World War II USS Sumter (APA-52)

1 world war ii

1.1 invasion of marshall islands
1.2 invasion of saipan
1.3 invasion of palaus
1.4 invasion of philippines
1.5 invasion of lingayen
1.6 invasion of okinawa
1.7 after hostilities
1.8 decommission
1.9 decorations

world war ii

sumter sailed virginia , completed fitting out @ norfolk navy yard. loaded complement of 31 landing craft , beach party unit before sailing west coast became flagship of transport division (transdiv) 26. spent of december 1943 conducting landing exercises off san clemente, california, elements of 25th regimental combat team, 4th marine division.

invasion of marshall islands

sumter stood out of san diego on 13 january 1944 en route lahaina roads, hawaii, rendezvous other units of task force (tf) 53, northern attack force marshall islands operation. arrived there on 21 january , force sortied next day. sumter , 3 other transports landed 3 battalion landing teams of 25th marines on atolls of ennumennet , ennubirr on 31 january establish field artillery positions in support of main landings @ roi , namur.

sumter completed landing of troops 3 february , sailed next day south pacific amphibious training. after exercises in new caledonia , ellice , solomon islands, returned pearl harbor on 8 april.

invasion of saipan

as component of task group (tg) 54.4, admiral r. k. turner s northern attack force invasion of saipan , tinian, transport again loaded elements of 4th marine division , sailed on 29 may. attack force refueled @ eniwetok , off landing beaches @ saipan before daybreak on 15 june. covered intensive air-sea bombardment, , receiving incoming fire enemy artillery, mortars, , automatic weapons, assault wave of marines landed @ 0843.

the transport remained off beaches until 24th when sailed eniwetok , pearl harbor. before leaving saipan, had sent more supplies , equipment blue beach one, treated wounded direct beaches and, prior sailing, received on board additional 85 battle casualties lst-218.

invasion of palaus

sumter arrived @ pearl harbor on 21 july , trained there until 12 august when routed guadalcanal additional amphibious exercises 81st infantry division. sailed lunga point, on 8 september, troops embarked participate in invasion of palau islands.

after landing advance assault troops , beach party @ anguar on 15th, stood off island floating reserve 1st marine division s attack on peleliu island. transport landed troops of 81st division on anguar on 17 september , remained casualty evacuation ship until sailing manus, admiralty islands, on 23d.

invasion of philippines

sumter routed there finschhafen, new guinea, embarked men of 10th army corps , sailed reinforcement group 1 philippine islands. troops landed @ san pedro bay on 2 october, 2 days after initial assault. ship steamed guam, loaded elements of 77th army division , disembarked them @ leyte on 23 november. next steamed south new guinea , sansapor. @ latter port, loaded troops of 6th army division , sailed san fabian attack force on 30 december 1944 lingayen gulf area of philippines.

invasion of lingayen

on 8 january 1945 kamikaze plane crashed callaway approximately 600 yards ahead of sumter, , sumter took on formation guide. next morning assault troops, including callaway, landed on lingayen beaches. steamed san pedro 3 days later , made turn around voyage lingayen reinforcements landed on 27th. sailed seeadler harbor , voyage repairs, thence solomon islands.

invasion of okinawa

sumter arrived @ guadalcanal on 19 february 1945 , began amphibious exercises 22d regimental combat team of 6th marine division in preparation invasion of okinawa. stood out of guadalcanal area on 14 march ulithi, caroline islands, final staging completed. invasion force sortied on 27th, , sumter arrived off beaches near yontan airfield in morning of 1 april. after landing 1,352 marines of assault waves, transport remained off beach until sailing united states, via mariana islands , pearl harbor, on 5 april.

sumter arrived @ san pedro, california, on 30 april overhaul. following repairs, trained in san diego area until 21 july when sailed phillppine islands loaded army troops. after calling @ marshall , caroline islands, ship arrived in san pedro bay on 15 august, hostilities japan ceased.

after hostilities

the transport embarked contingent of army 33rd infantry division , departed japan on 9 september. troops landed @ wakayama, honshū, on 25 september; , sumter headed philippines more army occupation troops disembarked @ matsuyama, japan. returned subic bay on 1 november , embarked navy veterans transportation united states.

sumter arrived @ seattle, washington, on 22 november 1945 , remained there until 25 january 1946 when moved san pedro, california, unload landing craft. 5 days later, sailed there east coast, via panama canal. ship arrived @ new orleans on 15 february left there following month mobile, alabama.

decommission

sumter decommissioned on 19 march in yard of gulf shipbuilding corp., chickasaw, alabama, , struck navy list on 17 april 1946. returned custody of war shipping administration on 1 august 1946 disposal.

decorations

sumter received 6 battle stars world war ii service.