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

(1969) Vol. 4, p.486; (1976) Vol. 6, p.521.





SITKA



	Sitka:  A town on the western coast of Baranof Island, 

Alaska.





APA-113



Displacement:  8,393 t. 

Length:  492’

Beam:  69’6”

Draft:  26’

Speed:  18.4 k.

Complement:  478

Armament:  2 5”; 4 40mm; 18 20mm

Class:  BAYFIELD

       (The DANFS also calls SITKA a CUSTER (APA-40) class, 

        but APA-40 is included in the BAYFIELD class.

        See below.)

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





	SITKA (APA-113) was laid down on 2 February 1944 under 

Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 875) by the Ingalls 

Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula Miss.; launched on 23 June 

1944; sponsored by Mrs. Mary Lee Council; and commissioned 

on 14 March 1945, Capt. Charles F. M. S. Quinby in command.



	SITKA departed Mobile on 20 March 1945; and, after 

stopping at New Orleans for supplies, arrived at Bolivar 

Roads, Galveston, on 28 March 1945 for shakedown.  However, 

her shakedown lasted only four days as she received orders 

to report to Newport, R.I., for duty as training ship for 

precommissioning crews being formed there.  SITKA arrived at 

Newport on 6 April and, for two and one-half months, she 

trained crews of new amphibious and auxiliary vessels in 

seamanship and gunnery.  Relieved by sister ship GUILFORD 

(APA-112), SITKA sailed from Newport for Norfolk on 25 June.



	After a brief overhaul, SITKA sailed from Norfolk on 

6 July with a replacement draft of several hundred marines, 

as well as other troops and cargo.  Transiting the Panama 

Canal on 11 July, SITKA called at Pearl Harbor from 24 July 

to 3 August and at Eniwetok on the 11th and 12th, before 

arriving at Guam on the 15th.  She discharged her troops and 

cargo at Guam, and sailed for Manila on 27 August to embark 

troops for the occupation of Japan.  Departing Manila on 

7 September, the transport arrived at Yokohama, Japan, on 

the 13th and began disembarking troops and equipment two 

days later.  SITKA departed Yokohama on the 19th; and, 

between 23 and 27 September, embarked units of the 

6th Marine Division at Guam for the occupation of Tsingtao, 

China.  She arrived at Tsingtao on 11 October and 

disembarked her troops and cargo on the 15th and 16th.  

After returning to Manila on the 23d for a week of upkeep, 

she embarked units of the 52d Chinese National Army at 

Haiphong, Indochina, on 3 November, and disembarked them at 

Chinwangtao in northern China on the 13th.  After a week at 

Taku, she departed China on the 21st and arrived at Manila 

on the 26th to join operation "Magic Carpet," the 

transportation of war veterans home to the United States.  

SITKA sailed from Manila on 28 November carrying 

homeward-bound servicemen and arrived at Seattle, Wash., on 

14 December.



	SITKA remained at Seattle for repairs until sailing to 

Saipan and Guam on 30 January 1946.  The ship arrived at San 

Pedro on 23 February and got underway for the east coast on 

1 March.  On 16 March, she arrived at Norfolk, Va., for 

deactivation.  SITKA was decommissioned on 14 May 1946, 

returned to the War Shipping Administration the next day, 

and struck from the Navy list on 5 June 1946.  She was sold 

into mercantile Service as P. & T. TRADER in 1947, and, 

after being renamed MORMACGUIDE in 1957 and AMERICAN CONDOR 

in 1964, remains in service into 1974.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com