>Rolette AKA-99
Rolette
(AKA-99: dp. 14,200 (f.); 1. 459'2"; b. 63'; dr. 26'4"; s. 17 k.;
cpl. 425; a. 1 5", 8 40mm.; el. Andromeda; T. C2-S-B1)
Attack cargo ship Rolette (AKA-99) was laid down 2 December 1944 by Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., Kearny N.J., for the Maritime Commission, launched 11 March1945; sponsored by Mrs. William U. Kirseh; acquired by the Navy on loan-charter 26 April 1945; and commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard 27 April 1945, Comdr. Lamar M. Wise in command.
Rolette proceeded to Chesapeake Bay in May 1945, 2 days after Germany surrendered. She loaded her first cargo on the 30th and sailed for Pearl Harbor, where she unloaded and took on eonstruetion material for Guinan, Samar Island, Philippine Islands. As the crew was discharging her cargo there in midAugust they heard of the Japanese surrender. Rolette was orderer to operate with the amphibious ships carrying the Army Oecupation Forees to Japan from the Philippines. During September and October she debarked troops at Tokyo' Hokkaido, and Hakodate.
The transport returned to the United States toward the close of 1945 and decommissioned at San Francisco, where she was a unit of the Reserye Fleet until struck from the Navy list 23 April 1947.
Rolette was reacquired by the Navy 13 August 1051 and recommissioned 23 February 1952 at Oakland, Calif. She proceeded to her homeport, Norfolk, Va., to operate as a unit of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. From April to October 1953, the ship served with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean. On this deployment she landed food, medical supplies, and workers to aid the citizens of Argostolie Bay, Greeee, after a devastating earthquake.
Rolette underwent overhaul and refresher training during 1954, and on 5 January 1955 departed Norfolk for San Diego. On 31 Marchshe joined an amphibious squadron for a 6-month's tour in the western Pactfie and participation in landing exercise "Navmarlex 1-55" conducted at Okinawa in June. She returned to San Diego 30 September, underwent a brief period of upkeep, and took part in the exercise "Paetrex 56" in November.
She decommissioned at Mare Island 1 May 1956 and entered the Pactfie Reserve Fleet, where she remained until struck from the Navy list 1 July 1960.
From a crew member:At 83 years of age and if you will note my e-mail address as "rolette26@cfl.rr.com"... you should guess that I was on the pre-commissioning detail, so called, at Newport R. I. We were housed in Barracks until called to the actual site of the Commissioning of ROLETTE, where she was commissioned by the "lady sponsor". Lamar M. Wise was in command when he took possession of the ship at (PLEASE NOTE) the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Not the Boston Navy Yard. How do I know?. I was a member of the initial crew assigned to Rolette. I was a Radioman striker, 3/c to follow within the year. Among other things: We were the second US Ship to enter the BIKINI atoll to set up preparations for the very first Atomic bomb test in the Pacific. I had a Japanese marine Rifle that I took from the Japanese Battleship Hokkaido that was being prepped for demolition along with many other ships at THE BLAST SITE. I was separated via the "magic carpet'' to a ship headed for the West Coast for separation from the US Navy... I was discharged on June 26,1946 at Boston, Mass. Just for your info. AKA 99 also sailed up the Yellow River in China to the city of Tientsin, new name (Post WWII) Peking. Rolette put a lot of Miles on her: We made calls to Eniwetok, Tacloban, Manila, many islands in the Philippines. Rolette was pleased to see the power of the US Navy as she came upon her might assembled for the preparation for the Signing by MacArthur et alli in the harbor awaiting the Japanese Delegation. They got this little AKA 99 out of way to make room for the myriad of Battleships and interestingly the only two BATTLE CRUISERS we had The Juneau and the Alaska. (check it out) what a great Fleet we had. Just thought I'd fill you in on a few things I remember at my age. Remember though; my e-mail add, which I am very proud of..... rolette26@cfl.rr.com..... rolette is the name of my ship, 26 is the year I was born and cfl is central Florida.com.?
I was a radioman 3/c working my shift in the radio shack on board Rolette copying what we called "Fox Reports" all coded msgs, that the Officers would take into the code room for deciphering. I was doing my very boring, but important task when I received a series of "BT'S" (breaks) and then the coded message went into "plain language" with the message that Japan had been hit by the First Atom bomb.... the message kept on repeating the equivalency in tons of " tnt " that this bomb produced. I could not imagine such power. When I copied the msg. I immediately yelled for the Communications officer to come and look at what I was taking down from "Fox". The communications officer immediately put another Radioman first class to copy, along with me. This message was awesome. The Lieut. immediately grabbed my copy and sent it into the Captain. I remember the Lieut. saying: "Leahy, are you sure of this". I told him it has to be right. "The message is in plain language and this is the third time I have copied the message, and they are still sending it".. You do not open up the ship's transmitter to respond to "Fox" messages. They will know that you have copied correctly; because other ships in your group will have copied the same message and then either by "light" or semaphore flags, they will message each other and the 'round robin' will perpetuate itself.
I never thought when I graduated from Somerville High School, Somerville, Mass. in June 1943 that I would end up being the first sailor on our ship to be privy to receiving such a 'momentous' radio message that went out to all ships in the Pacific Fleet. Awesome.