USS Todd (AKA71) Attack Cargo Ship - NC Maritime Museum Southport
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NCDaywalker
N 33° 55.095 W 078° 01.070
17S E 775706 N 3757097
USS Todd was one many ships anchored in Tokyo Bay for the surrender proceedings aboard the USS Missouri.
Waymark Code: WMT02Z
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 08/31/2016
Views: 0
"The need for ships of this type became apparent during World War II, when amphibious warfare doctrine underwent a period of rapid development as Japanese strongholds in the Pacific were invaded from the sea. Planners saw the need for a special kind of cargo ship—one that could carry both cargo and the LCM and LCVP boats with which to deliver it to the beach, and that carried guns to assist in air defense and shore bombardment. Specifications were drawn up, and beginning in early 1943, the first 16 U.S. Attack Cargo Ships were converted from Navy cargo ships that had previously been designated AK.
Six new AKAs were built during 1943, 41 during 1944, and 45 during 1946. A new attack cargo ship was commissioned an average of every nine days during the latter two years. Construction stopped at the end of the war, 108 AKAs having been built or converted during its duration.
Attack cargo ships played a vital role in the Pacific War, where many were attacked by kamikazes and other aircraft, and several were torpedoed, but none were sunk or otherwise destroyed. Nine AKA's were present at the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945: USS Libra (AKA-12), USS Medea (AKA-31), USS Pamina (AKA-34), USS Sirona (AKA-43), USS Skagit (AKA-105), USS Todd (AKA-71), USS Tolland (AKA-64), USS Whiteside (AKA-90), and USS Yancey (AKA-93)."
Quoted from webpage: (Attack_Cargo_Ships)
"Todd was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1400) on 10 August 1944 at Wilmington, North Carolina, by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 10 October 1944; sponsored by Mrs. R. Gregg Cherry; acquired by the Navy from the War Shipping Administration on 14 November; and commissioned on 30 November 1944, Lt. Comdr. Charles A. Johnson, USNR, in command.
The ship held shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay and then moved up the coast to Davisville, R.I., to load cargo. On 4 January 1945, Todd began an independent voyage to Hawaii. She transited the Panama Canal on 11 January and arrived at Pearl Harbor on the 26th. She unloaded her cargo, participated in training exercises for two weeks, and got underway for New Caledonia on 12 February.
On 22 February, Todd arrived at Noumea to await further orders. During the next 10 weeks, the ship moved only once and that was to carry tracked landing vehicles 50 miles up the coast to Uarai Bay for the Army. She left Noumea on 3 May and proceeded, via Manus, to the Philippines. The cargo ship arrived at Leyte on 16 May and headed for Hollandia 12 days later. She loaded troops and supplies and returned to Manila on 17 June. Todd then made two more round-trips from the Philippines to New Guinea. The ship was unloading cargo at Subic Bay when hostilities with Japan ceased. She embarked occupation troops, with their equipment, at Manila and got underway for Japan on 27 August. The troops disembarked at Yokohama on 2 September. A voyage from the Philippines to Okinawa and another from the Philippines to Japan followed. In October and early November, she made calls at Hong Kong and Tsingtao before proceeding to Sasebo. Todd embarked elements of the 5th Marine Division and departed Japan for the United States on 7 December.
The ship arrived at San Diego on 22 December 1945 and disembarked her passengers. She moved to San Pedro the next day and off-loaded ammunition. Todd proceeded to San Francisco on 9 January 1946 and entered the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard for voyage repairs. Between 15 February and 15 March, she made one last voyage to Hawaii. On 5 April, Todd stood out of San Francisco bound for Norfolk and inactivation. She arrived on 1 May and was decommissioned on 25 June 1946. Todd was returned to the War Shipping Administration the next day and was struck from the Navy list on 19 July 1946."
Quoted from webpage: (USS_Todd_AKA-71)
