U.S.S. Kitty Hawk
APV-1
1941
(Saratoga Model Shipyard SMY-31)
- Class: Kitty Hawk - 3 transport and aircraft ferries of 1941
- Displacement: 6,861 tons light / 14,000 tons full load
- Dimensions: 477 x 64 x 26 ft.
- Machinery: Steam turbine, 1 screw, 8,800 SHP = 16 knots
- Armament: 1-5"/51, 4-3"/50 (4x1) A.A. guns
- Complement: 218
- Builder: Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co, Chester, PA
- Launched: 19 Sep 1932
- Commissioned: 26 Nov 1941
- Decommissioned: 24 Jan 1946
- Notes: Built as railroad ferry SS Seatrain New York for Seatrain Lines' New York-Havana-New Orleans service. Taken over by Navy 25 Jun 1941, renamed Kitty Hawk 8 Jul 1941 and converted to Aircraft Transport Jul-Nov at Tietjin & Land Dry Dock Co, Hoboken, NJ. Commissioned as Transport and Aircraft Ferry USS Kitty Hawk (APV-1). Departed New York for Pearl Harbor 10 Dec 1941 carrying aircraft to replace losses sustained during Japanese attack of 7 Dec. Departed Pearl Harbor 17 May 1942 with elements of 3rd Marine Defense Battalion and Marine Air Groups 21 & 45 as defense garrison for Midway. From Jul 1942 to Jun 1944 she made 7 voyages to Hawaii and 7 to the SW Pacific. On 28 Aug 1942 she arrived at Vila, New Hebrides, moored beside USS Long Island (CVE-1), and transferred aircraft, which were then catapulted from the CVE and flown direct to Guadalcanal. From Aug 1944 to Aug 1945 she made 5 additional voyages to the Solomons and New Guinea. Decommissioned 24 Jan 1946 and returned to owners.
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