USS Hunter Liggett, a 21,900-ton transport, was completed at Sparrows Point, Maryland, in 1922 as the civilian passenger ship Pan America. During 1939-1941, she served as the U.S. Army Transport Hunter Liggett. The Navy took her over and placed her in commission in June 1941 with a crew of U.S. Coast Guard officers and men. After initial service in the Atlantic area, in April 1942 she was sent to the south Pacific as part of an effort to reinforce Allied strength in that area. A few months later, in early August, she took part in the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi. She continued to support the Guadalcanal Campaign until the Japanese finally evacuated their positions on that island in February 1943. Reclassified as an attack transport at that time, with the new hull number APA-14, she spent the following year assisting with the assault up the Solomon Islands. This effort included participation in the Bougainville landings in November 1943.
In April 1944, Hunter Liggett left the south Pacific to become an amphibious training ship in the vicinity of San Diego, California. Following the end of the Pacific War, she was part of Operation "Magic Carpet", the massive effort to bring home American service personnel from the former war zone. In March 1946, Hunter Liggett was decommissioned and returned to the Army. However, she had no further service and was sold for scrapping in late January 1948.
This page features, or provides links to, all the views we have related to USS Hunter Liggett (AP-28, later APA-14).
For views of this ship as a U.S. Army Transport, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.
Photo #: NH 86976 USS Hunter Liggett (AP-27) Halftone reproduction of a photograph taken in 1942. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1978. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 59KB; 740 x 520 pixels |
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Photo #: 26-G-3337 USS Hunter Liggett (APA-14) Photographed in harbor, circa 1943-44. Hunter Liggett had a U.S. Coast Guard crew. Photograph from the U.S. Coast Guard Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 615 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: 26-G-06-17-44(1) USS Hunter Liggett (APA-14) Conducting amphibious operations, circa 1943-44. Note the retractable paravane shoe in front of her bow bulkhead. This ship had a U.S. Coast Guard crew. Photograph from the U.S. Coast Guard Collection in the U.S. National Archives. Online Image: 106KB; 740 x 595 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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Photo #: NH 78567 USS Hunter Liggett (APA-14) Photographed circa 1945-46. The gun at her bow has been removed, indicating that the view was taken after the end of World War II. Courtesy of James Russell. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph. Online Image: 66KB; 740 x 590 pixels |
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Photo #: 80-G-40796 Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands Landing craft and barges bring fresh supplies to a Guadalcanal beach, probably in December 1942 or January 1943. The LCP in the center, just beyond the barge full of piled boxes, is from USS American Legion (AP-35). One of the LCVs in the background is from USS Hunter Liggett (AP-27). Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 100KB; 740 x 510 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system. |
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In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold at least one other view of USS Hunter Liggett (AP-27). The following list features this image:
The image listed below is NOT in the
Naval Historical Center's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain it using the procedures described in our
page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."
USS Hunter Liggett (AP-27) underway in harbor, 1941. Surface view taken from off the ship's port side. The original photographic negative MAY have photo # 19-N-25722, and MAY be one of a series of views of this ship.
Reproductions of this image should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center. The image listed in this box is NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain it using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
For views of this ship as a U.S. Army Transport, see:
If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions." |
Page made 15 February 2002