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

(1969) Vol. 4, p.487; (1970) Vol. 5, pp.293-294.





PICKENS



		Pickens:  Counties in Alabama, Georgia and South 

Carolina.





APA-190



Displacement: 14,833 t. (fully loaded)

Length:  455’

Beam:  62’

Draft:  28’1”

Speed:  17 k.

Complement:  501

Troop Capacity:  1,562

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





	PICKENS (APA-190), built under Maritime Commission 

contract (MCV hull 658), was laid down by the Kaiser 

Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, Wash., 22 April 1944; launched 

21 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Howard Denhart; delivered to 

the Navy and commissioned 18 September 1944, Comdr. John V. 

McElduff in command.



	Following shakedown, PICKENS steamed west, engaged in 

amphibious training in Hawaiian waters, and on 27 January 

1945, got underway for the western Pacific with elements of 

the 4th Marine Division embarked.  A unit of TransDiv 45, 

she arrived off Iwo Jima on the morning of 19 February and 

despite cold weather and high seas stood off the assault 

beach, 0730-1800, to land troops and equipment.  Retiring at 

night, she returned daily to continue offloading cargo and 

to take on casualties.  On the 28th, she got underway for 

Saipan, thence, to Guam to disembark her casualty 

passengers.



	For the next month, PICKENS, with 2nd Division Marines 

embarked, rehearsed for operation "Iceberg".  On 27 March, 

she departed the Marianas and on 1 April participated in the 

diversionary landings on Okinawa's southeastern coast, 

during which she assumed duties of Division Commander 

(TransDiv 44) after attack transport HINSDALE (APA-120) was 

kamikazed.  She effected the rescue of survivors from that 

APA, LST-884 and LST-724.  On the 2nd, she repeated the 

feint, then swung around to the stand-by area where she 

remained until the 9th.  PICKENS then returned to Saipan and 

on the 14th debarked her troops.



	On 4 June, PICKENS sailed for Noumea, whence she 

carried cargo back to the Marianas before heading back to 

California and availability.  Arriving at San Francisco 

3 August, she completed availability after the end of the 

war and at the end of the month joined others of her type in 

carrying occupation troops to the Far East and bringing back 

veterans.  She completed "Magic Carpet" duty at San 

Francisco 7 January 1946, then got underway for the east 

coast and inactivation.  Decommissioning at Norfolk 12 April 

1946, she was redelivered to the Maritime Commission 

18 April and on 1 May her name was struck from the Navy 

List.  Into 1970, she remains with the National Defense 

Reserve Fleet laid up at the James River Berthing area.



	PICKENS earned two battle stars during World War II.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com