2 CG Manned AP's

GENERAL H.F. HODGES AP-144

Launched 3 January 1945 under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Co., Inc., Yard 3, Richmond CA. Acquired by the Navy and commissioned 6 April 1945. Commander C.H. Hilton USCG in command.
522'10", beam 71'10", draft 24', speed 16 knots, tons light 9,950 troop capacity 3,838, crew 356, armament: four 5'38's, four 40 mm's, sixteen 20 mm's.
Sold for scrap sometime after 1958. (Chuck Ulrich)
______________________________________________________________

GENERAL H.L. SCOTT AP-136

Launched 19 September 1943 by Kaiser Inc, Yard 3, Richmond CA. Commissioned in San Francisco 3 April 1944. Captain John Trebes USCG in command.
Length 522'10", beam 71'6", draft 26'6", displ 13,000, speed 16.5 knots, troop capacity 3,8232, armament: four 5'38's, eight 1.1", sixteen 20mm.
Decommissioned 29 may 1956 and sold to Bethleham Steel Corp 31 July 1964. Converted to a general cargo ship in 1965 and named YORKMAR. She has since been scrapped. (Chuck Ulrich)
_______________________________________________________________

GENERAL J.C. BRECKINRIDGE AP-176
1946

Launched 18 March 1945 by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, NJ. Commissioned 30 June 1945 at Bayone NJ. Captain H.S. Berdine, Commanding.
622'7" in length, 75'6" beam, 25'6" draft, 21 knots speed, 5,289 troop capacity, 466 wartime ships crew, displ 11,830 tons light, arament 4 40 mm's, 4 5"38's, 20 20mm's.
Scrapped 1/11/88 in Taiwan. (Chuck Ulrich)
________________________________________________________________

GENERAL W.H. GORDON AP-117

Launched by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co Kearny NJ 7 May 1944. Commissioned 29 June 1944 with Captain R.E. Wood USCG in command.
Length 622'7", beam 75'6", draft 25'6", speed 21 kts, displ 11,450 tons, wartime crew 533, troop capacity 5.244, armament: 4 5' guns, 16 1.1s, 20 20mm's.
Decomissioned on 11 March 1946 where she returned to the Maritime Commission for use by the Army Transport Service.
She was briefly chartered by the American President Lines shortly after the war and reaquired by the Navy on 8 November 1951 for assignment to the MSTS and also saw service to Vietnam starting in January 1967.She was sold to Shippex Inc on 4/10/87 and ultimately scrapped in Taiwan on 11/4/87. (Chuck Ulrich)
________________________________________________________________

GENERAL W M BLACK AP-135

A mission Run. This Coast Guard manned troop transport rides at anchor after carrying reinforcements for allied lines in Europe. Its landing nets are still over the sides, after the troops have clambered down them into landing boats for transfer to shore (USCG)
______________________________________________________________

GENERAL WILLIAM MITCHELL AP-114

Launched 31 October 1943 at the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. Commissioned in the Bayonne Navy Yard on 19 January 1944 with Captain Henry Coyle USCG in command.
Length 622'7", beam 75'6", draft 25'6", speed 20.6 kts, troop capacity 5,289, crew 46 officers, 455 enlisted men PLUS 1 officer and 30 enlisted Marines, 3 officers and 8 enlisted Army, 5 Public Health Service Officers and 1 Navy Chaplain. Armament: 4 5" guns, 16 1.1', 20 20mm guns. The 1.1' guns were replaced by 40mm's in 1945.
The Coast Guard crew was replaced on February 22, 1946 and a Navy crew took over for the first time. In October 1949 she was transferred to the MSTS and continued her west coast to orient trips. On December 1st 1966 she was returned to the Maritime Administration and sold on 29 June 1987. She was scrapped in Taiwan on 15 January 1988. (Chuck Ulrich)
______________________________________________________________

GENERAL W.P RICHARDSON AP-118

Launched 6 August 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny NJ and was originall named GENERAL R.M. BLATCHFORD but renamed on 1 July 1944. Commissioned on 2 Nov 1944 with Captain Joseph S. Rosenthal USCG in command.

Length 622.7", beam 75'6", draft 25'6", speed 21 knots, displ 11,450 tons, wartime crew 466, troop capacity 5,289, armament: 4 5" guns, 16 1.1's, 20 20mm's.

Coast guard crew removed and decommissioned on 14 February 1946 in NY. 6 May 1949 she was chartered to the American Export Lines where she operated as the SS LAGUARDIA until 4 Jan 1952. She had brief service under the American President Lines and the Havana Steamship Company as the PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT and ATLANTIS. She was purchased 10 July 1956 by Textian Inc and renamed the LEILANI then purchased by the Admiral Cruise Line and renamed EMERALD SEAS where she operated through 1992. She then operated at the Barcelona Olympics as a floating hotel as the FANTASTICA and TERRIFIGA. She was again renamed SAPHIRE SEAS when purchased by Sea Fest Cruises but never sailed for them. Again, renamed the RIVIERA STAR under Mediteranean Ownership. For the last time she was renamed the OCEAN EXPLORER I for the World Cruise Company where the passengers were abandoned in Perius Greece in May of 2000. Eventually she was sold and towed to India in December 2005 and scrapped in early 2006. (Chuck Ulrich)
______________________________________________________________

GENERAL WILLIAM WEIGEL AP-119

Built by Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny NJ. Originally named GENERAL C.H. BARTH she was launched as the GENERAL WILLIAM WEIGEL on 3 September 1944. Commissioned at Bayonne NJ 6 January 1945 with Captain Thomas Y. Awalt USCG in command.
Length 622'7", beam 75'6", draft 25'6", speed 21 kts, displ 11,450 tons, wartime crew 466, troop capacity 4,896, armament: 4 5" guns, 8 40mm's, 20 20mm's.
She was decommissioned in New York 10 May 1946 and used as an Army Transport and reaquired by the Navy 20 July 1950 wlhere she was assigned to the MSTS 1 August 1950. She entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet on 12 June 1958 at Olympia WA later reaquired by the Navy 18 August 1965 for service in Southeast Asia.
She was sold on 4/10/87 and scrapped in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. (Chuck Ulrich)
____________________________________________________________