USS Montague (AKA-98)

USS "Montague" (AKA-98) was an "Andromeda" class attack cargo ship named after a county in Texas. She served as a commissioned ship for 10 years and 7 months.

"Montague" (AKA–98), was built under Maritime Commission contract by the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J.; launched 12 February 1945; sponsored by Mrs. Irving S. Olds; and commissioned 13 April 1945, Capt. B. H. Thomas in command.

After shakedown in the Chesapeake Bay, "Montague" proceeded to Hawaii, arriving Pearl Harbor 10 June 1945. She departed Pearl Harbor 2 July, unloading her cargo 10 July at Eniwetok. The next 5 months she shuttled cargo, ranging from Guam to China. After discharging equipment in China, she departed Tsingtao 29 November, for the United States. "Montague" operated off the east coast for the next 2 years, and participated in training exercises in the Caribbean. Getting underway from Norfolk, Va., 3 January 1948, she sailed for duty with the 6th Fleet, helping to stabilize the postwar situation in the Mediterranean. She returned to Norfolk 15 March, and participated in amphibious exercises off the east coast before getting underway 13 September to join the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, returning Morehead City, N.C., 24 January 1949. The following 15 months were spent training off the east coast, and in the Caribbean.

She departed Morehead City 2 May 1950 for her third tour of duty with the 6th Fleet. Receiving orders to support United Nations action in Korea in August, she transited the Suez Canal, arriving Kobe, Japan 9 September. Anchored off Inchon, she disembarked troops and cargo from 8 October to 16 October. After a run to Kobe she embarked troops at Inchon, disembarking them at Wonsan on the east coast. Then she sailed to Chinnampo, the port city of the North Korean capital, to embark refugees. She continued to operate between Hungnam and Wonsan, and the port of Pusan until returning to Japan 29 December. She cruised between Korea and Japan for 3 months, before sailing home, arriving San Diego, April 28, 1951.

Between 1951 and 1954, "Montague" made three more voyages to the Far East, visiting ports in the "Philippines", Japan, and Korea. On her last tour of duty, she departed Japan 2 August 1954, and proceeded to Indochina to take part in Operation Passage to Freedom shuttling helpless victims of Communist persecution to freedom in South Vietnam following the French defeat in the First Indochina War. She returned to the west coast, and anchored 9 October at Long Beach.

She decommissioned 22 November 1955; was berthed at Mare Island, Calif., as a unit of the Pacific Reserve Fleet; and was transferred to the Maritime Administration 29 January 1960. She remains, into 1969, a unit of the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Olympia, Washington. "Montague" received four battle stars for Korean service.

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m13/montague.htm Naval Historical Center: USS "Montague"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/02098.htm NavSource Online: AKA-98 "Montague"]
* [http://ussrankin.org/id352.htm 51 Years of AKAs]