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Mifflin (APA-207)

1944-1958

A county in central Pennsylvania.

(APA-207: displacement 6,720; length 455'3"; draft 24'; speed 19.2 knots; complement 494; armamenmt 1 5-inch, 12 40 millimeter, 10 20 millimeter; class Haskell; type VC2-S-AP5)

Mifflin (APA‑207) was laid down on 15 May 1944 under a Maritime Commission contract (MC Hull 555) at Richmond, Calif., by Permanente Metals Corp, Shipyard No. 2 ; launched on 7 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Alma De Bretteville Spreckles; accepted by the Navy on a loan basis; and commissioned on 11 October 1944, Cmdr. Louis J. Modave, DM, USNR, in command.

After shakedown, Mifflin embarked 1,100 troops and sailed to Pearl Harbor. Exchanging her initial passengers for Fourth Division Marines, she continued amphibious exercises off Maui, until ordered to Saipan on 27 January 1945. On 19 February her boats landed the Fourth Marines on the shores of Iwo Jima. She remained almost a week to offload priority, then request cargo, and to take on board battle casualties. That included her own, for the ship's beach party was hard-hit the first day, suffering 14 wounded and three missing. Mifflin also sustained a shell hit on her 40 millimeter gun director before retiring with the wounded to Saipan on the 28th.

Having replaced lost equipment and boats, she sailed on 16 March 1945 to nearby Tinian to practice for the invasion of Okinawa. In position for that assault, on 1 and 2 April her boats feinted a landing of Second Division Marines on the southeastern shore to lessen opposition to the main effort on the western beaches. Again returning her marines to Saipan, she remained there until early June. Steaming to the New Hebrides, Mifflin loaded stores which she discharged on 30 June at Guam. On Independence Day 1945 she weighed anchor for San Francisco, Calif., with a small passenger list and a need for repairs.

Two months later, when she returned to the western Pacific to disembark 1,600 Army replacement troops at Manila, Philippines, the war had ceased. Mifflin reloaded with men of the 33rd Infantry Division assigned to occupation duty and reached Wakayama, Japan, on 25 September 1945. The next month, over 1,000 troops of the 24th Infantry Division were transported from Mindanao, Philippines, to Okajama, Japan. Sailing to Okinawa on 30 October she engaged in Magic Carpet duty from November to March 1946, returning additional thousands of veterans to San Francisco. Inactivation soon began with Mifflin placed out of service in reserve on 5 July 1946 assigned to the 19th Fleet, Stockton, Calif.

Stricken from the Navy Register on 1 October 1958, she was returned to the Maritime Commission the same date. Assigned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet she was berthed at Suisun Bay, Calif.,  until sold, for non-transportation use, to the West Waterway Lumber Co. on 17 July 1975. Custody was transferred on 6 August 1975.

Mifflin received two battle stars for her World War II service.

Published: Tue Dec 29 11:40:07 EST 2015