USS Clarendon

History
United States
Name	USS Clarendon (APA-72)
Namesake	Clarendon County, South Carolina
Builder	Consolidated Steel
Launched	12 September 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs T. May
Acquired	14 December 1944
Commissioned	14 December 1944
Decommissioned	9 April 1946
Fate	Scrapped 16 October 1964
General characteristics
Class and type	Gilliam-class attack transport
Displacement	4,247 tons (lt), 7,080 t.(fl)
Length	426 ft (130 m)
Beam	58 ft (18 m)
Draft	16 ft (4.9 m)
Propulsion	Westinghouse turboelectric drive, 2 boilers, 2 propellers, Design shaft horsepower 6,000
Speed	17 knots
Capacity	47 Officers, 802 Enlisted
Crew	27 Officers, 295 Enlisted
Armament	1 x 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose gun mount, 4 x twin 40mm gun mounts, 10 x single 20mm gun mounts
Notes	MCV Hull No. ?, hull type S4-SE2-BD1

USS Clarendon (APA-72) was a Gilliam-class attack transport that served with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. She was scrapped in 1964.

Clarendon was named after a county in South Carolina. She was launched 12 September 1944 by Consolidated Steel at Wilmington, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; commissioned 14 December 1944; and reported to the Pacific Fleet. Clarendon sailed from San Diego 6 February 1945 to join amphibious exercises in the Hawaiian Islands, then sailed for Ulithi, where late in March she joined the escort of a convoy to voyage to Saipan.

Returning to Ulithi, she put to sea 22 April to carry combat cargo to Okinawa, off which she lay to discharge 26 to 30 April. On the 28th, she drove away enemy aircraft with her intensive gunfire.

Returning to the west coast 22 May 1945, Clarendon made three voyages from San Diego and San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, carrying passengers and cargo in both directions. On 29 July she got underway from San Francisco.

Clarendon called at Eniwetok, Ulithi, Manila, and put into Tokyo 13 September. She carried troops for the occupation of Japan and in the redeployment of forces in China until 15 November, when she sailed from Taku to load homeward bound troops at Samar, Guam, Saipan, and Iwo Jima on her way to San Pedro, where she arrived 18 December.

In January 1946 she sailed north to Seattle, where she was decommissioned 9 April 1946, and transferred to the War Shipping Administration in June 1946. She was scrapped by Zidell, Portland, OR; scrapping completed 16 October 1964.

Clarendon received one battle star for World War II service.

•  This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
• APA-72 Clarendon, Navsource Online.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Clarendon (APA-72).