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

(1969) Vol. 4, pp.228-229, 487.





MARATHON



		Marathon:  A county in central Wisconsin.





APA-200



Displacement: 10,680 t.

Length:  455’

Beam:  62’

Draft:  24’

Speed:  17.7 k.

Complement:  692

Armament:  1 5”; 12 40mm; 10 20mm

Class:  HASKELL





	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





	MARATHON (APA-200), built under Maritime Commission 

contract, was laid down by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., 

Vancouver, Wash.; launched 7 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. 

E. L. Greene; acquired by the Navy on loan charter 27 

October 1944; and commissioned 28 October 1944, Comdr. J. W. 

McElroy in command.



	Following shakedown exercises, MARATHON underwent 

amphibious training operations off the southern California 

coast and in the Hawaiian Islands.  On 24 January 1945, she 

departed Pearl Harbor, with army, marine, and naval 

passengers, and steamed independently for Espiritu Santo and 

Guadalcanal.  She arrived in the New Hebrides 2 February, 

disembarked her army passengers and general cargo and 

continued on to the Solomons, arriving at Guadalcanal on the 

7th.  At the end of the month, the transport commenced a 

period of intensive amphibious exercises in preparation for 

the upcoming Okinawa campaign.



	On 22 March, she got underway for Ulithi, conducting 

gunnery drills en route, and 27 March sailed with the fleet 

for the Ryukyus.  Just before dawn, 1 April, MARATHON began 

dispatching her boats toward the beaches.  Commencing with 

smoke boats, she continued unloading troops and cargo into 

the afternoon, losing only one of her landing craft, with no 

casualties, to enemy fire.



	The transport remained in the assault zone until 

5 April when she headed for the Marianas.  From Saipan, she 

returned to Pearl Harbor, arriving on the 20th for 

maintenance.  Following training, MARATHON called at San 

Francisco to embark troops bound for Hawaii.  She returned 

to Pearl Harbor 8 June and headed for the western Pacific 2 

days later, steaming via Eniwetok and Ulithi, for Okinawa.  

MARATHON reached that island 14 July and proceeded into 

newly named Buckner Bay, where she discharged passengers and 

cargo.



	On 22 July, while at anchor in Buckner Bay, MARATHON's 

hull trembled with a force of a violent explosion.  Postwar 

examination of Japanese records indicates that the 

explosion, which resulted in extensive damage, was caused by 

a kaiten, a one-man suicide Japanese submarine, launched by 

submarine I-53.



	Following prolonged repairs, on 16 September MARATHON 

sailed to Nagasaki to embark ex-POWs of varying nationality 

for transport to Okinawa.  From October to February, she 

swept minefields in the Nagoya, Hiro Wan, and Ise Wan areas.



	MARATHON headed for the United States in late February 

1946.  She decommissioned and returned to her owners at San 

Francisco 8 May.



	MARATHON received two battle stars for World War II 

service.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com