The USS Oneida (APA-221) was a Haskell-class attack transport vessel that served with the United States Navy from 1944 to 1946. Originally constructed as a VC2-S-AP5 Victory ship named SS Oneida Victory, she was built under a Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 569) by Permanente Metals Corporation in Richmond, California. The ship was approved for construction on 26 May 1944, laid down on 30 September 1944, launched on 31 October 1944, and commissioned into the Navy on 4 December 1944. Designed for rapid deployment of troops and equipment, Oneida participated in several key operations in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. After shakedown, she embarked troops and set sail for Pearl Harbor in January 1945. She then transported troops to Eniwetok, Ulithi, and participated in the buildup of forces preparing for the invasion of Japan. Notably, on 27 March 1945, she carried survivors of the USS Franklin (CV-13) to Pearl Harbor and subsequently transported casualties from the Battle of Iwo Jima. Later, she played an essential role in the Okinawa campaign, arriving during the intense kamikaze attacks and discharging troops amidst ongoing air raids. In June 1945, Oneida returned to Okinawa, taking aboard Japanese prisoners of war and transporting them to Pearl Harbor, where they were transferred to a camp. She subsequently supported occupation efforts in the Far East, distributing troops across locations from Hollandia to Korea and China from September 1945 through November 1945. Following the war, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet, repatriating U.S. veterans, and continued service off the West Coast until December 1946. Decommissioned on 27 December 1946, Oneida was placed in reserve at Long Beach, California. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1958 and transferred to the Maritime Administration, laid up at Suisun Bay. The vessel was sold for scrap in 1975 and scrapped that year. Throughout her service, USS Oneida earned one battle star for her contributions during World War II, marking her as a notable part of the Pacific naval operations.

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