USS ''Mount Vernon'' (AP-22) was a

troop transport A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...

that served with the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Prior to her military service, she was a luxury

ocean liner An ocean liner is a passenger ship primarily used as a form of transportation across seas or oceans. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes (such as for pleasure cruises or as hospital ships). Ca ...

named SS ''Washington''. ''Washington'' was launched in May 1933 by the

New York Shipbuilding Company The New York Shipbuilding Corporation (or New York Ship for short) was an American shipbuilding company that operated from 1899 to 1968, ultimately completing more than 500 vessels for the U.S. Navy, the United States Merchant Marine, the United ...

Camden, New Jersey Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 2020 ...

, and operated as a

passenger liner A passenger ship is a merchant ship whose primary function is to carry passengers on the sea. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freig ...

from New York City to

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

, England, and

Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...

, Germany. Renamed ''Mount Vernon'' 6 June 1941, the liner was acquired by the Navy 16 June 1941 and commissioned at the

Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the cit ...

the same day, Captain Donald B. Beary in command. Converted for naval use by Philadelphia Navy Yard, ''Mount Vernon'' trained along the east coast while mounting tension in the Far East drew the United States toward participation in

The Preamble to Convoy WS-12X (the USA has not declared war on Japan or Germany yet)

The

Atlantic Conference The Atlantic Charter was a statement issued on 14 August 1941 that set out American and British goals for the world after the end of World War II. The joint statement, later dubbed the Atlantic Charter, outlined the aims of the United States and ...

was held on 9 August 1941 in

Placentia Bay, Newfoundland Placentia is a town located in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It consists of the Argentia Industrial Park and amalgamated communities of Townside, Freshwater, Dunville, Southeast, Point Verde and Jerseyside. History The ...

, between Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt. Besides the "official" agenda, Churchill hoped to obtain considerable assistance from the USA, but the American President had his political hands tied. On 1 September 1941, Roosevelt received an urgent and most secret message asking for US Navy troopships manned by Navy crews and escorted by U.S.N. fighting ships to carry British troops for the purpose of reinforcing the Middle East. On 4 September the US destroyer,

USS Greer (DD-145) USS ''Greer'' (DD–145) was a in the United States Navy, the first ship named for Rear admiral (United States), Rear Admiral James Agustin Greer, James A. Greer (1833–1904). In what became known as the "''Greer'' incident," she became the f ...

, came under an unsuccessful U-boat attack. Roosevelt gave authority to the US Navy to "shoot to kill". On 5 September the President assured the British leader that six vessels would be provided to carry twenty thousand troops and would be escorted by the American Navy. The chief of Naval Operations ordered troop ships divisions seventeen and nineteen, on 26 September 1941, to prepare their vessels for approximately six months at sea. These transports were to load to capacity with food, ammunition medical supplies, fuel and water and were to arrive at Halifax, NS on or about 6 November and after the arrival of a British convoy from the UK were to load twenty thousand troops. The Prime Minister mentioned in his letter that it would be for the President to say what would be required in replacement if any of these ships were to be sunk by enemy action. Agreements were worked out for the troops to be carried as supernumeraries and rations to be paid out of Lend Lease Funds and officer laundry bills were to be paid in cash. All replenishments of provisions, general stores, fuel and water would be provided by the UK. Fuel and water would be charged for the escorts to the UK in Trinidad and Cape Town only. The troops would conform to US Navy and ships regulation. Intoxicating liquors were prohibited. It was further agreed that the troops were to rig and man their own anti-aircraft guns to augment the ships batteries. So, convoy WS-12X is most extraordinary. 30 days BEFORE the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 and the German declaration of war on the USA on 11 December 1941; we have six American transports and American escort carrying British soldiers.

Convoy William Sail WS-12X

On 10 November 1941, Convoy WS12-X, departs

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...

. The convoy consists of Aircraft Carrier Ranger (CV-4) and troopships, Mount Vernon (AP-22), Wakefield (AP-21), West Point (AP-23), Orizaba (AP-24), Leonard Wood (AP-25) and Joseph T. Dickman (AP-26) and is destined for Basra Iraq. Convoy WS-12 en route to Cape Town, 1941

Convoy WS-12 en route to Cape Town, 1941

The USS Mount Vernon carries British Soldiers. On 17 November 1941, the convoy reaches Trinidad. All ships were replenished, and the convoy departs Trinidad on 19 November 1941. On 7 December at 2000, the convoy receives a radio communication of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour.

US in WWII

On 9 December, the convoy arrives in Cape Town At about 0800 on 13 December 1941, the troopships depart Cape Town headed for Bombay. At 650 on 21 December, the Mount Vernon and

USS Orizaba USS ''Orizaba'' (ID-1536/AP-24) was a transport ship for the United States Navy in both World War I and World War II. She was the sister ship of but the two were not part of a ship class. In her varied career, she was also known as USAT ''Ori ...

detach from the convoy headed for Bombay, and are bound for Mombasa. The Mount Vernon and Orizaba arrive in Mombasa 25 December. At 0954 on 29 December The Mount Vernon departs Mombasa.

Convoy DM 1

At 1000 on 30 December 1941, about 370 miles east of Mombasa, convoy WS12ZM (Malaya) detaches from convoys WS12ZA (Aden) and WS12ZB (Bombay) and with HMS Emerald, and USS Mt. Vernon form convoy DM.01 (Durban Malaya). DM.01 comprises the P&O's SS Narkunda, MV Aorangi, P&O's MV Sussex, and MS Abbekerk, USS Mt. Vernon and escort HMS Emerald. Convoy DM.01 reaches ‘Port T’ – Addu Atoll in the Maldives – at 1000 on 4 January 1942. Water is taken aboard and mail sent ashore, but shore leave is not permitted. They leave at 0900 on the 5th. 11 January 1942, the convoy passes through the

Sunda Strait The Sunda Strait ( id, Selat Sunda) is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java island, Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea with the Indian Ocean. Etymology The strait takes its name from the Sunda Kingdom, which ruled the weste ...

12 January 1942, the convoy passes through the

Bangka Strait Bangka Strait is the strait that separates the island of Sumatra from Bangka Island ( id, Pulau Bangka) in the Java Sea, Indonesia. The strait is about long, with a width varying from about to . See also * Japanese cruiser Ashigara * List of st ...

13 January 1942, at 1315, the USS Mount Vernon moors at the Navy Yard, Singapore.

Duty 1942

The USS Mount Vernon departs Singapore on 14 January for

Aden Aden ( ar, عدن ' Yemeni: ) is a city, and since 2015, the temporary capital of Yemen, near the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some east of the strait Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. ...

, where she embarked Australian veterans of the Mediterranean Theatre for transportation to

Ceylon Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

and

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

. ''Mount Vernon'' was the lead ship in Operation Stepsister, the movement of Australian troops from North Africa and the Middle East to Southeast Asia, the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

and Australia in response to war in the Pacific, and was carrying 4,668 of those troops in waters south of the Dutch East Indies even as allied naval forces were withdrawing in the face of Japanese attacks. On 9 March ''Mount Vernon'' delivered the returning Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) troops to

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

. In Australia she embarked civilian and military escapees from the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, and naval survivors from ships sunk in the

Battle of Makassar Strait The Battle of Makassar Strait, also known as the Action of Madura Strait, the Action North of Lombok Strait and the Battle of the Flores Sea, was a naval battle of the Pacific theater of World War II. An American-British-Dutch-Australian (AB ...

. After calls in

, South Australia and

Wellington, New Zealand Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

, ''Mount Vernon'' sailed for San Francisco, arriving 31 March. USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1942-12

Duty 1943

USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1943-01 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1943-02 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1943-03 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1943-04 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1943-05 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1943-06 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1943-07 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1943-09 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1943-10 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1943-12 to 1944-01 For the next two years, ''Mount Vernon'' plied from San Francisco to ports in Australia, New Zealand,

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

, and Hawaii, carrying the soldiers, marines, and sailors who would build the bases, then fight from them, bringing the ultimate victory over Japan.

Duty 1944

USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1943-12 to 1944-01 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1944-02 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1944-03 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1944-05 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1944-07 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1944-09 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1944-12 Her last such voyage began from San Francisco 21 February 1944. Steaming via

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, she proceeded to

Bombay, India Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

, to debark Army personnel. She returned to Melbourne, and sailed for

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

by way of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...

, arriving 22 May. On 4 June 1944, ''Mount Vernon'' began a series of voyages to

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

ports and the Mediterranean, carrying men for the massive buildup on the European continent which would bring

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

to her knees. Her crossings continued after the war, as she carried occupation troops over and brought veterans home.

Duty 1945

USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1945-01 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1945-02 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1945-03 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1945-05 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1945-06 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1945-07 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1945-08 USS MOUNT VERNON - War Diary 1945-09

Decommissioning

Returning from the last voyage 3 January 1946, ''Mount Vernon'' decommissioned 18 January 1946, was delivered to the Maritime Commission, and again named ''Washington''. She was struck from the

Naval Register A Navy Directory, formerly the Navy List or Naval Register is an official list of naval officers, their ranks and seniority, the ships which they command or to which they are appointed, etc., that is published by the government or naval author ...

in 1959 and sold for scrap in 1965.

Awards

American Defense Service Medal The American Defense Service Medal was a military award of the United States Armed Forces, established by , by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on June 28, 1941. The medal was intended to recognize those military service members who had served ...

with star * European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal * Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal *

World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. The Wor ...

National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four sp ...

References

* * *
AP-22 ''Mount Vernon''
Navsource Online. {{DEFAULTSORT:Mount Vernon AP-22 World War II auxiliary ships of the United States Ships built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation 1932 ships