Cleburne APA-73

Cleburne

Counties in Arkansas and Alabama.

(APA-73: dp. 4.247- 1. 426'- b. 58'; dr. Ifi', s. 17 k.
cpl. 370; a. 1 5', cl. Gilliam)

Cleburne (APA-73) was launched 27 September 1944 by Consolidated Steel Corp., Wilmington, Calif., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. J. E. Trainer, acquired by the Navy 21 December 1944; and commissioned the next day, Lieutenant Commander F. T. Callaghan in command.

From 12 February 1945 to 10 June, Cleburne made two voyages from west Beast ports to conduct training in the Hawaiian Islands, returning each time with passengers and hospital patients. She sailed from San Francisco 28 June to transfer troops in the western Pacific, calling at Eniwetok, Guam, Ulithi, Okinawa ports in the Philippines, and Jinsen, Korea, before she arrived at Portland, Oreg., from the Far East 13 November. On 7 December she sailed to carry men to Shanghai and Tsingtao, China, returning to San Francisco 13 February 1946.

Cleburne arrived at Pearl Harbor 1 March 1946, and there was decommissioned 7 June 1946. After use in the atomic weapons tests at Bikini, she was towed to San Fransisco and transferred to the Maritime Commission 7 July 1947.