The USS Woodford (AKA-86) was a Tolland-class attack cargo ship built during World War II, serving with the United States Navy from 1945 to 1946. Constructed under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1399), she was laid down on 17 July 1944 by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company in Wilmington, North Carolina. Launched on 5 October 1944 and sponsored by Mrs. Ruth E. McInnis, she was initially a Type C2-S-AJ3 merchant ship. After her launch, the vessel was towed to Hoboken, New Jersey, for conversion to Navy standards at Todd Shipyard, and she was commissioned on 3 March 1945. Her dimensions and specifications are not detailed on the page, but as a Tolland-class attack cargo ship, she was designed to carry troops, equipment, and supplies, including ammunition, for amphibious operations. Her service began with trials and shakedown in early 1945, followed by her first cargo mission from Norfolk to the Pacific via Panama Canal. She participated in joint exercises en route to Pearl Harbor and was present during the victory celebrations marking V-E Day in May 1945. Throughout her brief service, USS Woodford transported high-priority cargo, notably ammunition destined for Okinawa, and was involved in operations around the Mariana Islands and Okinawa. She endured multiple alerts and enemy attack drills while anchored at Kerama Retto, reflecting the ongoing danger in the Pacific theater. After unloading her dangerous cargo in Guam, she was present at the Japanese surrender in August 1945 and subsequently participated in occupation and troop transport operations in the Philippines, Tokyo Bay, and northern Japan. Post-war, Woodford continued to support occupation and logistical missions, including transporting elements of the 3rd Amphibious Corps and Marine divisions. In December 1945, she returned to the United States, arriving in San Diego and later Norfolk, where she was decommissioned on 1 May 1946. Her name was struck from the Navy List shortly thereafter, and she was laid up in reserve. Transferring to commercial service, she was renamed SS Suzanne and later SS Rappahannock, serving as a cargo ship until she was sold for scrap in 1973. Her brief but active naval career highlighted her role in the final stages of World War II and the immediate post-war period, exemplifying the versatility and importance of attack cargo ships in amphibious logistics.

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