USS Bingham (APA-225) was a that saw service with the US Navy in World War II. She was of the VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship design type and named after Bingham County, Idaho.
Construction
Pickaway was laid down 22 September 1944, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCV hull 573, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 2, Richmond, California; launched on 20 November 1944; sponsored by Mrs. John V. Harrell; commissioned builder's yard on 23 December 1944.
Service history
Following shakedown training off the coast of southern California, during which her crew "received intensive drilling in amphibious boat operations" off Oceanside and Coronado, the attack transport underwent availability at the Standard Shipbuilding Corporation's dock, San Pedro, from 5 to 13 February 1945.
Transport duties
She loaded supplies at Los Angeles and then proceeded to San Francisco, before heading thence to Port Chicago, to load ammunition for Hawaii. She arrived there late on 22 February; commenced loading the next morning; and, after taking on of assorted ammunition as cargo, got underway for Hawaii on the afternoon of 28 February.
Steaming independently in worsening weather, Bingham encountered "very rough seas" which caused the ship to roll as much as 40 degrees to a side, "recovering very slowly." By late afternoon, the storm had wrenched eight life rafts loose from their moorings. Throughout the night of 1 March, Bingham constantly deviated from her "routed track in an effort to lessen the effects of the sea." The squally, rainy weather continued the next day, but Bingham had passed the worst of it. She made landfall off Oahu on the morning of 6 March, and escorted her into Pearl Harbor where she moored at the Naval Ammunition Depot.
Her perilous voyage over and cargo delivered safely, Bingham enjoyed a brief respite at Pearl Harbor, taking on stores and fuel while sending ashore as many officers and men as possible to attend various training courses and schools.
On the morning of 27 March, her tropical idyll came to an end, and she shifted to Honolulu Harbor. After embarking US Army troops on 28 March, the ship sailed for the Marshalls on 29 March, in convoy PD 355T and reached Eniwetok on the afternoon of 6 April.
The following day, in company with and , Bingham pushed on toward the Marianas. She and her consorts reached Saipan on the morning of 10 April. Two days later, having disembarked her troops there, Bingham got underway for Hawaii and reached Pearl Harbor on 21 April.
During the first half of May, Bingham took part in amphibious warfare training off Maui. Returning from these evolutions to Pearl Harbor on 14 April, she took on board the Navy's 74th Construction Battalion ("Seabees") between 15 and 20 May, and sailed for the Marshall Islands on 20 May.
After steaming in convoy with , , and SS Robin Wentley with and as escort, Bingham dropped out of the convoy on the morning of 22 May, because of a bad gasket leak in a high pressure steam line. While Enright stood by, Bingham made emergency repairs. By 11:15, Bingham could get underway to overtake the convoy, and she and Enright had resumed their stations in the convoy by 19:27. Arriving at Eniwetok on the afternoon of 28 May, Bingham refueled from and got underway for Ulithi on 5 June. From there, she set sail for the Ryukyus with Task Unit (TU) 94.18.2 on 20 June.
At 05:42 on 24 June, Bingham was detached from the task unit and directed to proceed to the eastern coast of Okinawa with SS White Swallow and . The three ships entered Nakagusuku Wan shortly after 08:00 and anchored about off the town of Yonabaru, a place nearly destroyed by the recent fighting. Early that afternoon, Bingham began landing her "Seabees" and Army passengers. She went to general quarters at 21:52, securing at 22:33 when no enemy planes came near her. The next few days brought more of the same. Bingham continued disembarking passengers and discharging her varied cargo into tank landing craft (LCT) and her own LCM's. To quote her war diary, "Unloading continued day and night except for interruptions for enemy air alerts on the nights of the 25, 27, and 29 June."