Operational history USS Gilliam (APA-57)

1 operational history

1.1 world war ii

1.1.1 heavy air attacks
1.1.2 invasion of luzon
1.1.3 invasion of okinawa


1.2 after hostilities

1.2.1 operation magic carpet


1.3 operation crossroads
1.4 decorations

operational history
world war ii

the first of new type of attack transport, gilliam stood out of san francisco bay 16 october 1944 750 united states army troops oro bay, new guinea, , delivered them port 4 november. embarking 1000 troops of u.s. 11th airborne division, sailed week later , off-loaded passengers @ leyte, subsequently returning humboldt bay, new guinea, 22 november. gilliam got underway again 29 november under orders steam leyte gulf , embark elements of 6th army headquarters passage lingayen gulf.

heavy air attacks

gilliam part of 36-ship convoy churning toward philippines when, on 5 december 1944, convoy came under heavy air attack while 100 miles (160 km) leyte gulf. @ 12:18 gilliam spotted plane coming in low on water @ deck level, headed middle of convoy. coming under limited fire, japanese plane released torpedo 2 minutes later smashed ss antoine saugrain. after 12:30 2 more planes came in low , fast, , 1 got torpedo stricken merchantman, dead in water.

intense fire convoy drove planes off, later afternoon japanese aircraft dove in @ 15:30, , after running heavy fire, made suicide crash on ss marcus daly. japanese caught on bow @ waterline , started fires , explosions. second kamikaze tried luck missed , crashed sea after repeated hits convoy s gunners.

anton saugraine , marcus daly kept afloat quick damage control, former ship attacked again next day while under tow , sunk. during engagement, gilliam s unflinching crew stood @ general quarters 12 hours , ship reached leyte 6 december without damage.

invasion of luzon

at leyte gilliam acted receiving ship crews of damaged warships , undertook medical , salvage operations in spite of continued air alerts. after embarking on 500 soldiers @ tacloban, sailed port 7 january 1945 bringing troops lingayen gulf in support of invasion. returned leyte on 14 january embark elements of 32nd infantry division , brought them safely lingayen gulf 27 january.

invasion of okinawa

after loading casualties passage leyte, gilliam sailed port 2 february embark marines of iii amphibious corps @ guadalcanal , conducted training exercises in preparation coming invasion of okinawa.

gilliam closed okinawa on 1 april , in face of kamikaze attacks debarked reconnaissance parties of 3d amphibious corps , unloaded vital cargo. on 5 april sailed united states via saipan , pearl harbor, mooring @ san francisco 27 april drydock repairs.

subsequently gilliam embarked men of 6th seabee battalion port hueneme, california, , sailed 28 may 1945 okinawa via eniwetok , ulithi. off-loaded cargo , passengers @ okinawa , headed san francisco.

after hostilities

gilliam arrived @ san francisco on 10 august, 1,000 troops embarked , brought pearl harbor on 27 august. men of headquarters , service battalions, 5th amphibious corps came on board @ hawaii, , gilliam sailed 1 september sasebo, japan, , put occupation troops ashore 3 weeks later.

on 25 september 1945 got underway manila, , after embarking more 450 veterans of 33rd infantry division @ lingayen gulf, carried them sasebo, arriving 15 october.

operation magic carpet

after returning cebu in philippines 29 october, became part of operation magic carpet fleet , sailed 2 november 1,000 sailors , soldiers, debarking them @ portland, oregon, 21 november 1945.

operation crossroads

following voyage samar, gilliam moored @ pearl harbor on 16 february 1946 , prepared participate in atomic bomb tests @ bikini atoll in summer of 1946. on morning of 1 july 1946, gilliam, target ship test able, first ship struck blast , sunk in bikini lagoon. decommissioned, 5 july 1946 , struck naval register, 20 july 1946

decorations

gilliam received 3 battle stars world war ii service , 2 navy occupation service medals actions during occupation of japan.