USS General WF Hase AP-146
The General W.F. Hase (AP-146) was built by Kaiser Co. Inc. and given her commission with Commander W.W. Keller in charge on June 6, 1944. The ship was issued under a contract by the Maritime Commission.
Service in World War II and Korea
The ship left San Francisco on her first mission, transporting $29 million and 3,000 soldiers. The ship brought the troops to Eniwetok and then traveled back to San Francisco, this time carrying 2,100 military personnel. The transport vessel next moved 2,000 soldiers from Seattle to Pearl Harbor and then carried 2,800 more men to Manus, Admiralty Islands.
Over the next year the ship continued to make trips moving troops from America to other locations around the world. On May 9, 1945, the General W.F. Hase transported 2,600 men traveling to Melbourne, Australia. She traveled to Fremantle, Australia, and loaded 2,500 troops headed for home. The ship’s route took her to Ceylon using the Suez Canal. She then made it to Norfolk on July 20.
The transport vessel left Norfolk on August 5 to join the Magic Carpet Fleet in the Mediterranean, which was charged with bringing U.S. military personnel back home. The ship loaded 3,000 plus soldiers in Marseilles, France, and steamed to New York. The ship was put to work traveling several times to Calcutta and back to New York, moving more than 6,000 soldiers. The General W.F. Hase loaded 2,900 soldiers on January 11, 1946, from Calcutta. She then left for the West Coast through Manila and reached San Francisco on March 8. The ship transported 1,000 military personnel to the location of Yokohama, Japan. The vessel’s last journey with the Fleet was on April 28, traveling to Seattle.
The military had decided to decommission her on June 6th, 1946, at San Francisco, since the War Shipping Administration needed the transport vessel for the Army Transportation Service. The Navy placed her back in their service on March 1, 1950. The ship was sent to the Military Sealift Command group that was on duty to provide supplies and troop relocation. The Navy placed her back in their service to assist in the Korean War, where she earned eight battle stars.
After the War
The ship was sent to serve with the Maritime Administration on January 8, 1960, and docked in Suisun Bay, California until 1969. She was then sold and Seatrain Lines put her into shipping service with the name SS Transidaho. She served in this capacity until being scrapped in Taiwan in `985.
Asbestos in Navy Ships
Although an essential component of the naval fleet, some auxiliary vessels also posed a lasting health risk to soldiers serving on them. Unfortunately, products containing asbestos were common, especially on older ships, because of the material’s high resistance to heat and fire. Despite its value as an insulator, asbestos fiber intake can lead to several serious health consequences, including mesothelioma, a devastating cancer without cure. Current and former military personnel who came into contact with these ships should seek immediate medical attention in order to detect possible health consequences associated with asbestos exposure.
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