Pitt APA-223

Pitt

A county in North Carolina.

(APA-223: dp. 14,837; 1. 455'0"; b. 62'0", dr. 24'0", s. 18 k.; cpl. 536; a. 1 5", 12 40mm.; cl. Naskell, T. VC2-5-AP5).

Pitt (APA-223) was laid down 8 September 1944 by Permanente Metals Corp., Richmond, Calif. as MCV hull 571; launched 10 November 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Gwin Fallis; and commissioned 11 December 1944, Capt. Walter S. Mayer, Jr. in command.

After shakedown off the California coast, Pitt departed 10 February 1945 via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, for Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands, to join 600 other ships preparing for the invasion of Okinawa. She unloaded half of her ammunition cargo there, and the rest at Leyte. After loading Army troops from damaged Samuel Chase (APA-26), she steamed for Kerama Retto where her troops cleaned out Zamami Shima key island in the small group off the southwest coast of Okinawa. She then became "receiving ship" for the Kerama Retto Naval Base, caring for several hundred survivors of Japanese suicide attacks, and shooting down one suicide plane 6 April. Pitt steamed to Saipan, Tulagi, Noumea, and Guam before returning with passengers to San Francisco where she celebrated the Japanese surrender.

On 19 August, Pitt sailed via Ulithi to Mindanao and Leyte, where she loaded troops to occupy Aomori, northern Honshu Japan 25 September. Pitt then began a series of "Magic Carpet' assignments, returning fighting men to the States from suchPacific locations as Saipan and Tinian, Manila and Nagaya, Japan. She decommissioned and was transferred to the Maritime Commission 9 April 1947 and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register 23 April 1947. Placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, she remains berthed at Suisun Bay in 1970.

Pitt received one battle star for World War II service.