From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

A county in Pennsylvania.

(APA - 97: dp. 7,970; l. 473'1"; b. 66'; dr. 26'; s. 15 k.; cpl. 554; a. 2 5"; cl. Bayfield)

Dauphin (APA-97) was launched 10 June 1944 by Bethlehem-Sparrows Point Shipyard, Inc., Sparrows Point, Md., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Miss B. Conway; transferred to the Navy 23 September 1944; and commissioned the same day Commander B. Connelly in command.

Dauphin reported to Newport 29 October 1944 for duty training precommissioning crews of transport and cargo ships, so serving 36 ships. Clearing Newport 20 January 1945 she arrived at Norfolk the next day to load cargo, and on 13 February got underway for the Pacific. She embarked troops and combat cargo at Pearl Harbor between 5 and 29 March, and arrived at Ulithi staging point for the Okinawa operation 15 April. She sailed from Ulithi on the 22d to land reinforcements at Hagushi Beach, Okinawa, from 26 to 30 April. Carrying casualties, she called at Saipan and arrived at San Francisco 22 May.

A week later Dauphin was underway for the Philippines. From 27 June until the end of the war she carried troops from New Guinea to the Philippines, and, on 26 August sailed from Batangas Bay, Luzon, with occupation troops. She anchored in Tokyo Bay the day of surrender, 2 September, and from 4 September to 27 October made four similar voyages carrying troops from the Phlippines [sic; Philippines] to Japan. Assigned to the "Magic Carpet" fleet she made two voyages carrying home veterans from Sasebo, Japan, and San Pedro Bay, Leyte, between 6 November 1945 and 17 January 1946. On the last day of January she put out for the east coast, arriving at Norfolk 17 February. Dauphin was decommissioned there 3 April 1946 and delivered to the War Shipping Administration the next day for disposal.

Dauphin earned one battle star for World War II service.

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT