USS Lyon (AP-71)

• Origins: USS Lyon (AP-71) was originally built as the passenger liner Mormactide for Moore-McCormack Lines, launched in 1939 before being acquired by the US Navy in August 1942 and converted into a troop transport. • Class: She was one of the Harris-class attack transports, designed to carry troops and their equipment for amphibious assaults. • Namesake: The ship was named after Lyon County, Kansas, and Lyon County, Iowa, reflecting the Navy's tradition of naming transports after counties. • Operation Torch: USS Lyon participated in the Allied invasion of North Africa (Operation Torch) in November 1942, landing troops near Fedhala, Morocco. • Operation Husky: She was involved in the Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) in July 1943, transporting and landing US Army units. • Salerno Landings: In September 1943, USS Lyon took part in the Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche), facing enemy air attacks while offloading troops and equipment. • Normandy Landings: On D-Day, June 6, 1944, she transported elements of the US 1st Infantry Division for the Omaha Beach assault in Normandy, France. • Multiple Theaters: After her service in Europe, USS Lyon was reassigned to the Pacific, where she supported operations in Luzon and Okinawa. • Post-war Duties: Following Japan’s surrender, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet, repatriating American troops from the Pacific back to the United States. • Decommissioning: USS Lyon was decommissioned on June 3, 1946, and returned to her original owner, resuming commercial service before eventually being scrapped in 1966.