From Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,
Vol. VI (1976), pp. 27
A county in Texas.
(APA-224: dp. 14,833; l. 455'; b. 62'; dr. 28'1"; s. 17 k.; cpl. 536;
trp. 1,562, a. 1 5", 12 40mm; cl. Haskell; T. VC2-S-AP5) '
Randall (APA-224), built under Maritime Commission contract (MCV
hull 572), was laid down 15 September 1944 bv the Permanente Metals Corp.,
Yard No. 2, Richmond, Calif. launched 15 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs.
Donald D. Dick, and acquired by the Navy and commissioned 16 December 1944,
Capt. Harold R. Stevens in command.
Following shakedown and training off the California coast Randall
departed San Diego, 9 February 1945, for Peari Harbor, whence, after further
training, she sailed on 2 March via Eniwetok for the Volcano Islands. Arriving
at Iwo Jima on 25 March, she discharged Army passengers and cargo and embarked
marines for transportation to Guam. On 20 April she returned to Pearl Harbor,
thence carried drummed petroleum products to Kwajalein where she took on
Navy and Marine personnel for return to the United States. Arriving at San
Francisco 18 June, she sailed, 9 July, for Ulithi, embarked Army units,
then continued on to Okinawa, arriving 12 August.
With the end of World War II, Randall was assigned to occupation
duty and on 5 September got underway for Korea with units of the 7th Army
Division. Returning to Okinawa, she carried marines to Taku, 26-30 September,
then, after a run to the Philippines, sailed again for the China coast.
Between 22 October and 23 November, she ferried Chinese troops from Kowloon
to Chinwangtao and Tsingtao and on the 29th departed the Far East on her
first "Magic Carpet" run carrying Army Air Corps units from Okinawa
to Seattle.
Detached from "Magic Carpet" duty in August 1946, Randall
was employed in the Pacific Fleet's amphibious training program from September
until December when she returned to the east coast, underwent overhaul,
and was briefly immobilized at New York. She then steamed to Norfolk, arriving
24 April 1947. Assigned again to amphibious training duties, she operated
along the southeastern seaboard until August 1948 when she steamed north
for operations off eastern Canada. In September she resumed exercises off
the Virginia and Carolina coasts.
In February 1949 she again departed the eastern seaboard this time for Caribbean
operations, and during the fall steamed back into the Pacific for exercises
as far west as Hawaii, returning to Norfolk and resuming training operations
with Naval Reservists and Marines, 1 December.
For the next 5 years she continued such training operations along the east
coast, in the Caribbean, and twice, March-July 1951 and May-October 1954,
in the Mediterranean. At the end of 1955 Randall was ordered inactivated
and on 25 January 1956 she arrived at Orange, Tex., to join the Atlantic
Reserve Fleet. Decommissioned 6 April 1956, she remained in reserve at Orange
until transferred to the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve
Fleet at Mobile in February 1960. Her name was struck from the Navy list
1 July 1960. She was berthed at Mobile until sold in 1971.