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USS General William Mitchell (AP-114)

Please see below for item level images and donated collections containing photographs of USS General William Mitchell (AP-114)

USS General William Mitchell (AP-114) was launched 31 October 1943 under a Maritime Commission contract by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J.; sponsored by Mrs. William Mitchell, the namesake's widow; acquired 15 January 1944 and commissioned 4 days later, Captain Henry Coyle, USCG, in command.

From 3 March-2p August 1944 USS General William Mitchell (AP-114) made five round trip transport voyages out of Norfolk and New York to Casablanca and Liverpool, carrying fighting men to the North African theater and participating in the buildup prior to the Allied invasion of Northern France. On the return leg of these frequent voyages, she carried casualties and rotation troops home to the United States, insuring a steady flow of men and equipment between America and war-torn Europe.

During the autumn of 1944 and through the spring of 1945, USS General William Mitchell (AP-114) called twice at Bombay, India, as she redeployed and rotated troops in the China-Burma-India theater. On the first of these voyages she sailed from New York via Panama and Australia, putting in at Bombay 7 October and embarking veterans for passage to Australia and America, and finally mooring at San Diego 17 November 1944. USS General William Mitchell (AP-114) sailed to Leghorn and Naples, Italy, to transport seasoned fighting men and redeploy them for the anticipated assault on Japan's homeland. These troops debarked at Ulithi and the Philippines in the summer of 1945, and USS General William Mitchell (AP-114) returned to San Francisco 6 December 1945 at war's end filled with homeward-bound warriors.

As part of the "Magic Carpet" fleet, this busy transport carried bluejackets from San Francisco to the Philippines, returning servicemen from Hollandia to Seattle, and troops from the Philippines and Guam to San Francisco, through the spring of 1946. Subsequently, from April 1946 until 1949 USS General William Mitchell (AP-114) sailed from West Coast ports and shuttled troops and supplies to and from Japan, China, Guam, and Hawaii. In October 1949 she was transferred to MSTS and in 1950 continued her West Coast-Orient travels. In that year, too, two round trip voyages from New Orleans and New York were made to Bremerhaven to rotate and supply troops in Europe.

USS General William Mitchell (AP-114) continued to transport men and material from West Coast ports to Japan and Korea, supporting the United Nations forces in the latter country. Her frequent shuttle runs followed this pattern with the addition of numerous calls at Formosa and Pacific Islands until returned to the Maritime Administration 1 December 1966. USS General William Mitchell (AP-114) entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet and is berthed in Suisan Bay, Calif.

For a complete history of USS General William Mitchell (AP-114) please see its DANFS page.