A county in New York State.

(APA-98: dp. 7,970; l. 473'1"; b. 66'; dr. 25'; s. 16 k.; cpl. 554; a. 2 5"; cl. Windsor)

Dutchess (APA-98) was launched 26 August 1944 by Bethlehem-Sparrow's Point Shipyard, Ine., Sparrow's Point, Md., under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Miss Dorothy Unger; transferred to the Navy 4 November 1944; and commissioned the same day, Commander A. B. Leggett in command.

Arriving at Newport, R.I., 8 December 1944, Dutchess served as schoolship for precommissioning crews until 27 February 1945 when she got underway from Davisville, R.I., for the Pacific. She reached Pearl Harbor 19 March for training exercises, then sailed by way of Eniwetok to Okinawa where she landed reinforcements and combat cargo on 1 May. A week later she sailed for Saipan to debark casualties, and continued to San Francisco, arriving 29 May.

Dutchess sailed from Portland, Oreg., 13 June 1945 with troops for Pearl Harbor, then transported men of the IXth Corps, U.S. Army, to San Pedro, Leyte, arriving 15 July. She voyaged to carry troops from San Francisco to Manila between 21 July and 12 September, then sailed in the Philippines in local redeployment of troops.

Dutchess arrived at Wakayama, Japan, 7 Oetober 1945, and landed occupation troops at Nagoya on the 26th and 27th. She was assigned to "Magic Carpet" duty and sailed from Nagoya 1 November to embark returning servicemen at Manila and carry them to San Franeisco arriving 25 November. A similar voyage was made between 8 Deeember 1945 and 25 January 1946. Dutchess left San Francisco 1 February for the east coast, arriving at Norfolk 19 February. She was decommissioned there 4 April 1946 and delivered to the War Shipping Administration the next day for disposal.

Dutchess received one battle star for World War II service.