The USS Oconto (APA-187) was a Haskell-class attack transport built during World War II, originally designated as MCV Hull 655. Constructed by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Corporation in Vancouver, Washington, she was laid down on April 5, 1944, and launched on June 20, 1944. The vessel was sponsored by Mrs. J. Wallace Neighbor and was acquired by the U.S. Navy on September 2, 1944, the same day she was commissioned. Designed for amphibious assault operations, USS Oconto was fitted out and underwent shakedown off the U.S. West Coast before embarking on her wartime service. Her early missions involved transporting mail and troops from San Francisco to New Guinea, arriving at Oro Bay on November 14, 1944. She then continued to Nouméa, New Caledonia, for a month, and participated in amphibious exercises off Guadalcanal in preparation for the Lingayen Gulf landings on Luzon. In January 1945, Oconto moved through the Philippines, delivering troops and cargo at various locations, including Mindoro and Biak in the Netherlands East Indies. Her most intense operation was the Okinawa landing in April 1945, where she faced numerous air raids, downing her first kamikaze and assisting in the destruction of a second. After repairs in Seattle, she returned to the Pacific theater, participating in reinforcements at Saipan and unloading troops and cargo at Okinawa amid ongoing Japanese air attacks and a typhoon. Following Japan's surrender, Oconto supported occupation efforts, transporting liberated prisoners of war to Manila and conducting supply runs to Taku, China. She also carried Seabees from Manila to Guam and resumed troop transport duties, including a "magic-carpet" voyage to bring U.S. personnel home in January 1946. Her post-war service concluded with her return to the United States, decommissioning at Norfolk on May 22, 1946. She was transferred to the War Shipping Administration, struck from the Navy List, and placed in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in James River, Virginia. The vessel was eventually sold for scrap in 1974. USS Oconto earned one battle star for her World War II service, reflecting her participation in significant amphibious operations during the war.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.