USS Crescent City ( APA - 21 ) USS " Crescent City " ( AP - 40 / APA - 21 ) is a " Crescent City " - class attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II . She was the lead ship in her class . " Crescent City " was named after a popular nickname for New Orleans , Louisiana . Originally named the SS " Delorleans " , the ship was contracted on 16 December 1938 by Maritime Commission as a Type C3 ship hull No . 49 . The keel was laid 8 May 1939 , by the Bethlehem Steel Company , Sparrows Point Maryland , where she was launched on 17 February 1940 , and delivered to Delta Lines on 23 August 1940 . This was the third of a series of six ships designed by the Mississippi Shipping Company , as a modification of the standard C3 design , to carry both passengers and cargo between New Orleans and Buenos Aires on the so - called " Coffee Run " . Twenty six staterooms accommodated 67 passengers on the shelter deck . The US Government requisitioned the SS " Delorleans " on 3 June 1941 . The Navy assumed control on 9 June 1941 and stripped the ship to prepare her for war duty , and she was commissioned on 10 October 1941 as the USS " Crescent City " . Originally classified AP - 40she was converted to an attack transport at Alabama Dry Dock and Shipbuilding of Mobile , Alabama ; and commissioned 10 October 1941 , Commander W . C . Calhoun in command . She was reclassified APA - 21 , 1 February 1943 . World War II . Departing Norfolk , Virginia 15 December 1941 loaded with troops and equipment , " Crescent City " debarked her passengers in the Panama Canal Zone , then sailed to San Diego to load Navy and Marine passengers for Pearl Harbor . She carried civilian evacuees back to San Diego , returning immediately with workers and equipment to rush repairs of the damaged naval base at Pearl Harbor . Assigned to transport men and equipment to set up the advanced base at Efate , New Hebrides , she voyaged on this mission until arriving at San Diego 22 April 1942 for a brief overhaul . Invasion of Guadalcanal . On 1 July 1942 " Crescent City " sailed from San Diego bound for the initial assault landings on Guadalcanal . Landing her troops 7 August under heavy air attack , she splashed at least five of the enemy planes . For two days she remained at anchor unloading the necessary supplies to hold the beachhead , then returned to Espiritu Santo to unload material to set up a new forward base to supply the Guadalcanal operations . Sailing from Brisbane , Australia , and Wellington , New Zealand to the advanced bases at Nouméa and Espiritu Santo , then dodging enemy forces to deliver men and equipment to sway the balance toward victory on Guadalcanal was " Crescent City " ' s mission through the next few months . When the offensive began to swing north through the Solomons in early 1943 , she continued her transport duty to the base established on hard - won Guadalcanal . On 13 August , while unloading , she aided in repelling an air attack in which was sunk . Invasion of Bougainville . On 28 October 1943 " Crescent City " sortied for the invasion of Bougainville , landing troops at Empress Augusta Bay under air attack 1 November . On the 13th , after helping repel a torpedo bomber attack , she landed support troops brought from Tulagi and Port Purvis . Continuing her inter - Solomons transport and resupply duty , she took part in the assault landings on Emirau Island on 11 April 1944 and reported to Guadalcanal 30 April to prepare for the Marianas operation . Invasions of Peleliu and Leyte . " Crescent City " was held in reserve during the assaults on Kwajalein and Eniwetok , then landed her troops and embarked casualties at Guam from 21 to 25 July 1944 . She returned to Guadalcanal 16 August for the staging of the Palau operation , taking part in the landings on Peleliu on 15 September . Ten days later she arrived at $ 3 , New Guinea and sailed on 16 October for the invasion of Leyte . After landing troops of the 6th Army at San Pedro Bay on 22 October , she sailed before the outbreak of the Battle for Leyte Gulf . The transport brought reinforcements to Leyte from Hollandia , and arrived at Manus Island on 20 November to embark passengers for the United States . Conversion to hospital ship . After overhaul , " Crescent City " departed San Francisco on 25 February 1945 and arrived at Pearl Harbor 4 March . Here she was converted to a temporary hospital evacuation ship , and two weeks later was underway for Kerama Retto , arriving 6 April . Receiving casualties from the beaches of Okinawa and from other ships , she transferred them to for evacuation . " Crescent City " remained at Okinawa receiving casualties and transients until the end of the war . After hostilities . Aiding in the redeployment of troops for the occupation of China , " Crescent City " lifted the 1st Marine Division to Taku between 30 September and 6 October 1945 , and carried Chinese troops from Hong Kong to Chinwangtao and Tsingtao in November . Returning to Okinawa 1 December she embarked men eligible for discharge and sailed for Seattle , arriving 20 December . Departing Seattle 23 January 1946 " Crescent City " arrived at Norfolk on 14 February . She operated from New York and Norfolk on training duty in the Caribbean until 10 October 1947 when she sailed for the west coast . Decommission . Arriving at San Francisco 1 November , " Crescent City " was placed out of commission in reserve 30 April 1948 and transferred to the Maritime Commission 3 September 1948 . Awards and decorations . " Crescent City " was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her outstanding performance throughout World War II , and received 10 battle star s . Postwar service . After decommission , " Crescent City " was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun Bay , Benicia , California . In May 1971 , she was loaned by the Maritime Administration ( MARAD ) to the California Maritime Academy who renamed her TS " Golden Bear " . She sailed on 28 major ocean cruises over 24 years . In 1995 she was returned to MARAD and the Reserve Fleet . In August 1999 , custody was transferred once again by MARAD , to the Artship Foundation of Oakland , California who renamed her " Artship " as part of a failed art colony project . " Artship " was sold in 2004 to be scrapped in Texas , but dismantling was halted due to high PCB levels and because she was considered too historic . She is now laid up , and an eventual sale for scrap is possible . People in the city of Berkeley possess interest in saving her . Scrapping . On 7 November 2012 S . S . Pacific Star ( ex Delorleans , ex Crescent City , ex Golden Bear , ex Artship ) was auctioned off for 1 $ on the steps of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California . She departed Mare Island , California 15 January 2012 under tow for Brownsville , Texas where she was eventually scrapped .