Name Burleigh Sponsored by Mrs. Dallas H. Smith Commissioned 30 October 1944 Launched 3 December 1943 Displacement 7.348 million kg Builder Ingalls Shipbuilding | Laid down 6 July 1943 Christened Sea Adder Construction started 6 July 1943 Length 150 m Draft 8.08 m | |
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Namesake A county in south central North Dakota. The state capital, Bismarck, is located within its boundaries. | ||
USS Burleigh (APA-95) was a Bayfield-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.
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Burleigh (named after Burleigh County, North Dakota), was launched on 3 December 1943 by Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi under a Maritime Commission contract, and placed in reduced commission on 1 April 1944. She was taken to New York, and placed out of commission on 13 April for conversion by Bethlehem Steel, 56th Street Yard, Brooklyn, New York. The ship was placed in full commission on 30 October 1944, with Commander D. G. Greenlee in command.
Operational history
On 3 December 1944 Burleigh departed Hampton Roads, Virginia, and proceeded to the Pacific, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 23 December. She became flagship of Transport Squadron 18 at San Francisco on 3 January 1945. During January and February, Burleigh transported passengers and supplies to Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, and the Russell Islands.
Okinawa
March 1945 was spent at Ulithi, Caroline Islands, in preparation for the assault on Okinawa. Burleigh departed Ulithi, in company with Transport Squadron 18, on 27 March, and arrived off Okinawa on 1 April. She remained in the area disembarking Marines and supplies until 10 April, when she got underway for Pearl Harbor. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 27 April, after stopping at Guam to embark casualties.
Returning to San Francisco on 4 June, Burleigh embarked troops and supplies and steamed to Guam via Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, and Saipan. She returned to San Francisco on 2 August.
Operation Magic Carpet
With the cessation of hostilities, Burleigh was assigned to the Operation Magic Carpet fleet returning veterans from the Pacific until March 1946. On 15 March 1946 she departed the West Coast for Norfolk, Virginia, where she arrived in April. She was decommissioned on 11 June 1946 and returned to the Maritime Commission the following day.
Burleigh received one battle star for her World War II service.
After the war, she was sold to a commercial concern and renamed Hawaiian Trader. She served over 20 years as a commercial cargo ship. She was sold for scrap in 1973.