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USS Auburn The USS Auburn was a crucial part of World War II. Commissioned July 20, 1944, it actually was launched October 19, 1943, nearly a year before it was commissioned by the U.S. Navy. It was named after Mount Auburn. Its class is Mount McKinley and its type was an amphibious command ship. It was acquired by the Navy on January 31, 1944. After the ship`s shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay, the ship left Norfolk, Va., on August 17 and set a course for the Pacific. But they went through the Panama Canal and chugged straight to Pearl Harbor. She landed their on September 6 and just shortly after she arrived, she entered a dry dock to undergo repairs. Three days later, she became the flagship for Commander, Amphibious Group 2, Pacific Fleet. The ship entered the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard on September 29 for availability. During this time, major alterations were made to the flag bridge, additional evaporators were installed, and other minor repairs were completed. In mid November, the ship began a series of training exercises off Maui in preparation for the assault of the Volcano Islands. The Auburn left Hawaii on January 27, 1945 , and arrived in Tinian in early February. There she began final rehearsals for the assault on Iwo Jima. The assault was started on the 19th. During the battle, the ship coordinated and directed the movements of several hundred ships attached to Amphibious Group 2. When the marines there were putting the American flag up on Mt. Surbachi , looking from the ship, my grandfather Thomas L. Sharpe and his shipmate saw the flag and described it looking “as big as my handkerchief’’ so the marines took that flag down and used the Auburn `s spare flag. She stayed off Iwo Jima until March 27; then headed for Pearl Harbor for a well earned rest for the crew. Auburn stayed in Pearl Harbor until May 15th, when she got underway for Okinawa. The ship arrived there on the 31st and became the flagship for 5th Amphibious Forces. She controlled operations of ships off that bitterly contested island and escaped damage despite frequent air attacks. Okinawa was declared secure on June 21st, and the Auburn got underway for Pearl Harbor on July 1st. After her arrival, the Auburn entered a dry dock to undergo repairs again. During a three – month period, there was constant back and forth from battles and Pearl Harbor. The ship left Pearl Harbor and set a course for the Panama Canal. After sailing through the canal, the Auburn finally reached Norfolk on December 7th, 1945. Three days after her arrival at Norfolk, the Auburn became the flagship for Commander, Training Command, Atlantic Fleet. This assignment continued until January 1947, when the vessel was assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She went through inactivation preparations at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va. The Auburn was placed out of commission, in reserve, on May 7, 1947. Her name was struck from the Navy list on July 1, 1960, and she was sent to the Maritime Administration in November 1960 for disposal. The ship was sold in 1961 and scrapped. The Auburn received 2 battle stars from World War II. For years, the Navy kept information about the Auburn classified. This information has just recently been declassified and released on such sites as the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. But of course, we always knew about the USS Auburn, because my grandpa served on it. References Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/index.html Gary Sharpe – Personal Interview about his father, Thomas L. Sharpe Personal Artifacts – Thomas L. Sharpe Estate Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Auburn_(AGC-10)
