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Bronx II (APA-236)

1945-1949

A region in the southeastern part of the state of New York which became a separate county in 1913 and now is a borough of New York City.

II

(APA-236: displacement 14,837 (trial); length 455'0"; beam 62'0"; draft 24'0"; speed 17.7 knots. (trial); complement 536; troop capacity 1,561; armament 1 5-inch, 12 40-millimeter, 10 20-millimeter; class Haskell; type VC2-S-AP5)

The second Bronx (APA-236) was laid down on 22 May 1945 at Portland, Oregon, by the Oregon Shipbuilding Co. under a Maritime Commission contract (M.C.V. Hull 860); launched on 14 July 1945; sponsored by Mrs. John W. Greenslade, wife of Vice Adm. John W. Greenslade, former Commander, Western Sea Frontier; delivered to the Navy on 27 August 1945; and commissioned that same day, Capt. Edward J. Anderson, USNR, in command.

Bronx completed outfitting late in September 1945 and headed for San Diego, Calif. On 29 September, she reported to the Commander, San Diego Underway Training Unit, for shakedown and amphibious training. Bronx completed post-shakedown availability at San Pedro, Calif., late in October and moved to San Francisco on the 26th. On 31 October, she got underway for the Philippines. The attack transport picked up 1,791 returning servicemen at Manila and arrived back in San Francisco on 10 December. Ten days later, Bronx started out for another voyage to Manila where she arrived during the second week in January 1946. She embarked passengers at Manila and at Samar before heading back to the U.S. in the latter part of February. The ship reached San Francisco on 12 March.

Bronx remained at San Francisco until 4 April 1945 at which time she put to sea bound for China. She arrived in Shanghai on the 21st and remained there five days, before moving on to Tsingtao and Taku, taking passengers on board at both places. She departed Taku on 3 May and reached San Francisco on 20 May. Bronx stayed in the U.S. almost three weeks, getting underway for Japan on 7 June with occupation force replacements embarked. Between 21 and 25 June, she made stops at Yokohama and Yokosuka and then shaped a course for Okinawa, where she embarked passengers on 27 and 28 June, and then headed back to the United States.

Bronx reached San Francisco on 12 July and, after disembarking her last complement of Magic Carpet passengers, entered the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard for three weeks of voyage repairs. On 8 August, she moved to San Pedro to take on board her allowance of landing craft. Between 9 and 10 August, the attack transport made the voyage from San Pedro to San Diego where she reported for duty with Transport Squadron (TransRon) 1. She spent the next 49 days engaged in refresher and amphibious training. Between 28 September and 2 October, Bronx participated in a joint Army-Navy amphibious exercise. She arrived back in San Diego on 11 October and, for the next two months, operated between San Diego and Fort Lewis, Wash., conducting more joint amphibious exercises. On 14 December, the attack transport returned to San Diego and began a holiday leave and upkeep period.

On 5 January 1947, she got underway for the Naval Supply Depot, Oakland, where she took on cargo between the 6th and the 9th. She departed Oakland on the latter day, stopped at San Francisco to embark passengers, and then shaped a course for Hawaii. Bronx arrived in Pearl Harbor on 15 January and, after nine days of cargo operations, continued on her way to the Far East. She stopped at Okinawa from 5 to 8 February and then sailed on to Shanghai, China. The ship reached her destination on 10 February and unloaded cargo until the 16th. On that day, she headed for Tsingtao, arriving there on the 17th. After unloading cargo, Bronx remained idle at Tsingtao for more than a month. She finally got underway on 21 March, bound for Chinwangtao. The attack transport tied up at the Chinwangtao breakwater on 23 March and began embarking elements of the First Marine Division. On 26 March, she let go her moorings and stood out to sea on her way to the Mariana Islands.

Bronx arrived at Guam on 3 April 1947 towing a U.S. Army gasoline lighter she had encountered adrift. The marines disembarked at Guam, and Bronx headed back to China on 8 April. The attack transport reentered Chinwangtao on 16 April and began embarking additional Marine Corps passengers. Two days later, she started out on the return voyage to Guam. Entering Apra Harbor on 24 April, the ship disembarked marines until 27 April when she headed back to China. She stopped at Tsingtao between 2 and 7 May for upkeep and liberty and then moved on to Taku. There, she commenced loading a stockpile of ammunition that lay in danger of falling into the hands of advancing Chinese Communists. On 10 May, Bronx got underway for Chinwangtao, arriving that same day. She began embarking more marines for the voyage to Guam, and while there, with Chinese Communist troops just outside that city, doubled her guards. Additionally, the severing of the railway between Tientsin and Chinwangtao added to the embarkation difficulties. Ultimately, she finally sailed on 14 May.

Bronx stopped at Guam from 20 to 22 May 1947 to exchange some passengers and cargo for homeward-bound servicemen and cargo. On 22 May, the attack transport stood out of Apra Harbor on her way back to the west coast. After unloading ammunition at Port Chicago, Calif., she returned to San Diego on 7 June. On 25 June, Bronx departed San Diego on her way to San Pedro arriving that same afternoon. On 30 June, the attack transport began a three-month overhaul at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard. At the conclusion of that repair period, the ship began normal operations along the California coast. That employment occupied her through the remainder of 1947.

On 5 January 1948, Bronx put to sea for the Far East. She made stops at Pearl Harbor, Tsingtao, Shanghai, and Guam. After a final call at Tsingtao, the ship headed back to the U.S. on 4 May. She resumed operations along the west coast upon her return home, those evolutions lasting until the beginning of 1949. On 18 January, Bronx got underway for Kodiak, Alaska, where she participated in cold weather amphibious exercises. On 18 February, she concluded that assignment and headed for San Francisco, where, upon her arrival, she began a pre-inactivation overhaul at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard.

Bronx was placed out of commission, in reserve, on 30 June 1949, and her name was stricken from the Naval Register on 1 October 1949. She was berthed in the San Francisco area until November of 1950 when she was reassigned to the Stockton Group, Pacific Reserve Fleet. On 11 April 1958, the attack transport was transferred to the San Diego Group of the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

A little over four months later, at 1220 on 15 August 1958, the ship entered the Suisun Bay, Calif., berthing area, where she remained until withdrawn from the fleet at 0930 on 7 November 1979, pursuant to a trade-in exchange for the merchant vessel Santa Rita. Simultaneously, ex-Bronx was delivered to the Nissho-Iwai American Corp., to be scrapped in South Korea.

 Raymond A. Mann; updated, Robert J. Cressman
21 September 2020

 

Published: Tue Sep 22 09:55:58 EDT 2020