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USS DUTCHESS (APA-98)

USS Dutchess was named after a county in New York State.

Last updated June 2009

General Specifications

Type Windsor-class attack transport
Displacement 7,970 tons (lt), 13,132 t. (fl)
Length 473 ft 1 in
Beam 66 ft
Draft 26 ft (7.9 m)
Propulsion Bethlehem geared turbine drive, 2 x Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, single propeller, designed shaft horsepower 8,000
Speed 18.6 kt
Troops Officer 91 Enlisted 1,420
Cargo 150,000 cu ft, 1,600 tons
Armament 1 x 5"/38 caliber dual-purpose gun mounts, 2 x Bofors 40mm gun mounts, 2 x twin 20mm gun mounts, 18 x single 20mm gun mounts
MCV Hull No. 1675, hull type C3-S-A3
Geared turbine engines, single screw, 8,000 hp
Built By Bethlehem-Sparrows Point, and commissioned 4 November 1944


USS Dutchess (APA-98) anchored, date and place unknown

USS Dutchess (APA-98) was a Windsor-class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II. She was built to replace the USS Joseph Hewes, which was sunk by enemy action. The Dutchess was launched 26 August 1944 by Bethlehem Sparrow's Point Shipyard, Sparrow's Point, Maryland, under a Maritime Commission contract; transferred to the Navy 4 November 1944; and commissioned the same day, Commander A. B. Leggett in command.

Arriving at Newport, Rhode Island, 8 December 1944, Dutchess served as schoolship for precommissioning crews until 27 February 1945 when she got underway from Davisville, Rhode Island, 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, Oregon, 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 October 1945, and landed occupation troops at Nagoya on the 26th and 27th. She was assigned to Operation Magic Carpet and sailed from Nagoya 1 November to embark returning servicemen at Manila and carry them to San Francisco arriving 25 November. A similar voyage was made between 8 December 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.

In 1948, Dutchess was sold to American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines and renamed SS Excalibur(II). She was later resold to C. Y. Tung of Hong Kong, reflagged in the Republic of China, and renamed Oriental Jade. The Oriental Jade was scrapped in 1974.

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