>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1969) Vol. 4, p.487; (1970) Vol. 5, p.194.





OXFORD



		Oxford:  Towns, cities, and counties in Alabama, 

Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, 

Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, 

Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey, 

New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia 

and Wisconsin.





APA-189



Displacement: 6,878 t.

Length:  455’

Beam:  62’

Draft:  24’

Speed:  17.7 k.

Complement:  536

Armament:  1 5”; 12 40mm

Class:  HASKELL

Maritime Standard Type:  VC2-S-AP5





	Class statistics



HASKELL Class (APA 117-180,187-239)



Overall Length:  455’

Extreme Beam:  62’

Trial Displacement:  14,837 t.

Limiting Draft:  24’

Speed:  19 k. (APA 117-196)

        18 k. (APA 197-206,208-239)

        19 k. (APA 207)

Accommodations:

	Ship’s Company:

		Officer:  56

		Enlisted:  480

	Troop Capacity:

		Officer:  86

		Enlisted:  1,475

Cargo Capacity:  150,000 cu.ft.; 2,900 t.

Armament:  (Aug 1945)

	1 5”/38

	1 40mm quad mount

	4 40mm twin mounts

	10 20mm single mounts

Engines:  Geared turbine drive

	Westinghouse 

		(APA 117,122,129,131,133,141-145,151-180,204-231)

	Joshua Hendy

		(APA 118-121,123,125-128,130,132,134-140,146-150,

			232-239)

	Allis-Chalmers

		(APA 187-203)

Boilers:  2 each

	Babcock & Wilcox; header-type

		(APA 117-150,155,156,169-180,201,204,207-211,213,

			218,224,225,231-239

	Combustion Engineering; header-type

		(APA 151-154,157-168,187-200,202,203,205,206,212,

			214-217,219-223,226-230)

Propulsion:

	Propellers:  1

	Designed Shaft Horsepower:  8,500





	The first OXFORD (APA-189) was laid down 17 April 1944 

as M.C. Hull 657 by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, 

Wash.; launched 12 July; underwent trials prior to 

acceptance by the Navy; and commissioned 11 September at the 

Naval Station, Astoria, Oregon, Comdr. Paul S. Crandall in 

command.



	After a brief fitting out period and shakedown in the 

Seattle and San Diego areas, OXFORD embarked 1,478 troops at 

San Francisco and steamed for the Southwest Pacific, 

26 October 1944.  She arrived Finschhafen, New Guinea, 

12 November, and then operated between Hollandia and Noumea, 

New Caledonia, as well as between Florida and Manus Islands.



	OXFORD participated in landing operations in Lingayen 

Gulf, Luzon, P.I., 11-13 January 1945 as a unit of TG 77.9.  

She then continued to transport troops between Leyte, Manus, 

and Wakde Islands.  She also provided troop transport 

services during the initial landings at Okinawa 1-5 April, 

after which she steamed to Guam, to Pearl Harbor, and 

finally to San Francisco, arriving 11 May to embark 

replacement troops.



	One week later, she again steamed for the Southwest 

Pacific, this time to the Carolines, the Philippines, New 

Guinea, and Eniwetok, which she reached 22 July.  On the 

24th, she departed in company with three other ships for San 

Francisco, but two days out, she had to put in at Midway to 

repack her stern tube.  She then steamed independently for 

San Francisco 29 July, but enroute was diverted to San 

Pedro, where she tied up the second week of August.



	After voyage repairs at Todd Shipyard, San Pedro, and 

assumption of command by Captain J. C. Goodnough, OXFORD 

called at both San Diego and San Francisco.  She departed 

23 August for Eniwetok with Army replacement troops.  After 

calls at Ulithi, Manila, Subic Bay, and Japanese ports, 

OXFORD returned to San Francisco in late November.



	In January 1946, OXFORD was released from the naval 

service for postwar disposal.  Assigned to Commander, 5th 

Naval District, she arrived Norfolk, Va. 26 February, 

decommissioned 17 April, was redelivered to the War Shipping 

Administration the next day, and was struck from the Navy 

List 1 May.



	OXFORD received one battle star for World War II 

service.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com