USS
Leon was originally planned as transport USS
Sea Dolpin (AP-93), but the vessel was renamed
Leon 3 October 1942; redesignated APA-48, 1 February 1943; laid down 6 February 1943 by
Maritime Commission contract; launched 19 June; accepted by the U.S. Navy and commissioned 11 September for transfer to
Bethlehem Steel Shipyard,
Brooklyn, for conversion to an attack transport; decommissioned 27 September; and recommissioned in full 12 February 1944.
Pacific War Upon arrival in
Norfolk, Virginia on 24 February,
Leon received her quota of
landing craft and underwent shakedown. With 1,345
Marines of the 47th Replacement Battalion and 195
Seabees embarked, she departed
Naval Base Norfolk 18 March for the Pacific, arriving
Pearl Harbor 7 April. By this time, a great store of battle experience in operations had been gained since the early landings in the
Solomon Islands. With the United States now controlling many of the
Gilbert and
Marshall Islands,
Leon and elements of the
4th Marine Division practiced and rehearsed almost 2 months for the next leapfrog into the
Marianas. As part of TG 52.4, she sortied from Honolulu 29 May. The invasion fleet rendezvoused at
Eniwetok and arrived off
Saipan 15 June. On D-Day,
Leon's beach party and boats, in the midst of enemy artillery and mortar fire, successfully put ashore their Marines although three boats were lost. Nine days later, she departed and arrived Pearl Harbor 20 July. Again the cycle of training and invasion repeated itself. This time, the
81st Infantry Division was embarked with the
Palau Islands as the objective. On 17 September, her boats put 1,404 troops ashore on
Angaur Island. Recalled from the area 23 September, she proceeded to
Manus Island in the
Admiralty group. Preparations now were underway for the invasion of the
Philippines.
Leon transported elements of the
1st Cavalry Division to
Leyte from 16 to 22 October, and, on a repeat voyage, debarked troops of the
77th Division there on 23 November.
Leon, as part of Rear Adm. R. L. Connoley's Reinforcement Group 77.9, brought troops from both
Noemfoor and Leyte to
Lingayen Gulf,
Luzon, on 11 and 27 January, respectively. Completing the latter debarkation, the attack transport sailed to
Guadalcanal to prepare for the
Okinawa campaign. Departing 15 March with members of the 11th Special Construction Battalion and
6th Marine Division, including a platoon of war dogs, she arrived off the Okinawa landing area on Easter Sunday, D-Day, 1 April. After her troops were ashore,
Leon remained to unload cargo. The night of 4 April, in a high wind, she slipped a dragging anchor and worked her way skillfully through the crowded anchorage to sea and the next day departed for Saipan. After a drydock period at Pearl Harbor, she had the pleasant task 31 May to 6 June of transporting 299 Waves and a vast quantity of mail from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor. She resumed her task of carrying Army troops 1 July when she departed
Portland, Oregon, with 1,368 officers and men for Pearl Harbor.
Leon proceeded on to
Ulithi and Okinawa where she took on board 1,169 men of the Army's
7th Infantry Division destined to accept the surrender of the
Japanese in
South Korea. After a 3-day voyage, landings were effected 8 and 9 September at
Inchon (Jinsen), 5 years before landings there were to turn the tide in the
Korean War. The vacuum in northern China created by the collapse of the Japanese was partially filled, at first by U.S. Marines and later by
Chinese Nationalist troops.
Leon and sister ships of Vice Adm. D. E. Barbey's 7th Amphibious Force were involved in this operation, bringing Marines from Okinawa to
Tientsin, China, 30 September and carrying Chinese troops from
Hong Kong to
Chinwangtao 30 October and
Qingdao 14 November. The attack transport now turned her bow toward home. At
Sasebo, Japan, as part of
Operation Magic Carpet, she embarked
5th Marine Division veterans and sailed 9 December for
San Diego, arriving Christmas Day, with happy passengers and crew.
Leon departed San Diego, 11 January 1946; arrived
Mobile, Alabama, 1 February; proceeded to
Chickasaw, Alabama 1 March; and decommissioned 7 March.
Decommissioning and fate Leon was transferred to the War Shipping Administration 2 April. She was sold to the
Isthmian Steamship Company in 1947, who renamed her
Steel Chemist. The vessel was scrapped in 1971. ==Awards==