Goodbye USS Gage (APA-168)

The Gage was the sole remaining vessel from the 117 ship Haskell class of Attack Transport Ships.

It was built by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation in Portland, Oregon, and launched in October 14, 1944, and commissioned November 12th. It was 455 feet long, had a 62 foot beam and carried a crew of 536. It was armed with one gun and machine guns.

It participated at Okinawa where it was on alert for five days due to kamikazee attacks. It also landed troops on several islands and earned one battle star.

It is currently being dismantled in Brownsville with some parts going to the USS Texas museum ship.

Definitely too bad this ship couldn't have been turned into a museum ship. The aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, submarines, and destroyers get all the glory in World War II, but they couldn't have operated without the support ships that really did the grunt work.

Too Late Now. --Cooter

James River Ghost Fleet/Brownsville

The July 20th Pilot on reported that the USS Ortolan, a submarine rescue ship and USS Gage, an Attack Transport Ship launched in 1944 left on their way to being broken up in Brownsville, Texas. It also mentioned that there had been an effort to turn the latter into a museum ship.

Of course, now I will have to look this one up, plus this is a World War II ship.

There are only about 30 ships remaining in the James River Ghost Fleet.

Hate to Lose a World War II Ship. --Cooter