T-AP 196 Barrett
The Barrett, Geiger and Upshur were identical ships (P2-S1-DN1) built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, New Jersey. Originally laid down for the American President Lines [APL], they were taken over by the Navy's Military Sea Transportation Service [MSTS], renamed for Marine Corps generals - USNS Barrett, Geiger, and Upshur - and completed as troop transports due to the Korean Conflict.
The ships had two large holds forward and aft, and staterooms for 400 officers and bunks for 1,500 troops amidships. The most revolutionary feature on the ships was the installation of air-conditioning. Included in its original civilian specifications, this feature made the ships a favorite of troops and crews alike. The design is single screw with geared turbine propelling machinery located in the machinery space amidships. The steam cycle employed uses a high-efficiency, cross-compound turbine, four stages of regenerative feed heating, and high-efficiency boilers fitted with rotary regenerative air heaters. This basic cycle arrangement is one which has demonstrated satisfactory performance and reliability.
The best-known ships of the MSTS were the AP type troopships, which operated for three deacdes - from 1943, when the General and Admiral P-2 and General C-4 class transports began service to the end in 1973 when the Barrett class (USNS Barrett and USNS Upshur) returned from the far east to the United States for good. The last actual transportation of "troops" took place about 1968 during the Vietnam War. The retirement of the USNS Upshur and USNS Barrett in 1973 it also marked the end of the "troopship" era for the Navy.
These ships were withdrawn from service with all three of the class becoming training vessels [MARAD type P2-S1-DN3] for the State Maritime Academies in Massachusetts, Maine, and New York.
The first ship was laid down as President Jackson (II); renamed Barrett [T-AP 196]; and renamed Empire State V as a training ship for New York State Maritime College. The second ship was laid down as President Adams (II), renamed Geiger [T-AP 197]; and Bay State IV as a training ship for the Massachusetts Martime Academy. The third ship was laid down as President Hayes (II); renamed Upshur [T-AP 198]; and renamed State of Maine as the training ship for Maine Maritime Academy.
In 1980 the Bay State IV experienced stability problems during the Summer cruise. There was no cruise in 1981 after a fire aboard resulted killed a cadet and gutted the engine room while the ship was at the State Pier, preparing for winter.
