36-601: USS Chilton (APA-38) was a Bayfield -class attack transport . Her task was to deliver troops to the battle front, and to recover and care for the wounded. She served in the Pacific Ocean in the war against the Empire of Japan and returned home post-war with one battle star to her credit. Chilton (APA-38) was launched 29 December 1942 by the Western Pipe and Steel Company , San Francisco, California , under
72-761: A Maritime Commission contract, as SS Sea Needle ; sponsored by Mrs.Henry A Reilly, Jr. (Matilda); acquired by the Navy 29 May 1943; converted at New York Navy Yard ; and commissioned 7 December 1943. Chilton served at Newport, Rhode Island , as a training ship for pre-commissioning crews of attack transports from 31 January 1943 to 15 October 1944. She sailed from Boston, Massachusetts , 20 November for San Diego, California , before arriving at Pearl Harbor 23 January 1945. Here she embarked troops, and sailed by way of Eniwetok and Ulithi , to Leyte , arriving 21 February. After rehearsal landings, Chilton put out of Leyte 16 March to land troops at Kerama Retto 26 March in
108-493: A key preliminary to the assault on Okinawa . On 2 April, she was hit by a Kamikaze attack. She remained off Okinawa as flagship for Transport Squadron 17 supporting the establishment and reinforcement of beachheads until 30 April, departing then for San Francisco and overhaul. Chilton returned to Ulithi 17 July 1945 to load troops and cargo for Okinawa , where she lay until 31 August. From then until 8 December, when she arrived at Seattle, Washington , Chilton had duty in
144-523: A number of smaller integral landing craft (such as LCVPs and LCMs ) with which amphibious assaults could be conducted. The first attack transports began to enter service in 1942 and were built ad hoc from a host of different types. The first class to be built in substantial numbers was the Bayfield class, which began to enter service in 1943. The early vessels were converted from existing cargo or transport ships, later ones built as attack transports from
180-599: Is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. VMM-263 has been presented with the following awards: The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States . It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes himself or herself "... conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at
216-651: The 1st Reconnaissance Battalion . The squadron remained in Vietnam until April 1971 and then transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Quantico , Virginia and began flying the CH-46F helicopter. HMM-263 remained home based at Quantico for four years and participated in several cold weather exercises, two Mediterranean cruises, and one Caribbean deployment in addition to numerous smaller training exercises. During August 1975, HMM-263 relocated to Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. While home based at New River,
252-847: The Hawaiian Islands occupied her until 25 November 1949 when she sailed from San Diego for her new home port, Norfolk, Virginia , arriving 10 December. While based at Norfolk in 1951, she appeared at dock in the opening scenes of the film You're in the Navy Now . Local operations, overhaul, and service as a training ship in Cuban waters preceded her first tour of duty in the Mediterranean , 11 June-20 December 1951. On 21 August 1952, she sailed from Norfolk to participate in NATO Operation Mainbrace , proceeding to
288-621: The Mediterranean for duty until 6 February 1953. Chilton continued to alternate local and Caribbean operations with tours of duty in the Mediterranean from 1954 through 1963. From 1 April, thru 9 June 1965, the Chilton participated in the Dominican Republic rebel uprising, with the crew of HMM-263on board. The Chilton continued to do Mediterranean training operations throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s. Chilton
324-553: The atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll , returned to San Francisco 1 August, and sailed for transport duty in China and Japan from 7 September to 22 January 1947. She visited the Bikini area as a floating laboratory that summer, then returned to San Diego for local operations. Chilton cleared San Diego, California , 15 November 1948 to withdraw U.S. Marines from China, returning to San Diego 31 May. Local operations and exercises in
360-421: The "Thunder Chickens", is based at Marine Corps Air Station New River , North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 26 (MAG-26) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW). Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 was activated initially as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron ( HMR-263 ) on 16 June 1952 and was outfitted with Sikorsky HRS helicopters. For its first two years of operations
396-950: The Persian Gulf. During the nine-month deployment as part of the 24th MEU in 2002-2003, the Thunder Chickens, as they were then known, flew an unprecedented 9568 hours and participated in Operation Enduring Freedom in the Horn of Africa , and Operation Iraqi Freedom in and around Baghdad , Tikrit , and Al Kut , Iraq. In June and July, 2004 HMM-263 (Rein) was deployed to Al Taqqadum , Iraq. They once again engaged in support of combat operations. While participating in operations such as Second Battle of Fallujah , Citadel II, Riverwalk, and Plymouth Rock , HMM-263 (Rein) totaled 7,472.5 combat flight hours, of which an amazing 4,664.9 were on NVG’s . During this tour,
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#1732780049970432-737: The amphibious task force, participated in numerous amphibious assault exercises, and conducted a non-combatant evacuation operation of the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu , Somalia ( Operation Eastern Exit ). The squadron also assisted in the interdiction of two Iraqi vessels in support of the United Nations mandated embargo of Iraq. In March 1993 the squadron was called upon to support United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) deployment to Somalia participating in Operation Restore Hope and Operation Continue Hope . In 1995,
468-475: The attack transport specification. In order to accommodate the troops, two cargo holds amidships had to be converted into accommodation facilities. This was achieved by dividing each hold into three decks, and then building a number of passageways along each deck. Along both walls of each passageway, bunk-beds tiered five high were installed, and each bunk was only thirty inches wide. The troops were provided with their own galley and mess hall separate from that of
504-440: The first operational MV-22 squadron. On 17 September 2007, VMM-263 left with 10 Ospreys from MCAS New River for Iraq aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) . The squadron is currently training to become the first MV-22 squadron to support a Marine Expeditionary Unit . They will be part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and are due to float in the spring of 2009. A unit citation or commendation
540-543: The keel up. Bayfield -class vessels were based on the large Type C3 passenger and cargo ship standard set by the US Maritime Commission . Originating in 1938, the C3 standard was designed to produce modern, good quality cargo and passenger ships to replace the ageing US merchant fleet , and which could also be readily converted into naval auxiliary vessels in the event of war. After the war broke out however,
576-467: The later Gilliam and Haskell classes dispensed with some of these mounts. The later classes also had only one 5-inch (127 mm) gun instead of two. A total of 34 Bayfield -class vessels were produced between 1942 and 1944 – 20 by Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Mississippi and the remaining 14 at the San Francisco shipyard of Western Pipe & Steel – making the Bayfield class
612-653: The need for shipping became so great that the US was forced to come up with designs that could be more quickly manufactured. Thus the C3-based Bayfield class and its predecessors were eventually outnumbered by the Haskell class which was based on the simpler Victory ship design. Bayfield -class vessels were based upon the C3-S-A2 design standard. The basic design had to undergo a number of changes in order to meet
648-571: The next eleven years. During this time the squadron participated in over fifteen major exercises and deployments including disaster relief in Tampico , Mexico in October 1955 and operations from the submarine USS Sealion in March 1956. During December 1956 the squadron was redesignated HMR(L)-263 . Six Caribbean deployments and numerous local training exercises ensued. During February 1962,
684-466: The redeployment of United States and Chinese troops, calling at Jinsen , Tianjin , Hong Kong , Qinhuangdao , Qingdao , and Nagoya . She cleared Seattle 21 December for the first of two " Operation Magic Carpet " voyages to the Philippines and Okinawa to carry home servicemen, returning from the second of these to San Francisco 10 May 1946. She cleared San Francisco 2 June to participate in
720-642: The second most numerous attack transport class behind the Haskell class. Bayfield -class vessels served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres of war. Some went on to see service in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Of the 388 attack transports (APA and AKA) of all types built, the last to see service with the US Navy was USS Chilton , a Bayfield -class vessel built by Western Pipe & Steel which
756-421: The ship's crew, but they had no dining hall and used their own mess gear to eat. A sick bay and dental clinic were also provided. The troop commander had his own private cabin and office, which was fitted with a loudspeaker system from which he could directly address the men under his command. In order to keep the soldiers entertained during their long, crowded voyages, music and other entertainment could be piped to
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#1732780049970792-892: The squadron completed the transition to the CH-46E helicopter over the summer of 1980. For the next seventeen years the squadron deployed in four major NATO exercises, made six Mediterranean cruises, and deployed on goodwill cruises to Africa , South America and the Caribbean. During the squadron's 1984 deployment, it served with the Commander Joint Task Force Lebanon in support of Marine Security Forces ashore in Beirut. The squadron first served in Lebanon from October 1982 until March 1983, then again from April 1984 until August 1984. During their 1986 deployment
828-546: The squadron deployed aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) as the Aviation Combat Element (ACE) for the 24th MEU(SOC) . During this deployment the squadron participated in six large scale, multinational exercises while providing Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel (TRAP) support for NATO Operation Deny Flight and Operation Provide Promise in the Adriatic Sea . The squadron also conducted
864-656: The squadron executed the first all-Iraqi heliborne assault in support of the newly created Iraqi Security Forces . The squadron re-deployed in February 2005 with only seven CH-46E’s in anticipation of the transition to the MV-22. The squadron was officially stood down June 3, 2005, for transitioning from the CH-46 Sea Knight to the MV-22 Osprey . HMM-263 was re-designated VMM-263 and reactivated March 3, 2006 as
900-549: The squadron into three sections, operating from the United States, the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf. While deployed, squadron aircraft participated in the seizure of the Iranian mine laying ship "Iran Ajar". In August 1990 the squadron again found itself headed for the Persian Gulf region. As a part of the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (4th MEB), the squadron’s aircraft flew countless hours in support of
936-624: The squadron served as the Aviation Combat Element (ACE) of the 26th Marine Amphibious Unit (26th MAU), which operated in support of Combined Task Force 60 (CTF-60) during operations in Libya . HMM-263 deployed in May 1987, under command of Lt. Colonel J.R. Pruden, as the ACE for the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit (24th MAU). During this time contingency operations in the Persian Gulf necessitated splitting
972-562: The squadron was based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , North Carolina . During these early months the squadron was occupied in proficiency training, which contributed to the growing body of knowledge of rotary wing aircraft and their employment and ultimately became the basis for the doctrine of vertical envelopment then being developed by the Marine Corps. On 7 July 1954, HMR-263 relocated to Marine Corps Air Facility New River , North Carolina, where it remained home based for
1008-636: The squadron was reequipped with the HUS-1 (UH-34) helicopter. In October 1962, HMM-263 was deployed to the Caribbean when the United States initiated a large-scale response to the Soviet Union ’s deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles to Cuba . In June 1964, the squadron was a participant in Exercise Steel Pike off the coast of Spain , then the largest amphibious exercise since World War II . During April and May 1965, HMM-263
1044-760: The successful TRAP rescue mission of Air Force pilot Captain Scott O'Grady on 8 June 1995. In July 1996 the squadron was selected as the Marine Corps Aviation Association’s "Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron of the Year." In 1997, HMM-263 went on another deployment providing a U.S. presence in the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea , as well as participating in Operation Joint Guard in the Adriatic Sea, and Operation Southern Watch in
1080-573: The troop compartments. Because a troop transport carries less weight than a cargo ship, it was also found to be useful to use concrete as ballast in the bottom of the cargo holds in order to improve the comfort level for the ship's passengers, as well as increase safety and seagoing performance. Since attack transports would be conducting operations off hostile shores, they had a greater requirement for armament than ordinary transports, particularly in regards to antiaircraft defence. The Bayfield -class vessels were well outfitted in this regard. Each vessel
1116-525: Was a class of US Navy attack transports that were built during World War II. With the entry of the United States into the war, it was quickly realized that amphibious combat operations on hostile shores would be required, and that specialized ships would be needed for the purpose. The so-called "attack transport" ship type ( hull classification symbol APA ) was developed to meet this need. Attack transports were converted from standard transport vessels by being upgraded with extra firepower, and outfitted with
USS Chilton - Misplaced Pages Continue
1152-607: Was deployed to the Dominican Republic in support of Operation Power Pack . On 23 August 1965, HMM-263 was transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and placed under control of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW). On 11 October 1965, the squadron moved from MCAS Futenma to Marble Mountain Air Facility , South Vietnam . For the next two years HMM-263 served in Vietnam participating in over twenty-four named combat operations. During November 1967, HMM-263
1188-408: Was fitted with a pair of 5"/38 caliber dual purpose guns, one fore and one aft. The ships were also fitted with between two and four twin 40 mm antiaircraft mounts (early examples came with two quad 1.1" gun mounts instead), plus two single 40 mm mounts and eighteen 20 mm mounts as standard. As the war progressed, the 20 mm cannon were found to be less effective than the 40 mm, and
1224-465: Was launched on 29 December 1942, first commissioned on 7 December 1943 and decommissioned in August 1970. She was finally struck from the Navy register on 1 July 1972. HMM-263 Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (VMM-263) is a United States Marine Corps tiltrotor squadron consisting of MV-22B Osprey transport aircraft. The squadron, known as
1260-746: Was reclassified as an Amphibious transport (LPA-38), 1 January 1969 before being decommissioned on 1 July 1972. On 1 July 1972 she was struck from the Naval Register , and transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet . On 15 July 1974 she was sold by MARAD to Ships Incorporated of Camden, New Jersey , for scrapping Chilton received one battle star for World War II service. Bayfield class attack transport The Bayfield -class attack transport
1296-512: Was transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Santa Ana , California where it was re-equipped with CH-46D helicopters before redeploying to South Vietnam in January 1969. On 18 November 1970 a squadron CH-46D crashed into terrain in the Quế Sơn District after extracting a Marine patrol killing all 15 onboard. Among those killed was Lieutenant Colonel William G. Leftwich Jr. commander of
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