Mountrail
- DANFS history
Named
after a
county in North Dakota.
Mountrail
(APA
213) was built under Maritime Commission contract by Permanente Metals
Corp., Richmond, Calif.; launched 20 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs.
Margaret H. Marshall; and commissioned 16 November 1944, Comdr. R. R.
Stevens in command.
Following
shakedown, Mountrail embarked troops at Seattle and sailed for the
Philippines 10 January 1945. Reaching Leyte Gulf 21 February, she put to
sea with men of the 77th Infantry Division for amphibious training off
Leyte before departing San Pedro Bay 21 March to join a convoy for the
Okinawa invasion. She arrived off Kerama Retto 26 March. While she landed
troops 2 April, her gunners shot down three planes.
Mountrail
departed
Kerama Retto and arrived San Francisco 22 May to load troops for the
Philippines, whom she disembarked at Manila. Returning San Francisco 5
August, she sailed with more troops, landing them at Batangas, Luzon, 11
September. At Leyte Gulf she took on occupation troops whom she landed at
Hakodate, Japan, 4 October, then carried Marines from Japan to Tsingtao,
China, before sailing for home 5 November. She decommissioned 12 July 1946
and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Stockton, Calif.
With
the outbreak of the Korean conflict, Mountrail recommissioned 9
September 1950, and sailed 22 December for the Far East to carry men
between Japan and Korea until returning San Diego 2 August 1951. On 28 May
1952, she sailed for her second tour of duty with the 7th Fleet, operating
between Hong Kong and Korea for the next 6 months. On 14 October she
joined in the feint off Kojo, Korea, which tricked the Communists
completely.
She
returned to Long Beach in December and trained on the west coast until
sailing for Japan 28 November 1953. She sailed between the Philippines and
Japan until August, when she joined operation “Passage to Freedom,”
the massive evacuation of refugees from North to South Vietnam. She
returned to Long Reach 9 October 1954, and decommissioned 1 October 1955
to return to reserve.
Mountrail
recommissioned
22 November 1961 and sailed to join Amphibious Squadron 12, Atlantic
Fleet. During training, she operated in the Atlantic and Caribbean,
strengthening American forces at Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile
Crisis of fall 1962. In October and November 1964 she took part in NATO
landing exercises in southern Spain, and 8 February 1965 she left Norfolk
for her first deployment with the 6th Fleet. She took part in exercises
off Norway in June and July, returning Norfolk 20 July.
Into
1969, Mountrail has continued annual deployments with the 6th
Fleet, strengthening the amphibious capability of this bulwark of freedom
in the Mediterranean.
Mountrail received one battle
star for World War II service and three for Korean service.
Specifications:
Displacement 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
Length 455'
Beam 62'
Speed 17.7 kts. (trial)
Complement
Officers 56
Enlisted 480
Troop Accommodations
Officers 86
Officers
Enlisted 1,475
Cargo Capacity 150,000 cu. ft, (non-refrigerated) 2,900 tons
Boats 2 LCM, 12 LCVP, 3 LCPU
Armament
one single
5"/38 cal dual-purpose gun mount
four twin 40mm AA
gun mounts
one quad 40mm AA
gun mount
ten single 20mm AA
gun mounts
Fuel Capacities
NSFO 7,780 Bbls
Diesel 970 Bbls
Propulsion
one Westinghouse
geared turbine
two Babcock and
Wilcox header-type boilers, 465psi 750°
double
Westinghouse Main Reduction Gear
three 300Kw
120V/240V D.C.
single propeller,
8,500shp
