Hocking (APA-121)
1944-1974
A county in Ohio.
(APA-121: displacement 14,800 (full load); length 455'; beam 62'; draft 28' (maximum); speed 18 knots; complement 536; armament 1 5-inch, 12 40 millimeter, 10 20 millimeter; class Haskell; type VC2-S-AP5)
Hocking (APA-121) was laid down on X under a Maritime Commission contract (MCV Hull 34) at Wilmington, Calif., by California Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 6 August 1944; sponsored by Miss Frances Sims; acquired by the Navy on a loan-charter basis and commissioned on 22 October 1944, Cmdr. C. D. Shutz in command.
The new transport conducted shakedown and training exercises off the coast of California, departing for Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, on 4 December 1944. After her arrival at Pearl on 10 December, Hocking embarked marines and took part in amphibious exercises and rehearsals preparatory to the invasion of Iwo Jima. She joined up with other assault forces on 27 January 1945 en route to Eniwetok, and after a stopover there, arrived off Iwo on 19 February. There Hocking debarked her marines and unloaded equipment in the early waves of the assault. She then anchored offshore, received casualties, and departed on 27 February for Saipan, where she arrived on 2 March.
Hocking sailed to Espiritu Santo on 15 March 1945, where she embarked fresh amphibious assault forces, and sailed to Okinawa by way of Ulithi, in the Western Carolines. The ship arrived off Okinawa on 9 April, where over ensuing days she debarked her troops and offloaded their cargo, and again received battle casualties for transportation from the forward areas. Hocking departed on 14 April for Saipan and Ulithi, and arrived in the Marianas on 7 May to embark troops at Tinian. Those were transported to Okinawa and landed on 27 May, after which the transport again embarked casualties to take them out of the combat zone. She arrived at Pearl Harbor via Saipan and Eniwetok on 26 June, then sailed for San Francisco, arriving on 3 July.
With the war nearing its close, Hocking embarked replacement troops and sailed on 20 July 1945, stopping at Eniwetok and Ulithi before landing her troops at Okinawa on 22 August, after which time she turned to duties connected with the occupation of former enemy territory, embarking troops at Leyte on 5 September and at Panay on 10 September. She transported troops to Jinsen, Korea, and landed them to aid in the occupation. Hocking sailed on 25 September for Luzon, then brought more troops to Jinsen, and made still another passage (18 October-3 November). Underway from Jinsen on 7 November, she embarked troops two days later at Shanghai, China, and sailed for the United States as a unit of operation Magic Carpet, bringing home thousands of American veterans.
Hocking arrived at San Pedro, Calif., on 5 December 1945, then made another voyage to Guam and the Philippines bringing home veterans. Departing San Pedro on 1 March 1946, she was designated for return to the Maritime Commission and proceeded via the Panama Canal Zone to Norfolk, Va., where she was decommissioned on 10 May, and entered the Reserve Fleet berthing area at Lee Hall, Va., at 1110 on 22 May 1946.
Except for a brief period when she was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet under a General Agency Agreement for repairs, under contract with A. H. Bull & Co. (3 October-1 December 1955), Hocking remained inactive until sold for scrap on 7 May 1974 to Luria Brothers & Co., for $285,989.00. She was physically delivered to her purchaser on 10 May 1974.
Hocking received two battle stars for her World War II service in the Pacific.
