>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” (1969) Vol. 4, pp.448, 487. MOUNTRAIL Mountrail: A county in North Dakota. APA-213 Displacement: 14,837 t. Length: 455’ Beam: 62’ Draft: 24’ Speed: 17.7 k. Complement: 567 Armament: 1 5”; 12 40mm 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 MOUNTRAIL (APA-213) was built under Maritime Commission contract by Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond, Calif.; launched 20 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Margaret H. Marshall; and commissioned 16 November 1944, Comdr. R. R. Stevens, in command. Following shakedown, MOUNTRAIL embarked troops at Seattle and sailed for the Philippines 10 January 1945. Reaching Leyte Gulf 21 February, she put to sea with men of the 77th Infantry Division for amphibious training off Leyte before departing San Pedro Bay 21 March to join a convoy for the Okinawa invasion. She arrived off Kerama Retto 26 March. While she landed troops 2 April, her gunners shot down three planes. MOUNTRAIL departed Kerama Retto and arrived San Francisco 22 May to load troops for the Philippines, whom she disembarked at Manila. Returning San Francisco 5 August, she sailed with more troops, landing them at Batangas, Luzon, 11 September. At Leyte Gulf, she took on occupation troops whom she landed at Hakodate, Japan, 4 October, then carried Marines from Japan to Tsingtao, China, before sailing for home 5 November. She decommissioned 12 July 1946 and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Stockton, Calif. With the outbreak of the Korean conflict, MOUNTRAIL recommissioned 9 September 1950, and sailed 22 December for the Far East to carry men between Japan and Korea until returning San Diego 2 August 1951. On 28 May 1952, she sailed for her second tour of duty with the 7th Fleet, operating between Hong Kong and Korea for the next 6 months. On 14 October, she joined in the feint off Kojo, Korea, which tricked the Communists completely. She returned to Long Beach in December and trained on the west coast until sailing for Japan 28 November 1953. She sailed between the Philippines and Japan until August, when she joined operation "Passage to Freedom," the massive evacuation of refugees from North to South Vietnam. She returned to Long Beach 9 October 1954, and decommissioned 1 October 1955 to return to reserve. MOUNTRAIL recommissioned 22 November 1961 and sailed to join Amphibious Squadron 12, Atlantic Fleet. During training, she operated in the Atlantic and Caribbean, strengthening American forces at Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis of fall 1962. In October and November 1964, she took part in NATO landing exercises in southern Spain, and 8 February 1965, she left Norfolk for her first deployment with the 6th Fleet. She took part in exercises off Norway in June and July, returning Norfolk 20 July. Into 1969, MOUNTRAIL has continued annual deployments with the 6th Fleet, strengthening the amphibious capability of this bulwark of freedom in the Mediterranean. MOUNTRAIL received one battle star for World War II service and three for Korean service. [Reclassified LPA-213, an amphibious transport, on 1 January 1969, MOUNTRAIL was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 December 1976. She was disposed of by sale from the Maritime Administration on 18 September 1989.] “Jane’s Fighting Ships, 1970-71,” p.494. Internet Web Site: Naval Vessel Register www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/LPA213.htm Transcribed by Michael Hansen mhansen2@home.com