Mendocino (APA-100)
1944-1946
A county in northern California along the Pacific coast.
The name Mendocino was assigned 5 June 1941 to Redwood, an Army transport, scheduled to be acquired by the Navy for use as AK‑39; however, the ship was not acquired and the name was canceled. She later served the Army as Eli D. Hoyle on runs between Alaska and Puget Sound.
The name Mendocino was assigned to the rescue transport ship APR‑8 on 23 August 1942, but the contract for the ship was canceled 12 March 1943 prior to the start of construction.
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Mendocino (APA‑100) was laid down under Maritime Commission contract by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, Miss., 20 September 1943; launched 11 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. William Tillotson; acquired by the Navy 23 May 1944; placed in ferry commission from 23 May to 3 June 1944 for transfer to Bethlehem Steel Co., Hoboken, N.J., prior to conversion to an attack transport; and commissioned at Hoboken 31 October 1944, Capt. Walton R. Read in command.
After shakedown in Chesapeake Bay, Mendocino embarked 705 naval passengers and departed Norfolk for the Pacific 10 December. She reached San Pedro, Calif., Christmas Day; and, following a run to Pearl Harbor and back, she departed San Francisco Bay 5 February 1945 for the Philippines. She entered Leyte Gulf 28 February and during much of the next month trained for the forthcoming invasion of Okinawa.
As flagship of Transport Squadron 14, she sortied with ships of the Southern Attack Force 27 March, and closed Okinawa early 1 April. During the amphibious assault against the Hagushi Beaches she debarked troops of the 96th Infantry Division off Beach White I, and until 6 April she off‑loaded support equipment. She embarked Army wounded and transported them to Saipan before steaming to Pearl Harbor where she arrived 22 April
As flagship for Transport Squadron 19, Mendocino trained in Hawaiian waters until returning to San Francisco 4 June to embark troops and load cargo. Between 29 June and 16 July she sailed to Guam; thence, she carried veterans of the Pacific campaigns to the west coast, arriving San Francisco 4 August. After the end of hostilities, she transported 1,523 Army officers and men to the Philippines; after embarking occupation troops at Legaspi, Luzon, she sailed in convoy for Japan 4 October. Arriving Yokohama 13 October, she discharged troops and cargo. Three days later she joined the -Magic Carpet- fleet, and from 26 October to 8 November she carried returning veterans back to the United States. After completing a second troop lift 27 December, she departed San Francisco 14 January 1946 and reached New York 1 February. She decommissioned there 27 February 1946 and was returned to WSA the same day. Her name was struck from the Navy list 12 March 1946. Subsequently, Mendocino was sold to Pope & Talbot, Inc., San Francisco, Calif., and was renamed P. & T. Seafarer.
Mendocino received one battle star for World War II service.
