Trego AKA-78

Trego

(AKA-78: dp. 13,910; 1. 459'2"; b. 63'0", dr. 26'4"s. 16.5 k. (tb); cPl. 247; a. 1 5", 8 40mm., cl.Tolland; T. C2-S-AJ3)

Trego (AKA-78) was laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1384) on 14 April 1944 at Wilmington, N.C., by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp.; launched on 20 June 1944; sponsored by Mrs. M. W. Nettles; acquired by the Navy on 4 July 1944; and commissioned on 21 December 1944, Lt. Comdr. James F. Hunnewell, USNR, in command.

The attack cargo ship held shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay area in early February 1945 and then loaded cargo at Norfolk. She stood out of Norfolk on 16 February bound for Hawaii, transited the Panama Canal on Washington's Birthday, and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 8 March. The ship unloaded, participated in training exercises for a week, discharged her landing boats; and on 31 March got underway for San Francisco to replace them and to load equipment for the 5th Marine Division which had just returned from Iwo Jima.

Trego discharged her cargo at Pearl Harbor on 19 April; loaded men and equipment of the 7th Air Force and sailed on 2 May with a convoy bound, via Eniwetok and Ulithi, for Okinawa. After unloading her troops and supplies at the Hagushi beaches between 3 and 11 June, the ship returned to Pearl Harbor. On 19 July she headed for Guam laden with maintenance equipment and arrived at Apra Harbor on 30 July. The following week, she got underway for the South Pacific picked up equipment at Guadalcanal and at the Russells and delivered it back at Guam on the 29th. On 8 September, she headed for the Philippines to join Transport Squadron 20 of the 5th Amphibious Force. She and the other ships of the squadron embarked the entire 25th Infantry Division and sortied for Japan on 1 October. However, due to several typhoons, the convoy did not reach Nagoya until the 28th. The ship~ began unloading immediately and finished on 1 November. After disembarking their troops, the squadron disbanded; and Trego got underway on 2 November for the South Pacific. She called at Milne Bay on the 11th- at Manus in early December, at Batavia on 18 December 1945; and at Guam on 11 January 1946.

On 18 January, the cargo ship headed for the United States and reached San Diego on 5 February. She stood out to sea on 29 March, bound for the east coast and inactivation. She arrived at Norfolk on 17 April. Decommissioned there on 21 May, Trego was returned to the War Shipping Administration the next day and was struck from the Navy list on 5 June 1946.

Trego received one battle star for World War II service.