USS Storm King ( AP - 171 ) USS " Storm King " ( AP - 171 ) was a " Storm King " class auxiliary transport of the United States Navy . She was designed as a troop carrier , and named after Storm King Mountain . " Storm King " was laid down under Maritime Commission contract ( MC hull 1346 ) on 20 July 1943 by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company , Wilmington , North Carolina ; launched on 17 September 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . P . F . Halcey ; delivered to the Navy on 3 December 1943 , and commissioned on 4 December 1943 , Capt . Harold D . Krick in command . Service history . 1944 . " Storm King " moved to Staten Island , New York , on 10 February 1944 where she was converted into a troop transport . She departed New York on 3 March for shakedown out of Hampton Roads , Virginia . The ship was assigned to the Naval Transportation Service on 6 April and loaded troops and cargo . The following week , she sailed for Hawaii . She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 1 May ; debarked her troops ; and the next day joined Transport Division 26 , 5th Amphibious Force . " Storm King " spent much of the rest of the month rehearsing amphibious landings in preparation for the invasion of the Marianas . The task force sortied on 29 May , refueled at Eniwetok , and arrived off Saipan early on the morning of 15 June , " D - Day . " The transport off - loaded troops of the 23rd Marines , vehicles , and supplies , and began taking casualties on board on the 16th . She was ordered to evacuate them on the 24th and got underway for Eniwetok and Pearl Harbor . " Storm King " arrived at Pearl Harbor on 11 July and was assigned to the 3rd Amphibious Force and the conquest of the Palaus . Following rehearsal landings until 12 August , the transport sailed for Guadalcanal where the task force remained until 8 September when it sortied for the Palaus . The ships were at the Palaus on 15 September when elements of the 1st Marine Division assaulted Peleliu , but " Storm King " and her troops were held in reserve for two days . On 17 September , she began landing her troops for the assault on Anguar . The last unit was landed on 22 September , and the ship sailed the next day for Manus , Admiralty Islands . " Storm King " , now attached to the 7th Amphibious Force , sailed out of Seeadler Harbor on 5 October for New Guinea . She arrived at Lae the next day and , on the 9th , loaded troops and cargo . That afternoon , she moved to Finschhafen and the next day completed loading . On 13 October , she steamed to Hollandia . The next day , she sortied with Task Group 78 . 6 , Reinforcement Group One , for the Philippines . The transport arrived at San Pedro Bay , Leyte , on 22 October , unloaded , and sailed that afternoon for Kossol Passage . She was there from the 25th to the 28th when she headed for the Mariana Islands . " Storm King " arrived at Apra Harbor , Guam , on 31 October ; loaded vehicles , cargo , and elements of the Army ' s 77th Division and sailed , on 3 November , for New Caledonia . Her sailing orders were modified en route , and she arrived at Seeadler Harbor on 15 November . Two days later , she was underway for Leyte and entered Leyte Gulf on 23 November . " Storm King " anchored off Tarranguna , Leyte , and began unloading men and supplies . The next afternoon , the transport sailed with her group for Hollandia , New Guinea . " Storm King " arrived at Humboldt Bay on 29 November and was ordered to join the flotilla preparing for the Lingayen operations . 14 December found her at Sansapor , loading cargo and troops of the Army ' s 6th Infantry Division . She sortied with TG 78 . 5 on 30 December 1944 and proceeded to the Philippine Islands . 1945 – 1946 . The transport was anchored off Luzon about dawn on 9 January 1945 and began landing her assault troops . When her boats returned at 1130 , " Storm King " began unloading vehicles and cargo and had all ashore by 1614 . That evening , she got underway for Leyte Gulf and remained there from 12 to 18 January . " Storm King " sailed to Biak , New Guinea , with the 3rd Lingayen Reinforcement Group . She loaded cargo on 23 January ; troops of the Army ' s 41st Division on the 27th ; and sailed for Leyte on 2 February . Her objective was changed from Lingayen to Mindoro ; and she landed the troops and supplies there on the 9th , before continuing to San Pedro Bay . She then accompanied and to Samar where they delivered boats from transports returning to Pearl Harbor , on 15 February and returned to San Pedro . " Storm King " received orders to proceed , via Ulithi , to Pearl Harbor and sailed on 18 February for Hawaii . However , when she arrived at Ulithi , she was ordered to Iwo Jima . She was off that island from 10 to 17 March before she anchored in the transport area on the west coast of Iwo Jima . She loaded men and equipment of the 5th Marine Division and sailed for Hawaii , via Eniwetok , arriving at Pearl Harbor on 12 April . The next day , she sailed for Hilo , Hawaii , and disembarked the troops and cargo . Upon completion of offloading on 15 April , " Storm King " got underway for the United States . The transport arrived at San Francisco on 22 April for a scheduled upkeep . Upon completion of repairs , she moved to Oakland and loaded cargo and passengers . " Storm King " sailed for Hawaii on 20 May and arrived the following week . She discharged some passengers and troops there and picked up others for transportation to Okinawa . After calling at Eniwetok and Ulithi , she reached Buckner Bay on 14 July . " Storm King " stood out of Okinawa on 25 July with and and headed for the Marianas . They arrived at Guam the next day ; and the ship picked up passengers , including patients , and sailed for the California coast on the 27th . She arrived at San Pedro on 10 August and discharged her cargo and passengers . After voyage repairs , she loaded ammunition , cargo , and 1 , 400 troops for transportation to the Philippines ; sailed on 28 August ; and arrived at Manila on 18 September . Eight days later , she was en route to Pearl Harbor with 1 , 389 passengers . That night , 26 September , at 2325 , a native " banca " was seen off the transport ' s starboard bow . " Storm King " maneuvered to avoid collision , but the small boat changed course directly across her path . At 2329 hours , " Storm King " struck banca " Baby Rose " , which capsized . All but one of the 19 persons on board were rescued . They were later transferred to the schooner " Visayan " . " Storm King " then resumed her course for Pearl Harbor . For the next nine months , " Storm King " continued shuttling passengers and cargo from overseas bases to the United States . She returned from a voyage to Manila in July 1946 and was directed to proceed to Hampton Roads for decommissioning . " Storm King " was struck from the Navy List on 15 August 1946 and returned to the Maritime Administration the next day . Awards . " Storm King " received four battle stars for World War II service .