USS General W. G. Haan (AP-158)

General W. G. Haan was launched 20 March 1945, under Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MC hull 715, by Permanente Metals Corporation, Yard No. 3, Richmond, California; sponsored by Miss Helen Coxhead; acquired by the Navy and simultaneously commissioned 2 August 1945, Commander J. V. Rylander in command.[3]

General W. G. Haan conducted shakedown training out of San Diego, California, until after the surrender of Japan. Departing 4 September 1945, for the southwest Pacific, the transport touched at Eniwetok, Leyte, and Manila, before returning to Seattle, Washington, with homecoming veterans 22 October. Subsequently, the ship made two voyages to Japan and the Philippines, bringing occupation troops and embarking returning servicemen. She returned to San Francisco, California, after her last passage, and departed 30 April 1946, for the East Coast via the Panama Canal. Arriving Baltimore , Maryland, 25 May, General W. G. Haan decommissioned there 7 June 1946, and was returned to the War Shipping Administration (WSA) for further transfer to the Army Transport Service.[3]

The General Haan departed from Bremerhaven on March 5, 1949 for New York, "with 884 passengers of whom 372 are Jewish", according to a cable (March 7, 1949) from Jointfund Emigration Bremen. [4]

The General Haan was scheduled to depart on April 9, 1949 for Boston, according to a cable (April 11, 1949) from Jointfund Emigration Bremen. [5]

The General Haan departed from Bremerhaven on May 3, 1949 for New York, "with 884 passengers of whom 279 are Jewish", according to a cable (May 4, 1949) from Jointfund Emigration Bremen. [6]

The General Haan was scheduled to depart on May 31, 1949 for New York, according to a cable of the same date from Jointfund Emigration Bremen. [7]

The General Haan was scheduled to depart on July 5, 1949 for New York, according to a cable (June 30, 1949) from Jointfund Emigration Bremen. [8]

The General Haan was scheduled to depart on July 31, 1949 for Boston, according to a cable (August 1, 1949) from Jointfund Emigration Bremen. [9]

The General Haan was scheduled to depart on August 22, 1949 for New York, according to a cable of the same date from Jointfund Emigration Bremen. [10]

The General Haan was scheduled to depart on September 17, 1949 for New York, according to a cable (September 15, 1949) from Jointfund Emigration Bremen. [11]

On 2 October 1949, General W. G. Haan departed Naples with 1303 displaced persons from Eastern Europe for resettlement in Australia,[12] arriving 15 November 1949, at Melbourne.[13] On 18 December 1949, she left Bremerhaven arriving 28 December, in New York City with mostly Polish passengers. She completed another voyage to Melbourne on 20 February 1950, with 1301 more refugees.[13]

Reacquired by the Navy 1 March 1950, General W. G. Haan was assigned to Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) under a civilian crew. Until 1953, she operated under the International Refugee Organization and carried displaced East Europeans from northern European ports to the United States. In 1952, General W. G. Haan also made two support voyages to the American bases at Thule, Greenland, and Goose Bay, Labrador. Following this demanding duty, the ship made several voyages to Europe in support of American units. She continued this steaming schedule until March 1955, when she was placed in Reduced Operational Status at New York.[3]

In December 1956, General W. G. Haan resumed duty as a refugee transport, steaming from Bremerhaven to New York, and arriving on 7 January 1957. She embarked refugees from the Hungarian Revolution, among them, András István Gróf, who would eventually take the helm of Intel Corporation.[14] General W. G. Haan was again placed in Reduced Operational Status in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Orange, Texas, and was returned to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) 22 October 1958. She entered the National Defense Reserve Fleet for layup at nearby Beaumont.[3]

She was sold for commercial use in 1968, to Hudson Waterways Corporation, of New York. In 1969, the ship was rebuilt as a 13,489 gross ton container ship by Maryland Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. in Baltimore, Maryland, and renamed Transoregon, hauling containerized cargo for Seatrain Lines.[2] In 1975 she was sold to the Puerto Rico Maritime Shipping Authority and renamed Mayaguez (not to be confused with the Sea-Land ship of the same name involved in the Mayaguez incident). She was sold in 1982, the Merchant Terminal Corporation of New York and renamed Amco Trader. She was laid up in New York[15] when sold to Steamco Co. on June 1985. She was resold to Crestwood Corp., 19 November 1985, and renamed Trader. She was scrapped at Taiwan in 1987.[2][16]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS General W. G. Haan (AP-158).

• Photo gallery of USS General W. G. Haan (AP-158) at NavSource Naval History
• Picture of General W. G. Haan at the State Library of Victoria