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USS Thurston
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USS Thurston
USS Thurston (AP-77) was a troop transport that served with the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after counties in Nebraska and Washington.
Thurston was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 134) as SS Delsantos (sometimes styled as Del Santos) on 9 December 1941 at Kearney, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, for the Mississippi Shipping Company; launched on 4 April 1942; and delivered on 11 July 1942. The ship was acquired by the Navy from the War Shipping Administration under a bare boat charter on 13 September 1942 and was renamed Dauphin and designated AP-77 on 16 September. However, to avoid confusion with a Canadian ship, HMCS Dauphin, the ship was again renamed on 18 September, this time as Thurston.
Commissioned on 19 September 1942, Thurston was converted into an auxiliary transport by the Atlantic Basin Iron Works of Brooklyn, New York, and was ready for sea on the 24th.
Following shakedown training out of Little Creek, Virginia, and landing exercises with Army units at Solomons Island, Maryland, the transport sortied on 24 October with Task Group (TG) 34.9, the Center Attack Force, for the invasion of North Africa. Her holds and decks were combat-loaded with men and equipment of the 15th Infantry Regiment.
On the morning of 8 November, she arrived in the transport area off Fedhala, French Morocco. Since her troops were assigned to the reserve force, she did not begin disembarking them until late that evening. On the 13th, Thurston entered Casablanca harbor to finish unloading supplies and equipment. She began her return voyage on the 15th and arrived at Hampton Roads 11 days later. Two round-trip voyages across the Atlantic carrying reinforcements to North Africa were next on her agenda. She then spent March and April undergoing repairs and alterations.
On 10 May, the ship sailed with convoy UGF-8A for Oran with troops to be used in the Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. In early June, Thurston embarked units of the 16th Infantry Regiment and headed to Algiers for landing rehearsals. On 6 July, she sortied with Task force (TF) 81 and, on the 9th, arrived in the assault area off Gela. The ship landed the troops early the next morning, completed unloading on the 12th, and returned via Algiers to Oran. On 22 July, she headed to New York City for more troops and supplies and was back at Oran on 2 September. Five days later, she embarked 600 German prisoners of war and disembarked them at New York on the 22nd.
On 8 October, the transport—loaded with American troops—joined Convoy UT-3 and debarked them at Gourock, Scotland, on the 17th. She then proceeded to Glasgow to pick up Canadian troops, returned to Gourock, and joined a convoy for North Africa. The convoy arrived off Algiers on 6 November and, that evening, was subjected to an air attack in which destroyer USS Beatty (DD-640), SS Santa Elena, and the Dutch ship SS Mornix van St. Aldegonde were torpedoed and sunk while Allied ships splashed six German planes.
The remainder of the convoy arrived at Naples two days later, and Thurston disembarked the Canadians. She then moved to Palermo to pick up elements of the American 1st Armored Division for passage to Scotland. After a week at Gourock, the transport got underway for the United States on the last day of November and reached New York on 9 December 1943.
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USS Thurston
USS Thurston (AP-77) was a troop transport that served with the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after counties in Nebraska and Washington.
Thurston was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 134) as SS Delsantos (sometimes styled as Del Santos) on 9 December 1941 at Kearney, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Company, for the Mississippi Shipping Company; launched on 4 April 1942; and delivered on 11 July 1942. The ship was acquired by the Navy from the War Shipping Administration under a bare boat charter on 13 September 1942 and was renamed Dauphin and designated AP-77 on 16 September. However, to avoid confusion with a Canadian ship, HMCS Dauphin, the ship was again renamed on 18 September, this time as Thurston.
Commissioned on 19 September 1942, Thurston was converted into an auxiliary transport by the Atlantic Basin Iron Works of Brooklyn, New York, and was ready for sea on the 24th.
Following shakedown training out of Little Creek, Virginia, and landing exercises with Army units at Solomons Island, Maryland, the transport sortied on 24 October with Task Group (TG) 34.9, the Center Attack Force, for the invasion of North Africa. Her holds and decks were combat-loaded with men and equipment of the 15th Infantry Regiment.
On the morning of 8 November, she arrived in the transport area off Fedhala, French Morocco. Since her troops were assigned to the reserve force, she did not begin disembarking them until late that evening. On the 13th, Thurston entered Casablanca harbor to finish unloading supplies and equipment. She began her return voyage on the 15th and arrived at Hampton Roads 11 days later. Two round-trip voyages across the Atlantic carrying reinforcements to North Africa were next on her agenda. She then spent March and April undergoing repairs and alterations.
On 10 May, the ship sailed with convoy UGF-8A for Oran with troops to be used in the Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. In early June, Thurston embarked units of the 16th Infantry Regiment and headed to Algiers for landing rehearsals. On 6 July, she sortied with Task force (TF) 81 and, on the 9th, arrived in the assault area off Gela. The ship landed the troops early the next morning, completed unloading on the 12th, and returned via Algiers to Oran. On 22 July, she headed to New York City for more troops and supplies and was back at Oran on 2 September. Five days later, she embarked 600 German prisoners of war and disembarked them at New York on the 22nd.
On 8 October, the transport—loaded with American troops—joined Convoy UT-3 and debarked them at Gourock, Scotland, on the 17th. She then proceeded to Glasgow to pick up Canadian troops, returned to Gourock, and joined a convoy for North Africa. The convoy arrived off Algiers on 6 November and, that evening, was subjected to an air attack in which destroyer USS Beatty (DD-640), SS Santa Elena, and the Dutch ship SS Mornix van St. Aldegonde were torpedoed and sunk while Allied ships splashed six German planes.
The remainder of the convoy arrived at Naples two days later, and Thurston disembarked the Canadians. She then moved to Palermo to pick up elements of the American 1st Armored Division for passage to Scotland. After a week at Gourock, the transport got underway for the United States on the last day of November and reached New York on 9 December 1943.