After completion of outfitting,
Henry T. Allen made one troop carrying voyage to
Honolulu and return. Arriving
San Diego 18 June 1942, she took part in
amphibious landing exercises until August, helping to mold the potent American assault forces which would be a decisive factor in the
Pacific war. The ship sailed 22 August via the
Canal Zone for
Norfolk, Virginia, where she arrived 11 September for more landing training on the
Maryland coast.
Invasion of North Africa Henry T. Allen departed 23 October for
North Africa and
Operation Torch as part of the Northern Attack Force under
Brig. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott Jr. and serving as flagship in that phase of the operation with headquarters remaining aboard during the landing of troops until it could be set up ashore. The force arrived off
Mehedia, near strategic
Port Lyautey, 7 November and
Henry T. Allen began that morning to unload her Army troops from the transport area. She remained off the beaches occasionally subjected to fire from shore batteries until 15 November. She then helped consolidate the successful landing by mooring at
Casablanca to unload cargo. The transport sailed 17 November and arrived Norfolk the 30th.
Pacific Theater Following the important North Africa landings, during which much was learned about amphibious operations,
Henry T. Allen was assigned to the
Pacific, a theater in which amphibious assaults were to play a central role. Carrying
Marines, she sailed 17 December and arrived
Tutuila, Samoa group, via the Canal Zone, 13 January 1943. The ship also transported troops to
Noumea and
Espiritu Santo and while at the latter port 1 February 1943 was redesignated an attack transport, APA-15. On 17 March 1943
Allen was assigned as flagship, Commander Amphibious Force, Seventh Fleet, but was in poor condition and urgently needed for training and transport. She was assigned to critical amphibious training for troops of Amphibious Force, Southwest Pacific reporting at
Sydney. The ships condition was such that on 10 April 1943 she had to be withdrawn from training for five weeks overhaul availability at Sydney. Until March 1944
Henry T. Allen operated between
New Guinea and
Australian ports, carrying both American and Australian troops in support of the
Allied offensive in New Guinea and the
Solomons. She made many passages through the dangerous waters of the
Coral Sea, and on one occasion, 13 July 1943 detected a
torpedo track approaching her
port bow. Alert action brought the transport around and out of danger, the torpedo passing a scant 50 yards ahead.
Invasion of New Guinea Henry T. Allen sailed from
Buna 26 March for training exercises on
Goodenough Island with the U.S.
24th Infantry Division, completing 16 April. The ship then got underway 17 April for the important
Hollandia operation, the joint attack on Central New Guinea.
Henry T. Allen joined Admiral Barbey's group for the landings at
Tanahmerah Bay 22 April and after their success was assured steamed to
Cape Sudest, New Guinea, 24 April. The ship spent the next few weeks transporting troops into Hollandia to consolidate gains and prepare for the next step in the westward advance toward the
Philippines.
Henry T. Allen anchored at
Aitape 15 May to load troops for the
Wakde-
Sarmi landings, and got underway the next day for a run of 120 miles undetected by the
Japanese. Under a brisk naval bombardment the transport unloaded on the 17th and returned to Hollandia.
Flagship The veteran transport spent the rest of her career as a
flagship for various amphibious commands. Until September 1944 she performed training exercises on
Bougainville and New Guinea, and after a voyage to
Queensland, Australia, arrived Hollandia 3 October 1944. There she received additional equipment and supplies to allow her to better perform her headquarters function. With
Leyte approaching and destined to be the flagship for that operation on 7 October 1944 Captain H. J. Nelson, USN, Commander Administrative Command, Seventh Amphibious Force, established the Administrative Group of the Staff of Commander Seventh Amphibious Force aboard
Allen.
Henry T. Allen remained at Hollandia until January 1945 as the administrative base of the famous 7th Amphibious Force. She shifted her base to
Leyte Gulf as American forces swept north and west, arriving 28 January 1945. She was reclassified AG-90 in January 1945.
Decommissioning After the final surrender of Japan
Henry T. Allen steamed to
Manila 3 September and departed for the
United States 15 November. She arrived 10 December 1945, decommissioned 5 February 1946 and was redelivered to the
War Department. After a period in the
National Defense Reserve Fleet at
Suisun Bay,
Benicia, California, she was sold to Boston Metals of
Baltimore, Maryland, and scrapped in March 1948. == Footnotes ==