Dorothea L. Dix (AP-67)
Dorothea Lynde Dix born 4 April 1802 at Hampden, Maine, taught school as a young woman. In 1841 she began her well-known efforts to secure humane treatment of the mentally ill, instituting many reforms and advocating State care which later became a reality. She was superintendent of women nurses during the Civil War and continued her humanitarian work until her death 17 July 1887.
Dorothea L. Dix (AP-67) was launched 22 June 1940 as Exemplar by Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Mass., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Miss P. J. Kalloch; transferred to the Navy 13 September 1942; and commissioned 17 September 1942, Captain L. B. Schulten in command.
Putting to sea from Cove Point, Md., 23 October 1942, Dorothea L. Dix sailed with TF 34 to land Army troops and supply scout boats in the assault at Safi, French Morocco, from 8 to 12 November. She returned to Norfolk 24 November. Between 12 December 1942 and 5 April 1943 she made two more transatlantic voyages to Oran, Algeria, carrying Army troops and nurses.
After amphibious training at Norfolk, she sailed 8 June 1943 for Oran, arriving 22 June. On 5 July she got underway for the invasion of Sicily, arriving off Scoglitti late on 9 July and debarking her troops and cargo early the next day under heavy air attack. She embarked wounded and one Italian prisoner and returned to Oran 15 July. A week later she was en route to New York, arriving 3 August to debark her passengers, German prisoners of war. A similar voyage was made to Oran between 21 August and 21 September after which she sailed 8 October for the United Kingdom.
Dorothea L. Dix arrived at Gourock Bay, Scotland, 17 October 1943, and sailed 10 days later for Algiers where she exchanged troops for 243 survivors of Beatty (DD-630) and for Oran to embark Army troops. She unloaded cargo at Gourock Bay between 24 and 30 November then sailed to New York, arriving 11 December. Between 29 December 1943 and 10 March 1944 she carried troops on two voyages from New York to Gourock Bay and Liverpool.
On 23 March 1944 Dorothea L. Dix sailed from New York for Belfast, Northern Ireland, arriving 3 April. After amphibious training in the Clyde area, she sortied with Temporary Transport Division 97 from Portland, England, 5 June for the invasion landings at Normandy the following day. She returned to Weymouth Bay on the 7th to debark casualties, then embarked troops in the Clyde area and tanks at Avonmouth which she carried to Naples, arriving 16 July.
She put out from Naples 13 August 1944 for the invasion of southern France 2 days later, unloading tanks and Army troops for the assault landings. She continued to support this operation by carrying French, British, and Italian as well as American troops to Baie de la Cavalaire and Marseilles from Naples and Oran until 22 October. Three days later she left Oran for New York, arriving 8 November.
Dorothea L. Dix put to sea from New York 18 December 1944, and arrived at San Francisco 4 January 1945. Two weeks later she sailed to carry Army troops to Pearl Harbor, returning to San Francisco 2 February. After a voyage to Attu, to transport Army troops to Aleutian Islands she proceeded to Okinawa arriving 1 May. Here she landed support troops and embarked casualties and naval passengers for San Francisco, arriving 27 May.
Between 10 June 1945 and 9 February 1946 Dorothea L. Dix operated on transport duty from San Francisco and other west coast ports to the Philippines, carrying replacements to the Pacific and returning veterans. She sailed to New York 29 March 1946, was decommissioned there 24 April 1946, and returned to the Maritime Commission for disposal the same day.
Dorothea L. Dix received five battle stars for World War II service.
