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

(1969) Vol. 4, pp.487, 705; (1970) Vol. 5, p.321.





PITT



		Pitt:  A county in North Carolina.





APA-223



Displacement: 14,837 t. 

Length:  455’

Beam:  62’0”

Draft:  24’0”

Speed:  18 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





	PITT (APA-223) was laid down 8 September 1944 by 

Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond, Calif., as MCV hull 571; 

launched 10 November 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Gwin Fallis; 

and commissioned 11 December 1944, Capt. Walter S. Mayer, 

Jr. in command.



	After shakedown off the California coast, PITT departed 

10 February 1945 via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, for Ulithi 

Atoll, Caroline Islands, to join 600 other ships preparing 

for the invasion of Okinawa.  She unloaded half of her 

ammunition cargo there, and the rest at Leyte.  After 

loading Army troops from damaged attack transport SAMUEL 

CHASE (APA-26), she steamed for Kerama Retto where her 

troops cleaned out Zamami Shima, key island in the small 

group off the southwest coast of Okinawa.  She then became 

"receiving ship" for the Kerama Retto Naval Base, caring for 

several hundred survivors of Japanese suicide attacks, and 

shooting down one suicide plane 6 April.  PITT steamed to 

Saipan, Tulagi, Noumea, and Guam before returning with 

passengers to San Francisco where she celebrated the 

Japanese surrender.



	On 19 August, PITT sailed via Ulithi to Mindanao and 

Leyte, where she loaded troops to occupy Aomori, northern 

Honshu, Japan, 25 September.  PITT then began a series of 

“Magic Carpet” assignments, returning fighting men to the 

States from such Pacific locations as Saipan and Tinian, 

Manila and Nagoya, Japan.  She decommissioned and was 

transferred to the Maritime Commission 9 April 1947 and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 23 April 1947.  Placed 

in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, she remains berthed 

at Suisun Bay in 1970.



	PITT received one battle star for World War II service.



	[On 14 August 1968, the designation “attack transport,” 

APA, was changed to “amphibious transport,” LPA, and APA-223 

became LPA-223.  PITT was disposed of by MARAD exchange on 

1 February 1980.]



Internet Web Site:

	Naval Vessel Register

		www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/LPA223.htm





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com