USS SOUTHAMPTON

from WTL Fall 2020

LET'S EAT

Attack cargo ship, named after county, went into civilian service after war

US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo NH 78595; Courtesy of James Russell The USS Southampton (AKA-66) at anchor with accommodation ladder rigged, circa 1945-1946.

STORY BY CLYDE PARKER SUBMITTED PHOTOGRAPHY

Southampton County is a great little place to call home, but many U.S. Navy sailors over the years also once called the USS Southampton home.

USS Southampton (AKA-66) was a Tolland-Class attack cargo ship of the U.S. Navy, named after Southampton County. Southampton was designed to carry military cargo and landing craft and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies and Marines on enemy shores during amphibious operations. It served as a commissioned ship for 21 months.

Southampton was laid down on May 26, 1944, under a Maritime Commission Contract by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company, Wilmington, N.C. During World War II, Wilmington was an auxiliary to Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company.

It was launched on July 28, 1944, and co-sponsored by U.S.

Launch of the Southampton (AKA-66), July 28, 1944, at the North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, North Carolina.

Navy Reservists Ensign Rama V. Blackwood, Yeoman First Class Dorothy Lazair and Yeoman Second Class Mary Blackwell. Their selection as sponsors was in commemoration of the second anniversary of the Women’s Naval Reserve.

Southampton was conveyed to the U.S. Navy from the United States Maritime Commission, on a loan-charter basis, and placed in commission on Sept. 16, 1944. Commander Elias M. Doar Jr., U.S. Navy Reserves, was in command. From Wilmington, Southampton proceeded to Charleston, S.C., where it was decommissioned on Sept. 18, 1944, in order to complete fittingout and preparation for combat support duty. On Oct. 8, 1944, it was recommissioned at Charleston with Lt. Commander Lester V. Cooke, U.S. Navy Reserves in command. At that time, the ship’s complement totaled 35 officers and 326 enlisted men.

On Oct. 14, 1944, the ship got under way from the Charleston Navy Yard to make a trial run and test fire its newly installed armament. All tests were successful. On Oct. 18, 1944, outfitting was completed and the ship reported for duty and was ordered to proceed to Norfolk.

It arrived at Norfolk on Oct. 22, 1944, and conducted a shakedown cruise in the Chesapeake Bay from Oct. 24 to Nov. 2.

When the shakedown cruise was completed, the ship went through post-shakedown and final inspection at the Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth. Then, on Nov. 5, Southampton got underway for the United States-Panama Canal Zone. It transited the canal during the night of Nov. 12, and on Nov. 13 got underway from Balboa, Canal Zone and headed for Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands. Japanese submarines were active during the trip.

Southampton entered Pearl Harbor on Nov. 26 and, for the next two months, participated in amphibious exercises in the islands.

It departed Pearl Harbor on Jan. 27, 1945, with elements (seven officers and 143 enlisted men) of the 25th Regiment, 4th Marine Division, and embarked toward the Marshall Islands for the eventual assault upon Iwo Jima. Several personnel and a few dogs from other Marine Corps units and two officers and 67 enlisted men of the 442nd Port Company of the U.S. Army also were onboard.

Southampton arrived at Eniwetok on Feb. 5 and, two days later, headed toward Saipan. It made Saipan on the 11th, conducted final invasion rehearsals off Tinian between the 13th and 15th, and got underway for Iwo Jima the following day.

Southampton entered its assigned transport area off Iwo Jima on Feb. 19. It lowered landing craft and dispatched them to other ships of the division to ferry the assault troops to the beach. Southampton sustained its only casualties of the Iwo Jima assault during the initial landings, when a mortar shell exploded close aboard one of its landing crafts and wounded

Coxswain J.M. Fischer and a Seaman L.Q. Culbertson. During the last two weeks in February, the attack cargo ship joined in unloading troops and supplies — and embarked 98 casualties from the fighting ashore. Those operations were frequently interrupted by enemy air activity.

Due to rough sea conditions, the ship sustained considerable damage to its hull plating and frames. Many of the crew witnessed the raising of the American Flag on Mount Suribachi.

On March 1, Southampton sailed for the Marianas.

Southampton arrived at Saipan on March 4, disembarked several wounded marines and sailors, and, on the 11th, began loading the combat cargo of the 2nd Marine Division. It conducted more rehearsal landings off Tinian until March 27 and then sailed for the Ryukyus Islands — at the boundary between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea. On April 1, 1945, the Southampton and the other ships of its task group, arrived off the southeastern coast of Okinawa to feign an attack and retire. At dawn, dur-

ing the approach, a suicide plane crashed into the USS Hinsdale and Southampton dispatched its landing craft to assist in the transfer of Hinsdale’s troops to other ships. The next day, the task group made another feint at Okinawa. Before retiring to an area 150 miles from Okinawa, Southampton fired its guns at the enemy for the only time during the war. A Japanese plane flew over the formation and, though fired upon by all of the ships, escaped into the clouds apparently undamaged. The ships cruised around the holding area until April 11. They encountered mines, underwent air alerts, and escort units made sonar contacts, but the group saw no action save the destruction of mines.

The task group returned to Saipan on April 14, disembarked the Marines and unloaded its cargo. Southampton remained at Saipan until June 4, when it was ordered to the South Pacific to pick up cargo for the Marianas. Over the following two and one-half months, it made two such voyages to the South Pacific and back to the Marianas. During a leg of the

return voyage of its second run between Noumea, New Caledonia to Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, the Southampton on Aug. 15 received news of the end of hostilities in the Pacific Theater.

Southampton departed Kwajalein on Aug. 18 and reached Saipan on the 22nd. It discharged some of its cargo, sailed for Guam, and arrived there on Sept. 3. On the 9th, it sailed for the Philippines to embark elements of the 81st Infantry for passage to Japan. It arrived at Leyte on Sept. 12 and, on the 18th, departed for Aomori. Southampton remained in Japan until Sept. 30, when it sailed for Leyte. En route, it was diverted to Tokyo Bay to avoid a typhoon and, on Oct. 3, its destination was changed to Manila, where it arrived on the 14th. Following a return voyage to Tokyo Bay and Yokohama, Southampton embarked 264 servicemen and got underway on Nov. 11 for San Francisco, Calif. Diverted to Portland, Oregon, while en route, the Southampton arrived there on the 23rd and remained almost two months for repairs and alterations.

Southampton stood out of Portland on Jan. 11, 1946, and arrived in San Francisco on the 13th. There, it loaded cargo and mail before heading west on the 27th. The ship stopped at Eniwetok from Feb. 9-15 to discharge cargo and arrived at Guam on the 18th. For almost a month, it

USS Southampton (AKA66) was a Tolland-Class attack cargo ship of the U.S. Navy, named after Southampton County. Southampton was designed to carry military cargo and landing craft and to use the latter to land weapons, supplies and Marines on enemy shores during amphibious operations. It served as a commissioned ship for 21 months.

discharged and loaded cargo at Guam. On March 16, it headed back to San Francisco. Ten days later, Southampton’s destination was changed to Port Hueneme, Calif., where it stayed for the first 10 days of April before putting to sea on its final voyage. On April 10, Southampton headed south to the Canal Zone, transited the canal on the 20th, and arrived in Baltimore on the 27th.

Following World War II, USS Southampton was assigned to occupation service from Sept. 3 to Nov. 12, 1945.

Southampton was decommissioned at the St. Helena Annex of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth on June 21, 1946, and it was delivered to the War Shipping Administration for disposal on the 22nd. Its name was struck from the Navy List on July 3, 1946, and sold into civilian service with American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines. Its new owner renamed it “SS Flying Clipper.”

Later, on July 16, 1962, the former USS Southampton was sold to American Export Lines and was operated by them for a number of years. Final disposition of the ship seems to be that it was sold on July 29, 1971, to Chen Nan Steel & Iron Company of Taiwan — for scrapping.

AWARDS Southampton earned two battle stars during World War II. American Campaign Medal Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal U.S. Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

INDIVIDUAL PERSONNEL AWARDS Purple Hearts: February 19, 1945 Iwo Jima J.M. Fischer, Coxswain Q.M. Culbertson, Seaman First Class

ENGAGEMENTS Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns: Iwo Jima Operation –— Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima Feb. 19 to March 1, 1945 Okinawa Gunto Operation — Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto April 1-11, 1945

SOURCES Mike Wrenn, U.S. Marine Corps veteran United States Maritime Commission Diary of Lt. Comm. L.V. Cooke, United States Navy Reserves • Commanding Officer, U.S.S. Southampton

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