After trials and fitting
out in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound steamed south on
6 July 1945 for shakedown out of San Diego, Calif., where she
embarked Marine Air Group 6. She departed San Diego on 8 September
for brief training in the Hawaiian Islands before proceeding to
support the occupation of Japan.
Puget Sound entered Tokyo Bay on 14 October 1945. Her aircraft
joined in the show of strength and conducted antimine patrols in
support of the landings of the 10th Army at Matsuyama and Nagoya.
Thence tactical training took her to the Philippines, Hong Kong, and
the Marianas. Loading surplus aircraft in Apra Harbor, Guam, she put
to sea on 6 January 1946 en route to Pearl Harbor, where she
offloaded the surplus aircraft. At San Diego on 23 January, Marine
Air Group 6 was detached and Puget Sound prepared to serve as a "Magic
Carpet" home for Pacific war veterans.
From February-May 1946, Puget Sound made two "Magic Carpet" runs
between San Diego and Pearl Harbor and one between Alameda,
California and Okinawa, transporting 1,200 troops and surplus
aircraft.
She steamed north on 24 May 1946 to prepare for inactivation,
entering Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on 1 June. Decommissioning there
on 18 October, she entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet at Tacoma. Her
hull classification and number were changed to CVHE–113, effective
12 June 1955, and then to AKV–13, cargo ship and aircraft ferry.
Struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 June 1960, she was sold
for scrap on 10 January 1962 to Nicholai Joffee Corp. |