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

(1969) Vol. 4, pp.87-885-86, 486.





LEON



		Leon:  Counties in Florida and Texas; the county 

in Florida named for Ponce de Leon, a 16th century Spanish 

conquistador and explorer of Florida; and the county in 

Texas for Alonzo de Leon, a Spanish captain who established 

missions in Texas.





APA-48



Displacement:  8,100 t.

Length:  492’

Beam:  69’6”

Draft:  26’6”

Speed:  18.4 k.

Complement:  571

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





	LEON (APA-48), originally planned as SEA DOLPHIN 

(AP-93), was renamed LEON 3 October 1942; redesignated 

APA-48, 1 February 1943; laid down 6 February 1943 by 

Maritime Commission contract; launched 19 June 1943; 

sponsored by Mrs. Earl K. Hammett; accepted by the Navy and 

commissioned 11 September 1943 for transfer to Bethlehem 

Steel Shipyard, Brooklyn, for conversion; decommissioned 

27 September 1943; and recommissioned in full 12 February 

1944, Capt. Bruce B. Adell in command.



	Upon arrival in Norfolk 24 February, LEON received her 

quota of landing craft and underwent shakedown.  With 1,345 

marines of the 47th Replacement Battalion and 195 Seabees 

embarked, she departed Norfolk 18 March for the Pacific, 

arriving Pearl Harbor 7 April.



	By this time, a great store of battle experience in 

operations had been gained since the early landings in the 

Solomon Islands.  With the United States now controlling 

many of the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, LEON and elements 

of the 4th Marine Division practiced and rehearsed almost 2 

months for the next leapfrog into the Marianas.  As part of 

TG 52.4, she sortied from Honolulu 29 May.  The invasion 

fleet rendezvoused at Eniwetok and arrived off Saipan 

15 June.  On D-day, LEON's beach party and boats, in the 

midst of enemy artillery and mortar fire, successfully put 

ashore their Marines although three boats were lost.  Nine 

days later, she departed and arrived Pearl Harbor 20 July.  

Again the cycle of training and invasion repeated itself.  

This time, the 81st Infantry Division was embarked with the 

Palau Islands as the objective.  On 17 September, her boats 

put 1,404 troops ashore on Angaur Island.  Recalled from the 

area 23 September, she proceeded to Manus Island in the 

Admiralty group.



	Preparations now were underway for the invasion of the 

Philippines.  LEON transported elements of the 1st Cavalry 

Division to Leyte from 16 to 22 October, and, on a repeat 

voyage, debarked troops of the 77th Division there on 

23 November.  LEON, as part of Rear Adm. R. L. Connoley's 

Reinforcement Group 77.9, brought troops from both Noemfoor 

and Leyte to Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, on 11 and 27 January, 

respectively.



	Completing the latter debarkation, the attack transport 

sailed to Guadalcanal to prepare for the Okinawa campaign.  

Departing 15 March with members of the 11th Special 

Construction Battalion and 6th Division Marines, including a 

platoon of war dogs, she arrived off the landing area on 

Easter Sunday, D-Day, 1 April.  After her troops were 

ashore, LEON remained to unload cargo.  The night of 

4 April, in a high wind, she slipped a dragging anchor and 

worked her way skillfully through the crowded anchorage to 

sea and the next day departed for Saipan.



	After a drydock period at Pearl Harbor, she had the 

pleasant task 31 May to 6 June of transporting 299 Waves and 

a vast quantity of mail from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor.



	She resumed her task of carrying Army troops 1 July 

when she departed Portland, Oreg., with 1,368 officers and 

men for Pearl Harbor.  LEON proceeded on to Ulithi and 

Okinawa where she took on board 1,169 men of the Army's 7th 

Infantry Division destined to accept the surrender of the 

Japanese in South Korea.  After a 3-day voyage, landings 

were effected 8 and 9 September at Inchon (Jinsen), 5 years 

before landings there turned the tide in the Korean War.  

The vacuum in northern China created by the collapse of the 

Japanese was partially filled, at first by U.S. Marines and 

later by Chinese Nationalist troops.  LEON and sister ships 

of Vice Adm. D. E. Barbey's 7th Amphibious Force were 

involved in this operation, bringing marines from Okinawa to 

Tientsin, China, 30 September and carrying Chinese troops 

from Hong Kong to Chinwangtao 30 October and Tsingtao 

14 November.



	The attack transport now turned her bow toward home.  

At Sasebo, Japan, as part of operation "Magic Carpet," she 

embarked 5th Marine Division veterans and sailed 9 December 

for San Diego, arriving Christmas Day, with happy passengers 

and crew.  LEON departed San Diego, 11 January 1946; arrived 

Mobile, Ala., 1 February; proceeded to Chickasaw, Ala., 

1 March; and decommissioned 7 March.  She was transferred to 

the War Shipping Administration 2 April; sold to the 

Isthmian Steamship Co., in 1947; and renamed STEEL CHEMIST.



	LEON received four battle stars for World War II 

service.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com