An Army name retained. Major General Henry Gibbins was Quartermaster General of the Army.
Henry Gibbins (T-AP 183) was laid down as Biloxi under Maritime Commission contract by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, Miss., 23 August 1941; launched 11 November 1942; sponsored by Mrs. H. I. Ingalls, Jr.; delivered to the Army Transportation Service 27 February 1943. She was renamed Henry Gibbins and served the Army as a troop transport during World War II.
She was acquired by the Navy from the Army 1 March 1950, and assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service. During the Korean War she transported men and equipment from New York to Caribbean and Canal Zone ports, prior to their assignment in the Pacific. In 1953, Henry Gibbins operated on the New York to Bremerhaven, Germany, and Southampton, England, runs, making a total of 12 cruises to these European ports.
From 1954 until late 1959 the veteran transport steamed from New York to the Caribbean over 75 times, sailed to the Mediterranean on 3 occasions, and crossed the Atlantic to Northern Europe 8 times. During this time Henry Gibbins shuttled thousands of troops and tons of supplies between the United States and her foreign bases.
Henry Gibbins was transferred from MSTS to the Maritime Administration 2 December 1959, at Fort Schuyler, N.Y., for service with the New York Maritime College.
