>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” 

(1969) Vol. 4, pp.355-356, 487.





MIFFIN



	Miffin:  A county in central Pennsylvania.





APA-207



Displacement:  6,720 t.

Length:  455’3”

Beam:  62’

Draft:  24’

Speed:  19.2 k.

Complement:  494

Armament:  1 5”; 12 40mm; 10 20mm

Class:  HASKELL





	Class statistics



HASKELL Class (APA 117-180,187-239)



Overall Length:  455’

Extreme Beam:  62’

Trial Displacement:  14,837 t.

Limiting Draft:  24’

Speed:  19 k. (APA 117-196)

        18 k. (APA 197-206,208-239)

        19 k. (APA 207)

Accommodations:

	Ship’s Company:

		Officer:  56

		Enlisted:  480

	Troop Capacity:

		Officer:  86

		Enlisted:  1,475

Cargo Capacity:  150,000 cu.ft.; 2,900 t.

Armament:  (Aug 1945)

	1 5”/38

	1 40mm quad mount

	4 40mm twin mounts

	10 20mm single mounts

Engines:  Geared turbine drive

	Westinghouse 

		(APA 117,122,129,131,133,141-145,151-180,204-231)

	Joshua Hendy

		(APA 118-121,123,125-128,130,132,134-140,146-150,

			232-239)

	Allis-Chalmers

		(APA 187-203)

Boilers:  2 each

	Babcock & Wilcox; header-type

		(APA 117-150,155,156,169-180,201,204,207-211,213,

			218,224,225,231-239

	Combustion Engineering; header-type

		(APA 151-154,157-168,187-200,202,203,205,206,212,

			214-217,219-223,226-230)

Propulsion:

	Propellers:  1

	Designed Shaft Horsepower:  8,500





	MIFFIN (APA-207) was laid down 15 May 1944 by 

Permanente Metals Corp. Shipyard No. 2, Richmond, Calif.; 

launched 7 August 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Alma De Brettville 

Sprecies; accepted by the Navy on a loan basis; and 

commissioned 11 October 1944, Comdr. L. J. Modave in 

command.



	After shakedown, MIFFIN embarked 1,100 troops and 

sailed to Pearl Harbor.  Exchanging her initial passengers 

for 4th Division Marines, she continued amphibious exercises 

off Maui, until ordered to Saipan 27 January 1945.  On 

19 February, her boats landed 4th Marines on the shore of 

Iwo Jima.  She remained almost a week to offload priority, 

then request cargo, and to take on board battle casualties.  

This included her own, for the ship's beach party was hard 

hit the first day suffering 14 wounded and three missing.  

MIFFIN also sustained a shell hit on her 40mm gun director 

before retiring with the wounded to Saipan on the 28th.



	Having replaced lost equipment and boats, she sailed 

16 March to nearby Tinian to practice for the invasion of 

Okinawa.  In position for this last great assault, on 1 and 

2 April her boats feinted a landing of 2d 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 until early June.  Steaming to the 

New Hebrides, MIFFIN loaded stores which she discharged 

30 June at Guam.  Independence Day, she weighed anchor for 

San Francisco 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.  MIFFIN reloaded 

with men of the 33d Infantry Division assigned to occupation 

duty and arrived Wakayama, Japan, 25 September.  The next 

month, over 1,000 troops of the 24th Infantry Division were 

transported from Mindanao, Philippines, to Okajama, Japan.  

Sailing to Okinawa 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 MIFFIN placed out of service in reserve 5 July 

1946, assigned to the 19th Fleet, Stockton, Calif.  Struck 

from the Navy Register 1 October 1958, she was returned to 

the Maritime Commission the same date.  Assigned to the 

National Defense Reserve Fleet, she was berthed as Suisan 

Bay, Calif., into 1969.



	MIFFIN received two battle stars for World War II 

service.





Transcribed by Michael Hansen

mhansen2@home.com