USS Lanier (APA-125)

USS ''Lanier'' (APA-125) was a in service with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1973.

History

''Lanier'' was a Victory ship design type and was named for Lanier County, Georgia, which was named for poet Sidney Lanier. She was laid down 25 June 1944 by the California Shipbuilding Corporation, Wilmington, Los Angeles, under a Maritime Commission contract. She was a VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type and her yard number was TR 8 and her hull number was MCV 39. She was launched 29 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Earl English; acquired by the Navy 22 December 1944; and commissioned the same day at Oakland, California.

After shakedown cruise, shakedown, ''Lanier'' departed San Francisco 23 February 1945 and arrived Pearl Harbor 2 March to practice landing operations. Loaded with 1,485 soldiers, she got underway 28 March and steamed in convoy with 11 other transports and five merchantmen for the Volcano Islands. Touching Eniwetok and Saipan, she reached Iwo Jima 20 April and discharged men and cargo. She returned to Saipan 22 to 24 April, took on board equipment and 1,442 troops, then sailed to Okinawa 2 to 6 May. There she landed reinforcements and embarked 66 battle casualties before returning to Saipan 8 to 13 May. On the next day she embarked 254 survivors from USS Little (DD-803), ''Little'' (DD-803), sunk by enemy air attack while on radar picket duty west of Okinawa 3 May.

Steaming to San Francisco 14 to 30 May, ''Lanier'' proceeded to Seattle 31 May. The civilian harbor pilot entered the harbor too fast, turned to avoid a collision with a passenger ferry and ran between a barge and its tug. The collision sunk the barge, injured a civilian and sustained damage to the bow and forward ballast tanks. She was put in dry dock for repairs until 2 June, embarked 1,442 troops, and departed 12 June for the Far East. She sailed via Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, and Ulithi and reached Okinawa 24 July. She operated off Okinawa until 6 August, then carried 798 passengers via Ulithi to Guam, where she arrived the 14th. She embarked over 1,300 occupation troops the following day and sailed as part of Task Force 31 for occupation landings on Japan. She anchored in Sagami Wan 27 August, and during midwatch 30 August entered Tokyo Bay to begin landing operations off United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Yokosuka. Her landing craft carried troops in the first wave and landed them at Yokosuka naval airfield, Yokosuka Airport at 0920. Steaming to Saipan 1 to 5 September, ''Lanier'' embarked U.S. Marines, marines of the U.S. 2nd Marine Division, 2d Division and carried them to Nagasaki, Nagasaki, Nagasaki, Kyūshū, 18 to 23 September.

Sailing in convoy 26 September, ''Lanier'' reached Manila Bay, Luzon, 1 October and joined the Operation Magic Carpet (World War II), "Magic Carpet" fleet. She proceeded to Saipan 16 to 21 October, embarked 1,851 homeward-bound veterans, and departed the 22d for Seattle, Wash., where she arrived 4 November. On 28 November she departed once more for the southwest Pacific. Reaching New Guinea 17 December, she embarked 1,598 troops at Jayapura, Hollandia, 532 troops at Finschhafen, and departed 21 December for the west coast. She arrived San Pedro, Los Angeles, San Pedro 6 January 1946. ''Lanier'' sailed for the east coast 19 January 1946, and reached Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk 4 February. She decommissioned at Norfolk 5 March 1946 and was turned over to the War Shipping Administration 8 March. She was placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Reserve Fleet (JRRF).

Fate

In 1956 ''Lanier'' was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet as part of a Repair Program, GAA-American Hawaiian, and then returned. On 9 April 1973 she was sold to Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation, Union Minerals & Alloy Corp., for USD, $111,560, to be scrapped.

Awards

''Lanier'' received one battle star for World War II service.

Notable Crewmembers

Ace Reid (10 March 1925 – 10 November 1991) was a Machinist's Mate, First Class aboard ''Lanier'' and created the western cartoon, ''"Cowpokes."'' His main character, "Jake", was born on board the ''Lanier''. "Jake" first appeared as "The Sorry Salt" in the ship's newspaper. Reid was on duty in the engine room during the tugboat-barge incident in Seattle.

References

External links

Navsource article with additional ''Lanier'' photosInterview with ''Lanier'' veteran Andy BrackeenMARAD Ship History for ''Lanier''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lanier (APA-125)
Victory ships
Ships built in Los Angeles
Haskell-class attack transports
Lanier County, Georgia
World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States
Troop ships
1944 ships