USS Dorchester (APB-46)

Career
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Ordered:
Laid down:
Launched:	12 April 1945
Commissioned:	15 June 1945
Fate:
Stricken:
General Characteristics
Displacement:	2189 tons
Length:	328 feet
Beam:	50 feet
Draft:	11 feet 2 inches
Propulsion:	two General Motors 12-567 Diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
Speed:	12 knots
Complement:	151 officer and men, 990 troops
Armament:	eight 40mm cannon

USS Dorchester (APB-46), a Benewah-class barracks ship, was the second ship of the United States Navy named for Dorchester County, Maryland, and Dorchester County, South Carolina. Her hull classification symbol was initially to be LST-1112. She was first redesignated a General Stores Issue Ship (AKS-17) on 8 December 1944, then as a Self-propelled Barracks Ship (APB-46). Her keel was laid down by Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company of Evansville, Indiana. She was launched on 12 April 1945 sponsored by Mrs. J.A. Walsh, and commissioned on 15 June 1945, Lieutenant W.T. Roberts, Jr., USNR, in command.

Sailing from New Orleans 5 August 1945, Dorchester embarked troops at Pearl Harbor, then sailed to deliver cargo and receive more passengers at Eniwetok and Guam as she made her passage to Japan. On 15 October she reported for service as barracks ship at Wakayama and at Kobe from 11 February 1946 to 4 March. Dorchester then sailed for San Francisco, California, arriving 9 April. She was placed out of commission in reserve at Vancouver, Washington on 16 October 1946.

See USS Dorchester for other ships of the same name. See USAT Dorchester for the United States Army Transport famous for the Four Chaplains.

References