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Cullman
Citizen Ernest White presenting
Mayor Max A. Townson with a framed
USS Cullman photo and fact
sheet.
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Many people in our
community are unaware that there was a U.S.
Navy ship operating during World War II
named after Cullman! Special thanks to
Cullman resident Ernie White for making us
aware of this important and interesting bit
of history.
According to the
U.S. Naval Historical Center site, the
USS Cullman, was a 4,247-ton
Gilliam-class attack transport built at
Wilmington, California, and commissioned in
January 1945.
 The USS
Cullman sailed from San Francisco,
California, in March of 1945 for Pearl
Harbor, where she operated in training and
inter-island transport duties. In July she
sailed for San Pedro, where she embarked
troops and cargo for Eniwetok, Ulithi, and
Luzon.
Cullman
then traveled to the Philippines and loaded
Army occupation troops, which she delivered
to Tokyo Bay in September.
Cullman was
present in Tokyo Bay during the Japanese
Surrender Ceremony on September 2, 1945.
After stops at Okinawa and Guam, the USS
Cullman landed Marines at Taku Bar,
China, in September and October for the
reoccupation of northern China. During two
voyages in October and November she lifted
Chinese troops from Hong Kong to Taku and
Tsingtao.
She then carried
out two "Magic Carpet" voyages, returning
one load of returning servicemen to San
Francisco from Manila in December 1945 and
another from Okinawa in February 1946.
Cullman
was decommissioned at San Francisco in May
1946. In July she was stricken from the Navy
list and returned to the Maritime
Commission. Placed in reserve, she was sold
for scrapping in August 1965.
Further
Reading:
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Quick Facts
about the USS Cullman:
Name: USS
Cullman (APA-78)
Namesake: A county
in Alabama.
Building:
Consolidated Steel
Acquired: January 24, 1944
Launched: November
17, 1944
Commissioned:
January 25, 1945
Decommissioned: May
22, 1946
Fate: Sold for
Scrap - August 1965
Class & Type:
Gilliam-class attack
transport
Displacement: 4,247 t.(lt),
7,080 t.(fl)
Length: 426'
Beam: 58'
Draft: 16'
Speed: 16.9 kts.
Complement: 27 Officers 295
Enlisted
Troop Accomm.: 47 Officers,
802 Enlisted
Cargo Capacity: 85,000 cu.
ft., 600 t.
Armament: 1 single 5"/38 dual
purpose gun mount, 4 twin 40mm gun
mounts, 10 single 20mm gun mounts
Propulsion: Westinghouse
turbo-electric drive, 2 boilers, 2
propellers, Design shaft horsepower
6,000
Source:
NavSource Naval History
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USS Cullman
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PHYSICAL ADDRESS
204 2nd
Avenue NE
Cullman, AL 35055 |
PHONE:
(256) 739-1212
EMAIL:
cityhall@cullmancity.org
www.cullmancity.org |
MAILING
ADDRESS
P.O. Box
278
Cullman, AL 35056-0278 |
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