USS Pitt (APA-223)

USS Pitt (APA-223/LPA-223) was a Haskell-class attack transport of the U.S. Navy active during World War II, including the Battle of Okinawa.

Constructed in California
Pitt was laid down on 8 September 1944 by Permanente Metals Corporation in Richmond, California, as MCV hull 571; launched on 10 November 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Gwin Fallis; and commissioned on 11 December 1944, with Captain Walter S. Mayer, Jr. in command.

Supporting Okinawa operations
After shakedown off the California coast, Pitt departed 10 February 1945 via Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok, for Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands, to join 600 other ships preparing for the invasion of Okinawa.

She unloaded half of her ammunition cargo there, and the rest at Leyte. After loading Army troops from damaged attack transport Samuel Chase (APA-26), she steamed for Kerama Retto where her troops cleaned out Zamami Shima, a key island in the small group off the southwest coast of Okinawa.

Caring for the wounded
She then became "receiving ship" for the Kerama Retto Naval Base, caring for several hundred survivors of Japanese suicide attacks, and shooting down one suicide plane on 6 April. Pitt steamed to Saipan, Tulagi, Noumea, and Guam before returning with passengers to San Francisco, California, for the celebrations of the Japanese surrender.

End-of-war operations
On 19 August, Pitt sailed via Ulithi to Mindanao and Leyte, where she loaded troops to occupy Aomori, northern Honshū, Japan, on 25 September. Pitt then began a series of Operation Magic Carpet assignments, returning fighting men to the States from such Pacific Ocean locations as Saipan and Tinian, Manila, and Nagoya, Japan.

Decommissioning and disposal
She decommissioned and was transferred to the Maritime Commission on 9 April 1947 and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 23 April 1947.

Placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, she was berthed at Suisun Bay in 1970. On 14 August 1968, the designation “attack transport,” APA, was changed to “amphibious transport,” LPA, and APA-223 became LPA-223. Pitt was disposed of by MARAD exchange on 1 February 1980.

Honors and awards
Pitt received one battle star for World War II service.