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

(1969) Vol. 4, pp.432, 487.





MONTROSE



	Montrose:  A county in Colorado.





APA-212



Displacement:  14,387 t.

Length:  455’

Beam:  62’

Draft:  24’

Speed:  18 k.

Complement:  692

Armament:  1 5”; 12 40mm

Class:  HASKELL

Maritime Commission 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





	MONTROSE (APA-212) was laid down under Maritime 

Commission Contract 17 June 1944, by Permanente Metals 

Corp., Richmond, Calif.; launched 13 September 1944; 

sponsored by Mrs. Marcia C. Barnhart; and commissioned 

2 November 1944, Comdr. H. G. Davis in command.



	After shakedown off California, MONTROSE embarked 

troops at Seattle, Wash., and steamed to the Philippines, 

arriving at Leyte 21 February to prepare for the invasion of 

the Ryukyus.  She participated in the landings in Kerama 

Retto 26 March, and on 2 April, splashed two kamikazes.  She 

steamed to Menna Shima off Okinawa 15 April, and disembarked 

units of the 306th Field Artillery.  Four days later, she 

took part in a diversionary feint on the southwest tip of 

Okinawa, returning to Menna Shima 23 April.  Leaving the 

Ryukyus, she sailed to Ulithi with Army casualties, en route 

to San Francisco to embark more troops.



	She debarked these units at Manila 27 July.  For the 

next 2 months, she shuttled troops between the Philippines 

and Hawaii.  From 25 August to 24 October, MONTROSE was busy 

carrying occupation troops to Sasebo, Kyushu.  She 

decommissioned 26 October 1946, and was assigned to the 

Reserve Fleet at Stockton, Calif.



	After hostilities broke out in Korea, MONTROSE 

recommissioned 12 September 1950, and arrived Yokosuka, 

Japan, 8 January 1951 to help repel the Communist invasion.  

She took troops to Inchon early in 1951; and, in April, 

after a run to Hong Kong, she steamed for the California 

coast.  She returned to Yokosuka 30 July 1952, and joined TF 

90, supporting operations off Korea, until returning to San 

Diego 6 December.



	She returned to Japan in March 1954 and took part in 

training exercises from Iwo Jima to Korea.  When Communism 

threatened in Indochina, she sailed to Saigon.  Leaving 

Saigon 9 August, she proceeded to Haiphong to evacuate 

refugees from there to Saigon as part of operation "Passage 

to Freedom."  By 12 September, MONTROSE had evacuated 9,050 

people.  She sailed home, arriving San Diego 21 November.



	In March 1955, she steamed again for Japan, 

disembarking members of the 3d Marine Division.  Between 

April and November, she helped train South Korean amphibious 

forces and operated off the Japanese coast, until steaming 

to San Diego in November.  She spent the early part of 1956 

in training, before proceeding to the Far East for 

operations in the Bay of Siam on October.  She arrived San 

Diego 13 April 1957, and operated off the California coast 

for the next 5 months.  In September, she took part in cold 

weather landing exercises near Kodiak, Alaska, then remained 

on the west coast until 12 June, when she steamed for Japan.  

Between 1959 and 1965, she operated off the California 

coast, and made several voyages to the Far East.  With the 

situation in South Vietnam becoming more precarious, she 

left San Diego 23 August 1965, to begin training off 

Okinawa.  In November, she conducted several successful 

strikes against the Vietcong, the first attack coming at 

Lang Ke Ga.  The following month, she participated in a 

massive attack on the Vietcong near Da Nang.  She sailed 

25 January 1966 for Cu Lao Re, and assisted in an attack on 

a Vietcong stronghold there.  She arrived 14 April at San 

Diego, and returned for her 12th deployment in the western 

Pacific early in 1967.  She anchored at the mouth of Long 

Tau river, South Vietnam, on 23 March, and took part in the 

establishment of a powerful riverine force.  While 

delivering supplies at Dong Ha 25 May, MONTROSE came under 

hostile fire.  She arrived 16 September 1968 at San Diego, 

and began preparation for a return trip to the western 

Pacific into 1969.



	MONTROSE received one battle star for World War II 

service, and three for Korean service.



	[Reclassified LPA-212, an amphibious transport, on 

1 January 1969, MONTROSE was stricken from the Naval Vessel 

Register on 2 November 1969.]



“Jane’s Fighting Ships, 1970-71,” p.494.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com