Lycoming was laid down 30 May 1944 by the Oregon Shipbuilding Corp.,
Portland, Oregon, under a
United States Maritime Commission contract; launched 25 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Schuyler N. Pyne, wife of Captain (later Rear Admiral) Pyne; acquired by the Navy and commissioned at
Astoria, Oregon, 20 September 1944.
World War II After shakedown off the
U.S. West Coast,
Lycoming sailed into
Seattle, Washington, 1 November 1944 to serve as a
training ship for new
attack transport crews. Testing her own training, she departed the
U.S. West Coast, with 1,411 troops embarked, for
Pearl Harbor and the western
Pacific Ocean. Arriving
Leyte,
Philippine Islands, 24 February, she was assigned to
Transport Squadron 13 which was already rehearsing for the
Okinawa invasion. Despite enemy
kamikaze attacks she debarked 1,294 officers and men of the
Army's 7th Division Artillery with their ordnance and supplies on this enemy bastion between 1 and 5 April. Her mission accomplished, she returned to the United States 11 May for additional troops. Within a week 1,200 additional men were on their way to
Manila. After her arrival 12 June
Lycoming was temporarily transferred to the
U.S. 7th Fleet to relocate troops from
New Guinea to the
Philippines. Released after one voyage, she sailed back to
San Francisco, California, arriving 3 August.
Lycoming was at sea headed for the
Marianas with Army troops when
Japan surrendered 2 September. Reaching
Saipan 9 September, she was assigned to
task force TF 54 transporting occupation troops to Japan. With her quarters filled with
2d Division Marines. she sailed with 20 other transports for a peaceful debarkation at
Nagasaki, Japan, 23 September. Her final voyages were made as part of the "
Operation Magic Carpet" fleet. Embarking 2,400 veterans in the
New Hebrides and
New Caledonia, she landed them at San Francisco 13 November. By mid December,
Lycoming embarked 2,013 officers and men at
Okinawa and proceeded homeward arriving
Seattle, Washington, early in January 1946.
Decommissioning and fate The transport arrived
Norfolk, Virginia, 9 February, decommissioned 14 March 1946, and was returned to
War Shipping Administration (WSA) on the 21st.
Lycoming entered the
National Defense Reserve Fleet and was berthed in
James River, Virginia. She was later struck from the
Navy List on 28 March 1946 and was sold for scrapping on 9 April 1973 to Union Minerals & Alloys for $111,560.00.
Lycoming was withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet on 6 June 1973. ==Awards==