Effingham APA-165

Effingham

The British Earl of Effingham whose principles led him to resign his commission rather than fight the American colonists. The Continental frigate honored the Earl.
Counties in Georgia and Illinois for which APA-165 was named.

Effingham, a Continental frigate, was building at Philadelphia in 1776 and 1777, and Captain John Barry was ordered to command her. When the British took possession of Philadelphia in September 1777, Barry was ordered to take the uncompleted ship up the Delaware River to a place of safety. On 25 October (leneral George Washington asked for the crew of Effingham for use in the fleet, and 2 days later the ship was ordered sunk or burned. Effingham was sunk 2 November just below Bordentown, N.J., to deny her use to the British. She was burned to the water's edge by the British on their way north from Philadelphia on 9 May 1778.

(APA-165: dp. 6,720; 1. 455'; b. 62'; dr. 24'; s. 18 k.;
cpl. 692; a. 1 5"; cl. Haskell)

The first Effingham (APA-165) was launched 29 September 1944 by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp., Portland, Oreg., under a Maritime Commission contract, sponsored by Mrs. J. C. Casada; transferred to the Navy 19 July 1944; and commissioned 1 November 1944, Commander C. H. McLaughlin, USNR, in command.

Sailing from San Francisco 2 January 1945, Effingham trained at Guadalcanal with the 1st Marines, then staged at Ulithi for the invasion landings on Okinawa 1 April. For 6 days she remained off the island, unloading her cargo and fighting off enemy air attacks. She returned to San Francisco for overhaul, then arrived back at Okinawa 12 August. With the end of the war, she transported troops to Jinsen, Korea, and Taku, China, for the reoccupation of those countries. In October and November she embarked Chinese troops at Hong Kong for transfer to Chinwangtao and Tsingtao. She returned to the. west coast in December bringing home servicemen, and after a similar voyage to the Far East on "Magic Carpet" duty, sailed for the east coast. She was decommissioned at Norfolk 17 May 1946, and returned to the Maritime Commission for disposal 3 days later.

Effingham received one battle star for World War II service.