged.[1] She was decommissioned, 5 July 1946 and struck from the Naval Register, 20 July 1946.

Decorations

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Gilliam received three battle stars for World War II service and two Navy Occupation Service Medals for her actions during the occupation of Japan.

References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

USS Gilliam

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The USS Gilliam (APA-57) was a , named after Gilliam County in , that served in the United States Navy during , primarily transporting troops and equipment in the Pacific theater before being sunk as a during the 1946 nuclear tests at . Built under a Maritime Commission contract by the in Wilmington, , the ship was laid down on 30 November 1943, launched on 28 March 1944, and commissioned on 1 August 1944 under the command of Hans B. Olsen, USNR. With a displacement of 4,247 tons, a length of 426 feet, a beam of 58 feet, and a top speed of 16.9 knots, she was armed with one 5-inch gun, eight 40 mm guns, and ten 20 mm guns to defend against air attacks while carrying up to 27 officers and 295 enlisted personnel along with troops. As the of her class, designed specifically for amphibious assault operations, the Gilliam underwent shakedown training along the coast from 20 August to 5 September 1944 before deploying to the Pacific. During the war, the Gilliam played a key role in several major campaigns, departing on 16 October 1944 and arriving at Milne Bay, , on 3 November to embark elements of the for transport to in the , where she supported landings on 18 November. She endured intense Japanese air attacks near on 5 December 1944, during which her gunners were credited with downing two enemy aircraft, and later rescued 181 survivors from the USS Lamson (DD-367) on 8 December after it struck a mine. The ship continued to the landings on 11 January 1945 and the assault on Okinawa from 1 to 5 April 1945, earning two battle stars for her service in the and Okinawa operations. Following Japan's surrender, the Gilliam participated in , repatriating over 1,000 American servicemen from the to the in late 1945 and early 1946. Following her postwar operations, she was selected for and positioned at , where she was sunk by the aerial detonation of the atomic bomb during Test Able on 1 July 1946; the vessel was stricken from the Register on 15 August 1946.

Design and construction

Specifications and class

The USS Gilliam (APA-57) was the of the Gilliam-class attack transports, consisting of 32 vessels designed and constructed for rapid wartime production to support amphibious assaults in . These ships utilized a modified Maritime Commission S4-SE2-BD1 hull type, optimized by naval architects for efficient troop and cargo transport while incorporating features like boat davits for deployment. Named after Gilliam County in , the class emphasized simplicity in design to enable quick assembly by yards such as in Wilmington, . The Gilliam-class vessels displaced 4,247 tons light and 7,080 tons at full load, with principal dimensions of 426 feet in overall length, a 58-foot beam, and a 16-foot draft. Propulsion was provided by a Westinghouse turbo-electric drive system, featuring two boilers operating at 450 psi and 750°F, twin screws, and a designed shaft horsepower of 6,000, enabling a top speed of 16.9 knots.
CategoryDetails
Armament1 × 5"/38 caliber ; 4 × twin 40 mm antiaircraft guns; 10 × single 20 mm Oerlikon antiaircraft guns
Troop Capacity47 officers and 804 enlisted men (850 total)
Crew Complement283 (officers and enlisted)
Landing Craft13 LCVP, 1 LCP(R), 1
This configuration allowed the ships to carry substantial personnel and cargo—up to 85,000 cubic feet or 600 tons—while maintaining defensive capabilities suited to convoy operations. The ships were equipped to carry 13 LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel), 1 LCP(R) (Landing Craft, Personnel, Ramped), and 1 LCPL (Landing Craft, Personnel, Large).

Building and launch

The USS Gilliam (APA-57) was constructed as part of the U.S. Maritime Commission's emergency World War II shipbuilding program to rapidly produce amphibious assault transports to support Pacific Theater operations. She was built by the Consolidated Steel Corporation at its Wilmington, California, shipyard under a Maritime Commission contract (hull number MC 1850), one of 32 vessels in the Gilliam class designed for quick completion to meet urgent naval demands. Construction of Gilliam began with her on 30 November 1943, following the approval of the Gilliam-class design earlier that year to standardize fast-production attack transports. The yard's assembly-line techniques, adapted from production, enabled the hull to be fabricated and launched in just over four months, exemplifying the wartime push for accelerated output amid escalating needs. Gilliam was launched on 28 March 1944, sliding down the ways into the water amid a sponsored by Mrs. A. O. Williams, wife of the hull superintendent at the Consolidated Steel yard. This event marked her as the of the class, with subsequent vessels following rapidly from the same facility to bolster the Navy's transport fleet. Following outfitting, the Maritime Commission transferred Gilliam to the U.S. Navy on 31 July 1944, completing her transition from civilian contract to military asset in under nine months from .

Commissioning and service

Shakedown and initial deployments

The USS Gilliam (APA-57) was commissioned on 1 at the U.S. Naval in San Pedro, California, under the command of Hans B. Olsen, USNR. The crew, consisting of 16 officers and 110 enlisted sailors, embarked shortly thereafter, and the ship began loading stores and ammunition in preparation for its initial operations. As the of the Gilliam-class attack transports, Gilliam was designed for rapid troop deployment in amphibious assaults, a capability that would be tested in its early phases. Following commissioning, Gilliam conducted its from 20 August to 5 September 1944 along the coast, including exercises in Los Angeles Outer Harbor, Harbor, Pyramid Cove, and off . This period focused on at-sea maneuvers and amphibious training to validate the ship's operations, gunnery systems, and overall seaworthiness under Olsen's leadership. The cruise concluded on 21 September 1944 at , where final adjustments were made before the ship proceeded to for loading troops. Gilliam's initial deployment began on 16 October 1944, when it departed carrying 752 U.S. Army personnel bound for the Pacific theater. The ship arrived at Milne Bay, , on 3 November 1944, before continuing to Oro Bay, where it embarked an additional 981 soldiers from the . Sailing as part of a large convoy, Gilliam reached in the on 18 November 1944, discharging its troops amid intermittent enemy air activity but sustaining no damage. These early missions emphasized efficient troop embarkation and secure transit, establishing Gilliam's role in supporting Allied advances without direct combat involvement at this stage.

Pacific invasions and combat actions

Following her initial deployments to the Pacific theater, USS Gilliam (APA-57) played a critical role in several major amphibious assaults, transporting troops and equipment while facing intense Japanese air threats, including conventional bombings and attacks. En route to in support of ongoing operations, Gilliam departed Hollandia, , on 29 November 1944 as part of a 36-ship . On 5 December, approximately 100 miles east of and nearing , the convoy endured heavy Japanese air attacks starting around noon, forcing Gilliam to remain at for approximately 12 hours until nearly midnight. During the assault, the ship contributed to the convoy's anti-aircraft defense, while witnessing a strike on the SS Antoine Saugrain and a hit on SS ; both vessels were temporarily stabilized but Marcus Daly sank the next day after a follow-up attack. Gilliam arrived unscathed in on 6 December and completed unloading cargo and troops at the following day, acting as a receiving ship for survivors from damaged vessels amid continued air alerts. On 8 December, she embarked 181 survivors from the USS Lamson (DD-367), which had struck a mine off Bay the previous day. In , Gilliam supported the invasion of by embarking 154 officers and 422 enlisted men of the 24th Infantry Division at Hollandia and departing on 6 January with Task Unit 77.9.9. The transport reached on 11 January, where she anchored and began debarking troops and cargo under intermittent enemy air attacks, completing the operation by 12 January despite the threats. Her timely delivery bolstered the Allied landings that secured a key foothold on . Gilliam then participated in the invasion of Okinawa. Following the operation, she returned to before proceeding via and Saipan, departing the latter on 25 February 1945 with reconnaissance elements of the 3rd Amphibious Corps as part of Transport Division 51. She joined Task Group 51.11 en route, arriving off Okinawa on 1 April amid heightened alerts and submarine threats, the ship debarked reconnaissance parties from the 3rd Amphibious Corps and unloaded elements of the 77th Infantry Division over the next three days, weathering intense anti-aircraft fire but sustaining no direct hits. The operation concluded on 4 April, after which Gilliam departed for Saipan, arriving 9 April, before continuing to on 20 April and then on 27 April for repairs and refit. In May and June 1945, Gilliam conducted an additional wartime transport mission, embarking the 6th Naval Construction (Seabee) Battalion at , on 28 May and sailing via Eniwetok and for Okinawa with 775 personnel aboard. Despite ongoing air raids upon arrival in Buckner Bay, she successfully unloaded her passengers and cargo, contributing to construction efforts on the island. For her service in these Pacific campaigns, including the Leyte landings and Okinawa assault, Gilliam earned two battle stars.

Postwar operations

Operation Magic Carpet

Following Japan's surrender in August 1945, USS Gilliam returned to the , arriving in on 10 August—just days after the atomic bombings of and —to undergo voyage repairs and the installation of portable berthing facilities. Departing on 21 August with 891 passengers, the ship reached on 27 August, where it loaded 450 tons of equipment and 569 marines at Kahului, , before returning briefly to the harbor. On 1 September, Gilliam sailed from , arriving at Saipan on 13 September and then at , , on 22 September to support occupation duties in the immediate postwar period. Gilliam commenced its primary role in Operation Magic Carpet—the U.S. Navy's massive repatriation effort—upon arriving at Cebu, Philippines, on 29 October 1945, joining Task Group 16.2 dedicated to transporting service members home. Departing Cebu that day, the ship stopped at Guiuan Bay on 3 November to embark 747 enlisted men and 14 officers, then proceeded to Portland, Oregon, disembarking approximately 1,000 personnel (including 301 enlisted and 23 officers originally from Cebu) upon arrival via the Columbia River on 21 November after a diversion due to heavy weather. As a Gilliam-class attack transport, Gilliam exemplified the fast, troop-carrying vessels that enabled the operation's efficiency, contributing to the overall effort that repatriated 8 million American service members across four continents in just 360 days using over 700 ships and aircraft carriers. After voyage repairs in , Gilliam departed Portland on 18 1945, arriving at Guiuan Harbor, , on 9 January 1946 to load cargo and passengers before sailing to on 3 February and reaching there on 16 February, marking the conclusion of its active service. The ship then returned to on 5 March 1946 for preparations.

Preparation for atomic testing

Upon mooring at Pearl Harbor on 16 February 1946, Gilliam was selected as a target ship for , a series of nuclear tests designed to evaluate the effects of atomic detonations on naval vessels, equipment, and materials under simulated combat conditions. Preparations at included conditioning the vessel, installing scientific instruments such as pressure gauges and radiation monitors, loading animals for biological studies, equipment for blast testing, and ensuring watertight integrity, alongside similar work on other target ships. In spring 1946, Gilliam joined the One's 95-vessel target fleet and departed in May or June, arriving at before 30 June to take up position in the lagoon. She was anchored at Berth 186, approximately 750 yards south-southeast of the planned detonation point, to replicate realistic wartime fleet configurations amid an array of battleships, carriers, cruisers, , and other amphibious craft. The of about 91 was evacuated prior to the tests, transferring to support vessels like USS Bottineau to ensure safety during the detonations.

Operation Crossroads and fate

Participation in the tests

was a joint and Navy operation conducted at in July 1946, marking the first nuclear tests following . The series consisted of two detonations: the Able test, an airburst on 1 July 1946, and the Baker test, an on 25 July 1946, both utilizing approximately 23-kiloton devices to evaluate the effects of nuclear weapons on naval vessels, equipment, and personnel. Prior to the detonations, the crew of USS Gilliam was evacuated from the vessel in accordance with standard safety protocols, leaving the ship unmanned during the tests to minimize human exposure to blast and effects. During the Able test, USS Gilliam was moored aft of USS Nevada in Bikini Lagoon, within 1,000 feet of the intended ground zero as part of the target array. Due to the bomb's misplacement—dropped approximately 2,130 feet off target—the 23-kiloton airburst detonated at an altitude of 520 feet about 50 yards off Gilliam's bow, making it the unintended ground zero. The immediate effects on Gilliam included severe blast overpressure that ruptured the hull midships, stripped starboard shell plating forward to frame 30 (about 90 feet from the bow), and crushed the , with minimal fire damage amid rapid flooding. Following the Able test, scientific teams conducted underwater inspections via divers to evaluate the damage, focusing on structural integrity, equipment functionality, and levels; these findings contributed valuable data to subsequent designs hardened against nuclear threats.

Sinking and decommissioning

During Test Able of Operation Crossroads on 1 July 1946, USS Gilliam (APA-57) was positioned aft of USS Nevada in Bikini Lagoon and became the unintended ground zero due to the bomb's misplacement. The 23-kiloton airburst detonation at 520 feet altitude generated severe blast overpressure that ruptured the ship's hull midships, stripping starboard shell plating forward to frame 30 (about 90 feet from the bow) and crushing the superstructure, leading to rapid progressive flooding through breached compartments. The vessel sank bow-first at a 70-degree angle in just 79 seconds—far faster than anticipated for a Gilliam-class attack transport—settling upright on the lagoon bottom at a depth of approximately 55 meters (180 feet). Initial surveys by Navy divers shortly after the blast documented extensive structural deformation, including a forward main deck compressed to within 5 feet of the hull bottom and minimal fire damage amid the overwhelming flooding, with the wreck appearing nearly upright but mangled. No salvage efforts were pursued due to the rapid sinking and from the test. The ship was formally decommissioned on 5 July 1946 at , reflecting its total loss as a target vessel. It was subsequently stricken from the on 15 August 1946, ending its active service and leaving it as a radioactive wreck on the lagoon floor without plans for salvage or refloating.

Honors and legacy

Decorations and awards

The USS Gilliam (APA-57) earned two battle stars for her service as part of the , recognizing participation in the Philippine Islands campaign—specifically the landings on 18 November 1944—and the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto from 1 to 5 April 1945. These stars were awarded based on criteria established in the Navy and Marine Corps Awards Manual for involvement in designated named operations during combat. Gilliam supported the by transporting troops to , arriving on 22 September 1945, which qualified her crew for the with Asia clasp under criteria for 30 days or more of service in occupied Asian territories from 2 September 1945 to 27 April 1952. While Gilliam's voyages involved repatriation from Pacific areas, her activities did not extend to European occupation zones qualifying for that clasp, limiting awards to the Asian theater. These honors, presented collectively to the vessel and her crew, underscored the ship's critical role in high-risk amphibious operations , though she received no Presidential Unit Citation.

Wreck site and modern significance

The USS Gilliam lies upright in the lagoon of , , at a depth of approximately 55 meters (180 feet), having sunk bow-first during the Able test on July 1, 1946. The wreck is heavily damaged, with its hull smashed downward from the direct blast impact just 50 yards away, resulting in pancaked decks, a flattened and port-shifted superstructure, a crumpled bow, and peeled-back shell plating; by 1989 surveys, it appeared as a barely recognizable, mangled pile of metal compressed into itself. Over decades, the site has become encrusted with coral and supports thriving , including reef fish, snapper, jacks, and sharks, demonstrating ecological recovery in the lagoon despite the atoll's overall uninhabitability. Radiation from the 1946 nuclear tests initially produced high beta and gamma levels on the wreck, contributing to Atoll's designation as uninhabitable since 1946 due to persistent soil and fallout contamination, including isotopes like cesium-137. However, water and short-term diving exposure now show no longer significantly above background levels, deemed safe with standard precautions. As part of the "Nuclear Ghost Fleet"—the remnants of 95 target vessels from —the Gilliam serves as a premier technical dive site accessible only via specialized expeditions from , limited to advanced divers due to depths of 50-60 meters and entanglement hazards. Annual visits by small groups highlight its allure among the atoll's wrecks, often termed the pinnacle of WWII-era , though operations remain exclusive and costly to manage environmental sensitivities. The wreck symbolizes the early effects of nuclear weaponry, providing a preserved underwater archive of blast dynamics and atomic-era experimentation. In the , advanced sonar and 3D imaging by National Geographic's "" series enabled detailed virtual reconstructions, revealing the bomb's extreme heat—hotter than the Sun's surface—and structural devastation for ongoing historical and scientific analysis. As of 2024, rising sea levels pose additional threats to the atoll's wrecks and ecosystem, exacerbating historical radiation concerns for the displaced Islanders.
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