General -
Chateau Thierry (AP-31) was built in 1921 and served with the Army until transferred to the Navy on 15 July 1941.
1941 -
The ship was transferred to the Navy on 15 July and was commissioned on 6 August. She carried Army and civilian personnel and cargo from Brooklyn, NY, to ports in Greenland, Iceland, and Nova Scotia between 13 September and 2 January 1942.
1942 -
With the entry of the United States into the war, she sailed from Brooklyn on 15 January carrying some of the first American troops to cross to Northern Ireland. Chateau Thierry sailed on to Scotland to embark British troops and sailors for transportation to Halifax and New York City. Two more voyages with soldiers from New York to Argentia, Newfoundland followed, and on 19 May, she got underway for Charleston, SC, to embark Army and civilian passengers. She sailed on by way of Bermuda for a round of calls at African ports, sailing south around the Cape of Good Hope for Eritrea, where she landed the last of her passengers and took a new group on board. On her return passage she picked up Navy gun crews and other survivors of two merchant ship sinkings.
1943 -
Chateau Thierry resumed her transport duties in the North Atlantic until 29 April, when she cleared New York for a voyage to north Africa, well escorted in a safe passage. Returning to New York, she embarked soldiers and sailors, and departed on 10 June for Oran and arriving 21 June. Here she prepared for the invasion of Sicily, for which she sailed on 5 July. Assigned to the floating reserve, Chateau Thierry lay off the Gela beaches on 10 July as the assault began, and late in the day began landing her reinforcements, continuing on into the night. She remained off Sicily for 2 days, firing to aid in turning back the heavy German air attacks, and taking on board Italian prisoners of war. Returning to Bizerte on 13 July, she landed the Italians, then returned to Sicily to embark members of naval units not needed ashore now that the landings had succeeded. Laden with German prisoners of war at Oran, Chateau Thierry sailed on 9 August for New York which she reached on 22 August. Sailing on to Boston, she was decommissioned there on 9 September, and was returned to the Army who used her as a hospital ship for the remainder of the war.
See Also -
Chateau Thierry (US Army Transport)
Chateau Thierry (US Army Hospital Ship)
These specifications and ship histories are adapted from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (US Naval Historical Center) and from various other sources. These summaries may not reflect the most recent information concerning the ships' status or operations. If you find an error or discrepancy, please email me at troopships@pier90.org or fill out our online crossing submission form.
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