USS McCawley ( APA - 4 ) USS " McCawley " ( APA - 4 ) was a " McCawley " - class attack transport that served with the U . S . Navy during World War II . Named after Charles G . McCawley , eighth Commandant of the U . S . Marine Corps , she was the lead ship in her class . The second " McCawley " , formerly SS " Santa Barbara " , was completed in 1928 by the Furness Shipbuilding Company of Haverton Hill - on - Tees , England ; acquired by the Navy from Grace Lines 26 July 1940 ; renamed " McCawley " ( AP - 10 ) 29 July 1940 ; and commissioned 11 September 1940 , Capt . H . D . McHenry in command . She was reclassified an attack transport , APA - 4 , on 1 February 1943 . World War II . On 19 February 1942 , " McCawley " got underway for Iceland with troops embarked . She returned to New York 25 March and then steamed to Norfolk , Virginia en route a new assignment with the $ 3 Fleet . Transiting the Panama Canal 18 April , she discharged marine aviators at Pago Pago 8 May and continued on to Wellington , New Zealand . Joining Amphibious Force , South Pacific , she became the flagship for Rear Adm . R . K . Turner shortly before the first Allied counter invasion of the war , Guadalcanal . Invasion of Guadalcanal . On 7 August , the campaign started ; at 0800 landings were made at Tulagi , at 0919 on Lunga Point , Guadalcanal . Air raids commenced on the 8th ; " McCawley " ' s guns scored their first kills , destroying three , possibly four planes . Supply missions amid naval battles . On the 9th , she witnessed the flares of the Battle of Savo Island , in which American heavy cruiser s , , and Australian heavy cruiser were lost and American heavy cruiser was severely damaged . The transports continued to unload cargo until sailing for Nouméa that afternoon . " McCawley " returned to Guadalcanal 18 September with supplies and reinforcements , departing again the same day with wounded and POWs . Unfortunately , aircraft carrier was lost and battleship and destroyer were damaged by torpedoes while protecting this troopship convoy . On 9 October , the transport again got underway for Guadalcanal in a convoy carrying over 2 , 800 reinforcements . One of the support groups for the convoy was Rear Adm . Norman Scott ' s cruiser force , which , on the night of 11 and 12 October , defeated an enemy force off Cape Esperance , insuring successful completion of the troop movement . " McCawley " landed her troops and cargo , returning once more to Nouméa with wounded and POWs . On 8 November , " McCawley " departed Nouméa with other units of TF 67 for Guadalcanal . Two cruisers and three destroyers under Rear Adm . Daniel J . Callaghan supported them . At the same time , another convoy , covered by a cruiser and four destroyers under Rear Admiral Scott , set out from Espiritu Santo . Further direct support for the operations was to be supplied by battleships and destroyers of TF 64 . Transports from Espiritu Santo arrived at Lunga Point on the 11th , " McCawley " ' s group from Nouméa on the 12th . By dusk on the 12th , as reports of Japanese ship movements from Truk increased , 90 % of the transports ' lading had been discharged , despite torpedo bomber attacks . The transports were pulled out and sent back to Espiritu Santo , while Admiral Callaghan ' s and Admiral Scott ' s combined force gallantly engaged the enemy fleet in the initial action of what would later be called the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal . The battle , lasting from 12 to 15 November , cost the Japanese two battleships , one cruiser , three destroyers , and eleven transports . The United States lost two cruisers and seven destroyers , and Admirals Callaghan and Scott were both killed . On 24 November , " McCawley " departed Nouméa for overhaul at Wellington . She returned to New Caledonia 10 January 1943 with the 1st Marine Raiders and the 3rd Parachute Battalion . After discharging those units , she loaded Army troops and construction equipment and resumed supply runs to Guadalcanal . " McCawley " , redesignated attack transport APA - 4 on 1 February 1943 , continued to supply Guadalcanal until mid - June . At that time , she began preparations for the New Georgia and central Solomons campaign . Attacked by enemy aircraft . At 0643 on 30 June , she began off - loading for the landing at Rendova Island , near New Georgia . Twice , before completion at 1350 , operations were halted to prepare for air attacks which did not materialize . Then , as the withdrawing column entered Blanche Channel , torpedo planes attacked . " McCawley " ' s gunfire brought down four ; but a torpedo hit in " McCawley " ' s engine room , killed 15 of her crew , and knocked out all power . Following the attack , Admiral Turner and his staff transferred to destroyer . Rear Admiral Wilkinson remained in " McCawley " to command salvage operations , while attack cargo ship took the transport in tow and destroyers and stood by to assist . At 1640 all the crew , except the salvage party , were taken off by " Ralph Talbot " . Soon afterward , the group was attacked by dive bomber s , and " McCawley " was strafed , but no further damage was inflicted as the salvage party manned her guns to shoot down one of the three planes destroyed . By 1850 , the draft aft had increased to , and Admiral Wilkinson ordered " McCalla " alongside to take off the salvage party . Within the hour all hands were aboard " McCalla " and pulling clear of the stricken transport . Accidental sinking . At 2023 the final blow came . The doomed ship was again torpedoed and in 30 seconds she sank in 340 fathoms . The following day , it was learned that six motor torpedo boats had torpedoed an " enemy " transport in Blanche Channel , after having been informed there were no friendly forces in the area . PTs were then placed directly under Admiral Turner and given a liaison officer to keep them informed . Awards . " McCawley " received five battle stars for World War II service .