USS Cecil (APA-96)

USS Cecil (APA-96)



USS Cecil in the harbor at Batangas, Luzon, August 1945
Career
Namesake: A county in Maryland
Builder: Western Pipe & Steel
Laid down: 24 June 1943
Launched: 27 September 1943
Christened: Sea Angler
Commissioned: 15 September 1944
Decommissioned: 24 May 1946
Renamed: USS Cecil, Steel Admiral.
Honours and
awards:
Two battle stars for service in World War II.
Fate: Scrapped October 1974
Notes: WPS Hull No. 121.
MC Hull No. 1544.
Type C3-S-A2.
Sponsor: Mrs S. Belither. Delivered 28 February 1944.
General characteristics
Class & type: Bayfield-class attack transport
Displacement: 8,100 tons, 16,100 tons fully loaded
Length: 492 ft (150 m)
Beam: 69 ft 6 in (21.18 m)
Draught: 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
Propulsion: General Electric geared turbine, 2 x Babcock & Wilcox D-type boilers, single propeller, designed shaft horsepower 8,500
Speed: 18 knots
Boats & landing
craft carried:
12 x LCVP, 4 x LCM (Mk-6), 3 x LCP(L) (MK-IV)
Capacity: 4,800 tons (180,500 cu. ft).
Complement: Crew: 51 officers, 524 enlisted
Flag: 43 officers, 108 enlisted.
Troops: 80 officers, 1,146 enlisted
Armament:

2 x single 5 inch/38 cal. dual purpose gun mounts, one fore and one aft.
2 x twin 40mm AA gun mounts forward, port and starboard.
2 x single 40 mm AA gun mounts.

18 x single 20mm AA gun mounts.

USS Cecil (APA-96) was a Bayfield class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II.

Launched as Sea Angler by Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco, California, under a Maritime Commission contract, the vessel was acquired by the Navy 26 February 1944 and renamed Cecil after a county in Maryland. She was placed in reduced commission 27 February, converted at Commercial Iron Works, Portland, Oregon, and placed in full commission 15 September 1944, Captain P. G. Hale in command.

Read more about USS Cecil (APA-96):  Commercial Service