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

(1969) Vol. 4, pp.35-36, 486.





LAMAR



		Lamar:  Counties in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi 

and Texas.





APA-47



Displacement: 7,845 t.

Length:  492’

Beam:  69’6”

Draft:  26’6”

Speed:  18.4 k.

Complement:  581

Armament:  2 5”; 4 40mm; 18 20mm

Class:  BAYFIELD

Maritime Commission Standard Type:  C3-S-A2





	Class Statistics



BAYFIELD class (APA 33-48,92,93,95,96,99-102,104,106-116)



Overall Length:  492’

Extreme Beam:  69’6”

Trial Displacement:  11,760 t.

Limiting Draft:  23’3”

Trial Speed:  18.4 k.

Accommodations:  (all ships)

	Ship’s Company:

		Officers:  51

		Enlisted:  524

	Troop Capacity:

		Officer:  80

		Enlisted:  1,146

	Flag Accommodations:

		Officer:  43

		Enlisted:  108

Cargo Capacity:  

	200,000 cu.ft.; 4,700 t. (APA 33-39)

	175,000 cu.ft. (APA 40-48)

	180,500 cu.ft. (APA 92,93,95,96,99-102,104,106-116)

	  4,700 t. (APA 33-48)

	  4,500 t. (APA 92,93,96,106-116)*

	  4,800 t. (APA 95,106-116)*

		* duplicate entry

Armament:  (Aug 1945)

	 1 5”/38:  all ships

	 2 single 40mm mounts:  all ships

	 2 twin 40mm mounts: 

		(APA 33,47,93,96,100-102,106-112,114-115)

	 4 twin 40mm mounts: 

		(APA 35-42,45,46,92,95,104,113,116)

	 3 twin 40mm mounts (APA 44)

	18 single 20mm mounts:  all ships

	 2 quad 1.1” mounts (APA 34,43,48)

Engines:  Geared turbine drive

	General Electric:  

		(APA 33-45,92,93,96,99-102,104,106-116)

	Westinghouse:  (APA 46-48,95)

Boilers:  2 each

	Combustion Engineering D-type:  

		(APA 33-39,92,93)

	Foster-Wheeler D-type:

		(APA 40-48,95,99-102,104,110-116)

	Babcock & Wilcox D-type:

		(APA 96)

Propulsion:

	Propellers:  1

	Designed Shaft Horsepower:  8,500





	LAMAR (AP-92) was reclassified APA-47 on 1 February 

1943; laid down 31 March 1943 by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., 

Pascagoula, Miss., under a Maritime Commission contract; 

launched 28 August 1943; sponsored by Mrs. James Oliver 

Eastland, wife of Senator Eastland of Mississippi; acquired 

by the Navy 9 November 1943; placed in ferry commission 

10 November for transfer to Brooklyn, N.Y., Lt. Comdr. J. H. 

Budd in command; decommissioned 22 November 1943 for 

conversion by Todd-Erie Basin, Brooklyn; and commissioned 

6 April 1944, Capt. Bruce K. Culver in command.



	After steaming to Norfolk 16 to 17 April for shakedown, 

LAMAR embarked 1,621 marines, and departed 13 May for the 

Pacific.  The attack transport reached Pearl Harbor 1 June, 

sailed for the west coast 5 June, visited San Diego and 

Seattle and arrived Pearl Harbor 26 June to deploy troops to 

the Marianas.  Departing in convoy 1 July, she steamed via 

Eniwetok to Guam, where she debarked 1,445 troops 21 July.



	After returning to Pearl Harbor 10 August, LAMAR held 

landing rehearsals off Maui Island to prepare for the 

invasion of the Philippines.  As flagship for TransDiv 38, 

she steamed to Manus, Admiralties, 15 September to 3 October 

and joined the 7th Fleet.



	From 14 to 20 October she sailed in convoy to Leyte 

Gulf for the long awaited reconquest of the Philippines.  

While debarking assault troops and unloading cargo at Dulag 

under cover of smoke, she fought off enemy air attacks, and 

on the 21st splashed a Japanese bomber.  That day, LAMAR 

sailed for Hollandia, New Guinea, arrived Hollandia 

26 October; embarked troops at Biak and Mios Woendi; and 

returned to Leyte Gulf 18 November with reinforcements and 

cargo.



	She departed the same day, touched Manus, and reached 

Bougainville, Solomons, 1 December.  She took on board 

troops and cargo before returning to Manus 21 December to 

prepare for the Luzon invasion.  Sailing 31 December with 

TG 79.1, she entered Lingayen Gulf 9 January 1945 and began 

debarking combat troops.  Despite frequent alerts and 

intermittent air attacks, the transport completed unloading 

the 11th and departed for Leyte, where she arrived 

14 January.  She returned to the western coast of Luzon 

29 January to debark American engineers and troops at 

San Narciso.



	From 1 February to 27 March, LAMAR operated out of 

Leyte Gulf in preparation for Operation "Iceberg," the 

invasion of Okinawa.  On 27 March, she departed the 

Philippines with 1,366 assault troops embarked.  Assigned to 

TG 55.1, she reached Okinawa 1 April and completed landing 

men and cargo the next day.  She embarked battle wounded; 

transported them to Guam 4 to 9 April; then sailed the 10th 

for San Francisco, arriving 29 April.



	Departing San Francisco 22 May, LAMAR deployed 

passengers and cargo to Pearl Harbor and Ulithi before 

reaching Guiuan, Samar, 23 June.  From 27 June to 14 July, 

she served as receiving ship for ServRon 10.  After loading 

cargo at Guiuan, she steamed to Pearl Harbor 19 July to 

1 August; discharged cargo; and departed the following day 

for San Francisco where she arrived the 9th.



	After repairs at Seattle, LAMAR sailed 8 September for 

the Marianas, reaching Guam 24 September.  She discharged 

1,517 military passengers, embarked 1,829 returning 

veterans, and steamed to San Diego 28 September to 

12 October.  On the 28th, she departed for Japan on "Magic 

Carpet" duty.  Arriving Yokosuka 28 November, she embarked 

1,810 passengers before sailing 1 December for Seattle, 

where she arrived the 14th via the North Pacific.



	On 14 January 1946, LAMAR departed Puget Sound for the 

gulf coast, arriving New Orleans 3 February.  She proceeded 

to Beaumont, Tex., 23 to 24 February, decommissioned 

7 March, and was turned over to the Maritime Commission 

3 July.



	LAMAR received five battle stars for World War II 

service.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com