USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) - Peacetime Service, 1945-1950

Peacetime Service, 1945-1950

After the end of hostilities with Japan on 15 August 1945, Horace A. Bass remained off Japan with United States Third Fleet units until the ships triumphantly entered Tokyo Bay on 27 August 1945. Horace A. Bass took part in 'the occupation of the giant Yokosuka Naval Base, furnishing the prize crew which took possession of battleship Nagato, one of the very few major ships left to the Imperial Japanese Navy. Horace A. Bass remained at Yokosuka assisting in the occupation until sailing for the United States on 14 January 1946.

Horace A. Bass arrived at San Francisco, California, on 7 February 1946. She was in overhaul at the Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California, from 11 February 1946 to 10 April 1946, then spent the remainder of 1946 in the San Diego area on training operations. She sailed again for the Far East on 27 January 1947, this time to support American efforts to stabilize the volatile situation in China due to the civil war there. Arriving at Tsingtao, China, on 5 March 1947, Horace A. Bass acted as a station ship until sailing again for San Diego on 30 July 1947. She spent the second half of 1947 on training exercises in California waters, and in early 1948 she operated off the coast of Mexico. She proceeded to China again on 16 June 1948, and again served as station ship at Hong Kong and Tsingtao, occasionally sailing to the Marshall Islands and Guam. As communist troops began to gain the upper hand in the Chinese Civil War, Horace A. Bass evacuated civilians of several nations from Nanking in November 1948. She departed China on 1 December 1948, arriving at San Diego on 21 December 1948 for repairs and training.

After exercises off San Diego and a large amphibious warfare training assault in Hawaii, Horace A. Bass' sailed from Hawaii on 14 November 1949 for another tour of duty in China. Arriving at Hong Kong on 30 November 1949, she remained in waters off China and Southeast Asian countries to protect American interests in the area, arriving at San Diego on 12 June 1950.