Chilton (APA 38) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 64 text:

mm The war over, the Libra proceeded to San Francisco for overhaul, and on 3(t July 19 ' i7 she was underway for the East Coast where, on 26 November 1947, she reported to the Commander Boston Group, U.S. Atlantic Fleet for inactiva- tion. After approximately two and one half years, commencing 26 July 1950, the Libra was reactivated by the Bos- ton Reserve Group and assigned to the Amphibious Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, (in 7 November I ' j.oO she was assigned to Transport Squadron Two, as a unit of Transport Division Twenty-one, and was launched upon a series of amphi- biou. ' j training exercises and, during the following eighteen months was engaged in various fleet, type and squadron exercises in the western Atlantic and Caribean areas. The Mediterranean cruise of 195- ' i marked the Libra ' s maid- en voyage to European waters. THE LIBRA (AKA 12) The U.S.S. Libra, formerly the S..S. Jean Lykes, was commission- ed in New York on 13 .May I9i2. . fter a period of East (;oast Shakedown the Libra departed Norfolk, Virginia for the Pacific on 10 June 1942 and did not return to the United States again until 20 August 1944. The Libra served throughout the Guadalcanal and Solomons camp- ,iign and participated in landings at Rendova, Empress Augusta Bay, F.mirau, Ellice Island, Guam, Lingayeii Gulf, and Iwo Jima. During these operations she was under attack on eleven occasions, strafed once by enemy planes and damaged by a near bomb miss. After a short period in a West Coast shipyard in autunm of 1944, the Libra was engaged in operations at New Guinea, tlie Philippine Islands, Iwo Jima, the Mar- ianas, New Caledonia and Japan. During the remainder of the hostilities she added Kwajelein and Marcus Island to her collection of Pacific islands.