Hugh L. Scott AP-43

Hugh L. Scott

(AP-43: dp. 12,579; 1. 532'; b. 72'; dr. 30'6"; s. 16 k.; cpl 119)

Hugh L. Scott (AP-43) was built as Hawkeye State for USSB by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co., Sparrows Point, Md., in 1921. Renamed President Pierce, she sailed for the Dollar Steamship Co., and later for the American President Lines as a passenger liner. Taken over by the Army 31 July 1941, she was renamed Hugh L. Scott and made four voyages to the Far East before sailing to the East Coast in July 1942. The ship was taken over by the Navy 14 August 1942, and converted to an attack transport at Tietjen and Lang (later Todd Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. ), Hoboken, N.J. She commissioned 7 September 1942, Captain Harold J. Wright commanding.

The transport was slated for participation in the North Africa landings, the giant amphibious assault mounted across the entire width of the Atlantic. Hugh L. Scott joined Transport Division 3 for this, our brst offensive move in the European-African theater, and sailed 24

October after intensive amphibious training. She approached the beaches at Fedhala, French Morocco, early on the morning of 8 November and after bombardment by surface ships, landed her troops. Hugh L. Scott then cleared the immediate invasion area, and did not return until 11 November, when she entered the refueling area and then anchored in the exposed Fedhala roadstead tn unlead her supplies.

During the evening of 11 November, German submarine U-178 slipped inside the proteotive screen to torpedo transport Joseph Hewe&, tanker Winooski, and destroyer Hamberton. nugh L. Scott and the other transports went to battle stations the entire night, and resumed unloading tbe next clay. That afternoon, 12 November, another submarine, U-150, stalked the transports and torpedoed Hugh L. Scott, Edward Rutledge, and Tasker H. Bliss. Hugh L. Scott, hit on the starboard side, burst into flames and foundered, but owing to the availability of' landing craft for rescue, casualties were held to a minimum— 8 officers and 51 men. U-178 was later sunk by destroyers, but U-150 escaped.