>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” (1969) Vol. 4, pp.167, 487. LYCOMING Lycoming: A county in northern Pennsylvania. APA-155 Displacement: 6,873 t. Length: 455’ Beam: 62’ Draft: 24’ Speed: 17.7 k. Complement: 536 Troop Capacity: 1,566 Armament: 1 5”; 12 40mm; 10 20mm 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 LYCOMING (APA-155) was laid down 30 May 1944 by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, Oreg., under a Maritime Commission contract; launched 25 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Schuyler N. Pyne, wife of Captain (later Rear Admiral) Pyne; acquired by the Navy and commissioned at Astoria, Oreg., 20 September 1944, Comdr. D. B. Coleman in command. After shakedown off the west coast, LYCOMING sailed into Seattle 1 November 1944 to serve as a training ship for new attack transport crews. Testing her own training, she departed the west coast with 1,441 troops embarked, for Pearl Harbor and the western Pacific. Arriving Leyte, Philippine Islands, 24 February, she was assigned to Transport Squadron 13 which was already rehearsing for the Okinawa invasion. Despite enemy kamikaze attacks, she debarked 1,294 officers and men of the Army's 7th Division Artillery with their ordnance and supplies on this enemy bastion between 1 and 5 April. Her mission accomplished, she returned to the United States 11 May for additional troops. Within a week, 1,200 additional men were on their way to Manila. After her arrival 12 June, LYCOMING was temporarily transferred to the 7th Fleet to relocate troops from New Guinea to the Philippines. Released after one voyage, she sailed back to San Francisco, arriving 3 August. LYCOMING was at sea headed for the Marianas with Army troops when Japan surrendered 2 September. Reaching Saipan 9 September, she was assigned to TF 54 transporting occupation troops to Japan. With her quarters filled with 2d Division Marines, she sailed with 20 other transports for a peaceful debarkation at Nagasaki, Japan, 23 September. Her final voyages were made as part of the "Magic Carpet" fleet. Embarking 2,400 veterans in the New Hebrides and New Caledonia, she landed them at San Francisco 13 November. By mid-December, LYCOMING embarked 2,023 officers and men at Okinawa and proceeded homeward, arriving Seattle early in January 1946. The veteran transport arrived Norfolk 9 February, decommissioned 14 March 1946, and was returned to the War Shipping Administration on the 21st. LYCOMING entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet and at present (1969) is berthed in James River, Va. LYCOMING received one battle star for World War II service. Transcribed by Michael Hansen mhansen2@home.com