USS Hyde ( APA - 173 ) USS " Hyde " ( APA - 173 / LPA - 173 ) was a " Haskell " - class attack transport acquired by the U . S . Navy during World War II for the task of transporting troops to and from combat areas . World War II service . " Hyde " ( " APA - 173 " ) was launched under Maritime Commission contract by Oregon Shipbuilding Corp . , Portland , Oregon , 30 October 1944 ; sponsored by Mrs . James H . Bond ; and commissioned 26 November 1944 , Captain E . F . May commanding . Transporting troops to Iwo Jima and recovering casualties . Following a brief shakedown cruise , " Hyde " arrived Seattle , Washington , 27 January 1945 to embark troops and cargo , after which she sailed for Pearl Harbor in convoy 1 February . Carrying reinforcements for the Pacific Ocean campaign , then drawing to its climax , " Hyde " stopped at Eniwetok before anchoring at Iwo Jima 13 March . The ship remained off that battle - scarred island only long enough to unload , then steamed to Guam 15 March , where she embarked over 400 marine casualties . " Hyde " continued to Pearl Harbor , loaded more casualties 29 March , and arrived San Francisco , California , 22 May 1945 . Under constant threat , " Hyde " lands troops at Okinawa . By June the Okinawa campaign , last step on the island road to Japan , was well underway , and " Hyde " sailed 6 June with cargo and troops . After stopping at Ulithi she arrived Okinawa 24 July . There she discharged her passengers and cargo under constant threat of air attack , getting underway for Ulithi 6 August . During this stay at the giant staging base , " Hyde " received the news of the surrender of Japan . End - of - war “ mopping up ” operations . The transport immediately took up duties in connection with the occupation . She arrived Leyte 21 August , loaded troops , and disembarked them with the early occupation forces 8 September at Yokohama . " Hyde " then took on board Allied prisoners of war for transportation to Guam , where she arrived 23 September . Sailing to Tsingtao 11 October , the transport debarked U . S . marines for the occupation of China and to aid in the stabilization of that troubled country . She then steamed to Manila and thence to Haiphong , Indochina , arriving 2 November . At Haiphong , " Hyde " embarked 200 Nationalist Chinese troops for further transfer to Chinwangtao , China , and unloaded them 12 November to aid in the occupation . After a stop at Taku , the transport arrived Sasebo , Japan , 4 December 1945 to join in " Operation Magic Carpet , " the vast operation designed to return veterans with the greatest possible speed . " Hyde " sailed for California 7 December and arrived San Diego , California , 22 December . Post - war decommissioning . After a second voyage , to Pearl Harbor and back , she sailed 16 February 1946 via Panama for Norfolk , Virginia . She arrived there 13 March , decommissioned 14 May and returned to the Maritime Commission 2 days later . She was placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet , redesignated an amphibious transport , and berthed on the James River , near Norfolk , Virginia . Military awards and honors . " Hyde " received one battle star for World War II service .