General G. O. Squier-class transport

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}}

{{Infobox ship begin}} {{Infobox ship image |Ship image=Image:USNS General A.W. Greely (T-AP-141) underway, circa in the early 1950s (NH 61583).jpg | Ship caption=Squier-class USNS General A.W. Greely (T-AP-141) in the early 1950s }} {{Infobox ship class overview |Name=General G. O. Squier-class transport |Builders=Kaiser Co., Inc. |Operators=*{{navy|United States}} {{army|United States}} {{air force|United States}} |Class before= |Class after= |Subclasses= |Built range=1942-1945 |In commission range=1943-1983 |Total ships building= |Total ships planned= |Total ships completed=30 |Total ships cancelled= |Total ships active= |Total ships laid up= |Total ships lost= |Total ships retired=30 |Total ships preserved=0 }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class= |Ship type=C4-S-A1 Transport ship |Ship tonnage= |Ship displacement=9,950 tons (light), 17,250 tons (full) |Ship length={{convert|522|ft|10|in|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|71|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship draught= |Ship draft={{convert|26|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}} |Ship depth= |Ship hold depth= |Ship decks= |Ship deck clearance= |Ship ramps= |Ship ice class= |Ship power= |Ship propulsion=single-screw steam turbine with {{convert|9900|shp|lk=in|abbr=on}} |Ship sail plan= |Ship speed={{convert|17|kn}} |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship test depth= |Ship boats= |Ship capacity=3,823 troops |Ship troops= |Ship complement=356 (officers and enlisted) |Ship crew= |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament={{unbulleted list |4 × 5"/38 caliber gun mounts |4 × 40 mm AA gun mounts |16 × 20 mm AA gun mounts }} |Ship armour= |Ship armor= |Ship aircraft= |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }}

The General G. O. Squier class of transport ships was built for the U.S. Navy during World War II. The class was based upon the Maritime Commission's Type C4 ship. The class was named for United States Army Major General George Owen Squier.{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/mariner.htm|title=C4-S-1a Mariner / APA-248 Paul Revere / AKA-112 Tulare|first=John|last=Pike|website=www.globalsecurity.org|access-date=17 April 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://shipbuildinghistory.com/merchantships/2c4cargoships.htm|title=C4 Cargo Ships|website=shipbuildinghistory.com|access-date=17 April 2018}}

The first ship was launched in November 1942, while the last was launched in April 1945. Over that period the United States produced 30 General G. O. Squier-class transports. All of the ships were initially designated with hull classification symbol "AP" and numbered from 130 through 159. All but the four ships of the class (130, 131, 132, and 136) were transferred to the U.S. Army Transportation Service in 1946 and served as United States Army Transports (USAT), several of them being refitted to a larger gross tonnage. The 24 (numbers 134, 135, 137–151, and 153–159) still in service in 1950 were transferred back to the Navy as part of the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS). All but two were transferred on 1 March 1950,{{USNS|General R. E. Callan|T-AP-139|3}} on 28 April 1950, and {{USNS|General LeRoy Eltinge|T-AP-154|3}} on 20 July 1950 and all were reinstated on the Naval Vessel Register as United States Naval Ships (USNS), and redesignated with hull classification symbol "T-AP".[http://www.navsource.net/archives/09/22/22130.htm NavSource General G. O. Squier-class transport]

Most of the General G. O. Squier class were deactivated in 1958 for two reasons: the introduction of jet airliners, and a decision to use berthing space on U.S.-flagged passenger ships.{{cite web | url = http://www.usmm.org/msts/line.html | title = Military Sealift Command Ships of the Line | first = Salvatore R. | last = Mercogliano | work = American Merchant Marine at War | publisher = USMM.org | date = 29 November 2000 | access-date = 12 November 2007 }} Two ships, however, {{USNS|General LeRoy Eltinge|T-AP-154|2}} and {{USNS|General R. M. Blatchford|T-AP-153|2}}, assisted in United Nations efforts in the Congo Republic in the early 1960s, and both were pressed into service transporting troops to Vietnam in the mid 1960s.General G O Squier Class Transport Ships: Uss General S. D. Sturgis, Uss General M. L. Hersey, Uss General W. C. Langfitt

Two other ships of the General G. O. Squier class, {{USS|General Harry Taylor|AP-145|2}} and {{USS|General R. E. Callan|AP-139|2}} were transferred to the U.S. Air Force as missile tracking ships as part of the Missile Test Project, and renamed USAFS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg and USAFS General H. H. Arnold, respectively. They were later transferred back to MSTS under their new names and redesignated with hull classification symbol "T-AGM".[http://www.navsource.net/archives/09/22/22158.htm NavSource USNS General W. G. Haan (T-AP-158)]

The last General G. O. Squier-class ship afloat, the ex-General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, was sunk as an artificial reef off of the Florida Keys on 27 May 2009.[https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ships/AP/AP-130_GeneralGOSquier.html hyperwar, General G. O. Squier-class transport]USS General S. D. Sturgis (AP-137): USS General S. D. Sturgis (AP-137), General G. O. Squier Class Transport Ship, USS General M. C. Meigs (AP-116), Troopship, USS General John Pope (AP-110)

[https://marines.togetherweserved.com/usmc/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=PublicUnitProfile&type=Unit&ID=15826 marines.togetherweserved.com, USNS General Edwin D. Patrick (T-AP-124) Transport Ship]

==General characteristics==

• Displacement: 9,950 tons (light), 17,250 tons (full)
• Length: {{convert|522|ft|10|in|m|abbr=on}}
• Beam: {{convert|71|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
• Draft:
• {{convert|24|ft|m|2|abbr=on}} (AP 130, 134, 137, 140, 142–149, 151, 154–158)
• {{convert|26|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}} (AP 131–133, 135–136, 138–139, 141, 150, 152–153, 159)
• Complement: 356 (officers and enlisted)
• 425 (AP 136, 150)
• 426 (AP 133)
• 449 (AP 139)
• 471 (AP 132)
• 494 (AP 138)
• 512 (AP 135)
• Troop capacity:
• 2,173 troops (AP 147)
• 3,343 troops (AP 133, 137, 149–151)
• 3,444 troops (AP 132)
• 3,522 troops (AP 131)
• 3,530 troops (AP 134)
• 3,595 troops (AP 140)
• 3,823 troops (AP 130, 135–136, 139, 141–144, 148, 152–159)
• 4,766 troops (AP 138)
• 6,086 troops (AP 146)
• Armament
• AP 130–133, 145, 149:

:::4 × 5"/38 caliber guns

:::8 × 1.1"/75 AA guns

:::16 × 20 mm Oerlikon AA guns

• AP 141, 154–159:

:::4 × 5"/38 caliber gun mounts

:::4 × 40 mm AA gun mounts

:::16 × 20 mm AA gun mounts

• Speed: 17 knots (31 km/h)
• Propulsion: single-screw steam turbine with {{convert|9900|shp|lk=in|abbr=on}}