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Today's classic warship, USS Pinkney (APH-2)
Tryon class evacuation transport
Displacement 11,500 t.
Length 450'2"
Beam 62'
Draft 25' 7"
Speed 18 kts.
Complement 460
Troop Accommodations 1,166
Armament 1 5"; 12 40mm
USS Pinkney (APH-2) was laid down as Alcoa Corsair (MC hull 176), 3 June 1941, by the Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, Calif.; launched 4 December 1941; sponsored by Miss Ruth Grove; designated for Navy use and assigned the name Mercy. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, she was renamed Pinkney, 13 August 1942, acquired, by the Navy 27 November 1942, and commissioned the same day, Comdr. A. L. Hutson in command.
Following extensive fitting out and shakedown, Pinkney departed San Diego for Pearl Harbor and the South Pacific 27 January 1943. In mid-February, she arrived at Espiritu Santo, whence she sailed to Purvis Bay to deliver reinforcements and replacements to the veteran units of the fight for Tulagi and Gavutu. Throughout the remaining battles for the Solomons, among them Munda, Vella Lavella, Shortlands, Bougainville, and the numerous engagements in the "Slot", she brought men, food and ammunition forward and evacuated casualties from field hospitals to better facilities on New Caledonia and in New Zealand. She also transported American and New Zealand nurses to and between various southwest Pacific hospitals.
By August, 1944, island hopping had carried the Allies to and past the Marshalls and Marianas. On 8 September, Pinkney departed Guadalcanal for the Palaus, the next group enroute to the Philippines. On the 15th, she delivered her passengers, men of the 1st Marine Regiment, to LVTs which took them on to the beaches at Peleliu. She then took up position 6,000 yards off the assault area to expedite offloading of equipment and embarkation of casualties. On the 20th she sailed for Manus, whence she returned to the Palaus, again and again, to evacuate the wounded.
In early October, she returned briefly to the Solomons, then sailed for Hollandia, then the Philippines. Into November, she evacuated Leyte casualties to Hollandia, Manus, and New Caledonia. In December, she prepared for the Luzon invasion. On 9 January 1945, she landed Army troops on the Lingayen beaches, and, once again, assumed responsibilities for the care and evacuation of casualties, this time to Leyte.
In late February, while en route to the Solomons, she was diverted to Guam, thence to Iwo Jima. On the 28th, she returned to Guam, disembarked her patients and began preparations for her last campaign, Okinawa.
On 1 and 2 April, Pinkney participated in the feints against southern Okinawa, then shifted to the Hagushi assault area where she landed Marine combatant and hospital units on the 10th. Casualties, from ships and from ashore, were soon filling her hospital wards. Caring for patients and expediting transferral of others to the hospital ship Samaritan (AH-10), she dodged enemy shells and kamikazes until the 28th.
On that day, at 1730, a low flying kamikaze was spotted closing the ship. Seconds later Pinkney was rocked by an explosion and the after-end of the superstructure was walled by a sheet of flame. Ammunition began to explode. Water lines, electrical conduits, and steam pipes ruptured. The crew immediately formed rescue and damage control parties. Live ammunition was thrown overboard. All but 16 patients, killed in the initial explosion, were transferred to safety. Rescue tugs and landing craft moved in to assist in fire fighting, but the flames continued for another three hours, by which time Pinkney had lost 18 of her crew and had taken on a heavy list to port. A jagged hole, 30 feet in diameter, extended from the bridge deck to the bulkhead deck. All wards in the amidship hospital area were burned out.
Temporary repairs took 8 days. On 9 May, Pinkney got underway for Saipan enroute to the United States. She arrived at San Francisco, 8 June, underwent repairs, and on 21 October, sailed for the Far East again, this time to carry replacements and occupation troops to Tokyo and Sasebo and return with veterans. By February, 1946, she had completed another west coast-Far East run. Inactivation followed and on 9 September she was returned to the Maritime Commission and simultaneously transferred to the Army Transportation Service.
Converted to an AP, by the Puget Sound Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., and renamed Private Elden H. Johnson, 31 October 1947, she remained with ATS until returned to the Maritime Commission, thence to the Navy, 1 March 1950. Designated AP-184, she joined the newly formed MSTS and was assigned a civil service crew. As an MSTS vessel, she plied the same waters, Atlantic Mediterranean-Adriatic, as she had under ATS until mid-1951, when runs to Caribbean ports were added to her schedule.
Private Elden H. Johnson continued to serve the Navy until 1957. On 27 December, she was transferred to the Maritime Administration's National Defense Reserve Fleet and her name was struck from the Navy List. Fate unknown.
Pinkney (APH-2) earned four battle stars during World War II.
Ninian Pinkney, a native of Maryland, was appointed an Assistant Surgeon in the Navy in March 1834, and attained the rank of Surgeon in 1841. During much of the Civil War, he was Fleet Surgeon of the Mississippi Squadron, serving on board the hospital steamer Red Rover during much of that time. Dr. Pinkney was promoted to the rank of Medical Director in March 1871. He retired in June 1873 and died on 15 December 1877.
During World War II, the evacuation transport USS Pinkney (APH-2) was named in his honor.
JOHNSON, ELDEN H.
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, 15th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Valmontone, Italy, 3 June 1944.
Entered service at: East Weymouth, Mass.
Birth: Bivalve, N.J. G.O. No: 38, 16 May 1945.
Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Pvt. Johnson elected to sacrifice his life in order that his comrades might extricate themselves from an ambush. Braving the massed fire of about 60 riflemen, 3 machineguns, and 3 tanks from positions only 25 yards distant, he stood erect and signaled his patrol leader to withdraw. The whole area was brightly illuminated by enemy flares. Then, despite 20mm. machineguns, machine pistol, and rifle fire directed at him, Pvt. Johnson advanced beyond the enemy in a slow deliberate walk. Firing his automatic rifle from the hip, he succeeded in distracting the enemy and enabled his 12 comrades to escape. Advancing to within 5 yards of a machinegun, emptying his weapon, Pvt. Johnson killed its crew. Standing in full view of the enemy he reloaded and turned on the riflemen to the left, firing directly into their positions. He either killed or wounded 4 of them. A burst of machinegun fire tore into Pvt. Johnson and he dropped to his knees. Fighting to the very last, he steadied himself on his knees and sent a final burst of fire crashing into another German. With that he slumped forward dead. Pvt. Johnson had willingly given his life in order that his comrades might live. These acts on the part of Pvt. Johnson were an inspiration to the entire command and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the armed forces.
040920-N-6213R-032 Indian Ocean (Sept. 20, 2004) - An AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missile, launched from an F/A-18C Hornet piloted by the Executive Officer, Cmdr. George Slook assigned to the "Stingers" of Strike Fighter Squadron One One Three (VFA-113), scores a direct hit on an air launched LUU-2B/B illumination flare during a live fire missile exercise. The Stingers are attached to the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and embarked Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14) are currently participating in a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific Ocean. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Mark J. Rebilas (RELEASED)
040921-N-7732W-151 Indian Ocean (Sept. 21, 2004) - Sparks fly from the tail hook of an F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the "Fist of the Fleet" of Strike Fighter Squadron Two Five (VFA-25) as full power is applied after making a "bolter" aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). A bolter is when the aircraft's tail hook fails to catch an arresting wire, causing the aircraft to apply full power and go back around for another try at landing. Stennis and embarked Carrier Air Wing Fourteen (CVW-14) are currently participating in a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific Ocean. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Charlie Whetstine (RELEASED)
