USS Zeilin ( APA - 3 ) USS " Zeilin " ( APA - 3 ) was a that saw service with the United States Navy in World War II . History . Commercial Service . The ship that would eventually be known as the USS " Zeilin " was constructed by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News , Virginia as the " Silver State " under a U . S . Shipping Board contract . The " Silver State " was a member of the U . S . Shipping Board ' s class , a combination passenger and cargo steamship with accommodations for 280 first class passengers and 194 third class . The SS " Silver State " operated between Seattle , Washington , and the Far East with the Admiral Orient Line a subsidiary of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company . On 23 June 1922 the SS " Silver State " was renamed the SS " President Jackson " when the ship was purchased by the Dollar Line owned by Robert Dollar . In 1938 the SS " President Jackson " was transferred to the American President Lines . Commissioning . Starting in 1937 , the U . S . Navy studied converting the Dollar Line class ships to troop transports . The SS " President Jackson " was acquired by the United States Navy in July 1940 and was renamed the " Zeilin " with the designation AP - 9 after Brigadier General Jacob Zeilin ( 16 July 1806 – 18 November 1880 ) who was the first United States Marine Corps general . The Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle , Washington , reconfigured the " Zeilin " as a troop transport . Commissioning occurred on 3 January 1942 with Captain Pat Buchanan , USNR in command . World War II . Pacific Service . Samoa . After a shakedown cruise and training along the west coast of the United States , the " Zeilin " left San Diego on 13 April 1942 transporting troops to Samoa for garrison duty and returning to San Diego on 17 June . Solomon Islands . On 8 July , " Zeilin " again departed San Diego and traveled via Pearl Harbor to Suva in Fiji . At Suva , " Zeilin " prepared for the invasion of the Solomon Islands . Early on the morning of 7 August , " Zeilin " arrived off Guadalcanal with Task Force 62 . On 8 August Marines from the 3rd Defense Battalion were landed by " Zeilin " on Tulagi , Gavutu , and Tanambogo . After completing disembarkation of the Marines , " Zeilin " traveled to Nouméa , New Caledonia . For the next two months , " Zeilin " traveled a route between Nouméa ; Espiritu Santo New Hebrides , and Wellington , New Zealand . On 9 October , " Zeilin " departed Nouméa to carry troops and supplies to the Solomon Islands . Arriving off Guadalcanal on 11 October , " Zeilin " began unloading at Lunga Point . On 13 October , " Zeilin " was attacked by a Japanese shore battery ; but the ship did not receive any damage . " Zeilin " returned to Nouméa on 17 October and then proceeded to Espiritu Santo before returning to Lunga Point on 11 November . At 09 : 00 , the task group received a report that nine carrier bombers and 12 fighters were approaching from the northwest and would reach their vicinity at about 09 : 30 . At about 09 : 20 , led the " Zeilin " and two other auxiliaries to the north , in column , with destroyers spaced in a circle around them . Fifteen minutes later , nine Japanese Aichi D3A " Val " dive bombers from the emerged from the clouds over Henderson Field . At 09 : 40 the " Zeilin " opened fire . The Japanese airplanes dove on the " Zeilin " and released bombs at . One aircraft was set on fire by " Zeilin ' s " guns There were three near misses registered on the ship ; two on the port side - one about amidships , the other aft ; and one on the starboard side at about frame 45 opposite No . 8 hatch , depth about 15 – 30 feet . The ship suffered severely from this bomb . The number 8 hold was flooded to the third deck ; number 7 to the fourth deck . The starboard shaft was carried away . " Zeilin " took on approximately 2 , 000 tons of water . Examination by diver later disclosed cracked and ruptured hull plating as the cause of the flooding . A second attack at 10 : 55 by 27 Mitsubishi G3M bombers was repulsed with anti - aircraft fire and fighter aircraft from Henderson Field . Though damaged and listing , " Zeilin " carried casualties to Espiritu Santo and then sailed via Tutuila , Samoa to San Pedro , California . " Zeilin " arrived at the Terminal Island Naval Shipyard ( later known as the Long Beach Naval Shipyard ) on 22 December 1942 for repair . This repair work was completed in March 1943 . Aleutian Islands . On 17 April 1943 , " Zeilin " left San Diego , California , for the Aleutian Islands . After a six - day stop in San Francisco , California , " Zeilin " continued on and arrived at Cold Bay , Alaska on 1 May . Cold Bay was the rendezvous point for the Attu Island invasion force . By 11 May the " Zeilin " was located off the south coast of Attu Island , at Massacre Bay . After the initial landings , " Zeilin " remained off Attu Island until 16 May . On 17 May , " Zeilin " stopped at Adak , Alaska , before leaving on 22 May and arriving at San Diego , California , on 31 May . In June and July 1943 , " Zeilin " operated along the west coast of the United States before returning to Adak on 5 August to participate in the invasion of Kiska , Alaska . " Zeilin " left Adak on 26 August , arriving at San Diego , California on 2 September . Tarawa . The " Zeilin " traveled to Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , in mid - September 1943 . After a five day stay at Pearl Harbor " Zeilin " continued to Wellington , New Zealand , via Funafuti and Espiritu Santo arriving on 17 October . The ship remained at Wellington before departing on 1 November and proceeding to Efate in the Vanuatu where the attack force concentrated and practiced for the invasion of Tarawa . On 13 November , " Zeilin " departed Efate and arrived off Betio on 19 November . Early the following morning , Marines from 2nd Battalion 2nd Marines were offloaded into landing craft from " Zeilin " for their assault . During the unloading operation " Zeilin " was under fire from Japanese shore guns . The ship did not sustain any damage from the attack . During this operation , Commander Thomas Benjamin Fitzpatrick was in command of the ship . Kwajalein Atoll . " Zeilin " returned to Pearl Harbor at the beginning of December 1943 to reload for the Marshall Islands operation leaving on 22 January 1944 with the Southern Attack Force . " Zeilin " arrived at Kwajalein Atoll on 31 January . Unloading elements of the Army ' s 7th Infantry Division , " Zeilin " departed on 2 February arriving at Funafuti , on 8 February . Southwest Pacific and the Solomon Islands . For the next three months , " Zeilin " carried troops and supplies for units operating in the Solomon Islands and in New Guinea . During this time period " Zeilin " visited Guadalcanal and Bougainville in the Solomon Islands , Espiritu Santo , Milne Bay and Cape Sudest on New Guinea , and the newly conquered Admiralty Islands . On 10 May 1944 , " Zeilin " returned to Guadalcanal to prepare for the invasion of the Mariana Islands . Mariana Islands . Task Force 53 , including " Zeilin " , departed the Solomon Islands on 4 June carrying Marines of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade . " Zeilin " initially waited east of Guam during the Battle of the Philippine Sea . Later the Marines on " Zeilin " functioned as a floating reserve . Leaving the Marianas Islands on 30 June , " Zeilin " arrived at the Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands on 3 July . After 15 days , " Zeilin " left Eniwetok and joined other transports carrying troops from Hawaii . " Zeilin " arrived off Guam on 22 July and unloaded the Marines over four days departing on 26 July . " Zeilin " stopped overnight at Eniwetok again on 29 July before arriving at Pearl Harbor on 7 August . Then after three days , " Zeilin " departed for the west coast of the United States arriving at San Francisco , California for a three month overhaul . Southwest Pacific . On 21 October 1944 , " Zeilin " departed San Francisco arriving at Finschhafen on the west coast of New Guinea on 6 November . " Zeilin " visited Langemak Bay and Hollandia ( now known as Jayapura ) before arriving at Nouméa on 22 November . Philippine Islands . " Zeilin " loaded elements of the Army ' s 25th Infantry Division at Nouméa and departed for Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands in December 1944 . At Guadalcanal , the task group including the " Zeilin " conducted training exercises . The task group left Guadalcanal on 25 December arriving at Manus in the Admiralty Islands on 29 December . On 2 January 1945 , " Zeilin " left Manus and arrived off San Fabian , Luzon , in the Philippine Islands on 11 January . After offloading " Zeilin " departed on 12 January in convoy . The next morning , a single Japanese kamikaze aircraft attacked the convoy missing the amphibious command ship and striking " Zeilin " . The right wing of the Japanese aircraft struck cargo loading equipment next to the number 6 cargo hatch . The fuselage crashed into the starboard side of the housetop . Incendiary weapons carried by the aircraft exploded and started several fires on the ship . Topside damage to the " Zeilin " was extensive . The superstructure deck was destroyed , deck framing was damaged , and several staterooms were destroyed . The aircraft ' s engine pierced the deck , the outboard bulkhead and landed in a landing craft carried by the " Zeilin " . Seven crew members were killed , three crew members were declared missing , and 30 crew members were injured . After the attack " Zeilin " continued with the convoy and arrived at Leyte island in the Philippines . After receiving temporary repairs at Leyte , " Zeilin " departed on 16 February arriving at Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands on 18 February . Iwo Jima . " Zeilin " traveled to Iwo Jima Island arriving on 9 March with reinforcements . On 16 March " Zeilin " departed Iwo Jima arriving at Pearl Harbor on 12 April . " Zeilin " left Pearl on 17 April and arrived in San Francisco , California , on 23 April . Ulithi . Following two months of repairs in San Francisco , " Zeilin " departed on 30 June 1945 arriving at San Diego , California on 1 July . On 8 July , " Zeilin " departed San Diego for Seattle , Washington . Departing from Seattle on 23 July , " Zeilin " arrived at Eniwetok Atoll on 4 August . " Zeilin " stayed until 7 August before moving on to Ulithi Atoll . Post World War II Service . Philippine Islands and Korea . After hostilities ceased on 15 August 1945 " Zeilin " departed Ulithi Atoll on 17 August arriving at Okinawa Island on 21 August . " Zeilin " left Okinawa on 29 August bound for Leyte . During September , " Zeilin " transported cargo and passengers within the Philippine Islands . In October , " Zeilin " was tasked to carry the Army ' s 106th Regimental Combat Team to occupation duty at Jinsen , Korea . West Coast . Departing from Jinsen , " Zeilin " made stops at Ulithi and Guam before arriving at San Francisco on 14 November . For the remainder of 1945 and through January 1946 , " Zeilin " traveled between San Diego , San Francisco , San Pedro , Bremerton , Washington , and Seattle . Decommissioning . On 4 February 1946 , " Zeilin " departed San Pedro and transited the Panama Canal on 14 February before arriving on 21 February at Hampton Roads , Virginia . " Zeilin " was decommissioned at Portsmouth , Virginia , on 19 April 1946 . Disposal . " Zeilin " was struck from the Navy List on 5 June 1946 . " Zeilin " was transferred to the United States Maritime Commission on 3 July 1946 for disposal . On 4 May 1948 she was delivered to American Shipbreakers , Inc . , for scrapping .