McCawley-class attack transport

The McCawley-class attack transport was a class of US Navy attack transport built in 1928 that saw service in World War II.

Like all attack transports, the purpose of the McCawley-class ships was to transport troops and their equipment to hostile shores in order to execute amphibious invasions. Attack transports carried a substantial number of integral landing craft for making the assault, and were well armed with antiaircraft weaponry to protect themselves and their vulnerable cargo of troops from air attack in the battle zone.

Background

The McCawley class is amongst the few classes of attack transport that were converted from pre-war tonnage rather than being built during the war from either Maritime Commission or Victory ship hull types. The two ships of this class also hold the distinction of being the only attack transports not to be built in the United States.

The origin of the two ships which were to become the McCawley class goes back to a United States government decision in the 1920s that allowed foreign-built ships to retain eligibility for US mail contracts. Accordingly, the American shipping company Grace Lines ordered two cargo liners from the Furness Shipbuilding Company of Haverton Hill-on-Tees in Northern England, which were completed in 1928 as Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. These ships were the first large diesel-powered passenger ships to sail under the American flag.

The two Grace Lines ships continued to operate between the United States and South America, and later on US coastal mail runs, until being bought by the US Navy for conversion to troop transports in late 1940. The conversions were duly carried out, and Santa Barbara and Santa Maria became USS McCawley (AP-10) and USS Barnett (AP-11) respectively. They were reclassified as attack transports APA-4 and APA-5 on 1 February 1943.