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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

"Magic Carpet" Press Release

UNITED STATES
PACIFIC FLEET and
PACIFIC OCEAN AREAS
(For Immediate Release to
Press and Radio, Tuesday,
30 October 1945.)

Press Release No. 849

A total of 138 ships were loading in the Pacific or en route to the West Coast with a passenger capacity of 197,000 returnees as of October 31.

The following vessels are expected to arrive at San Diego on October 31 with 3,000 returnees aboard: The escort carrier Rudyerd (CQ) Bay from Maui, T.H. and the Wharton, an attack transport from Guam.

In addition, three attack transports with a capacity of 1,500 each, are expected to arrive at the following West Coast ports on October 31: At Seattle, the Rutland, from Okinawa; at San Francisco, the Drew, from Eniwetok, and at San Pedro, the Fred Funston, from Manila.

A total of 89 vessels, including those named above, were en route to the West Coast on October 31. Of this number, 23 sailed from Okinawa and Japan with approximately 30, 900 passengers; 19 from the Marianas with approximately 28,500 passengers; 24 from the Philippines with approximately 34,300 passengers; 12 from Hawaii with approximately 17,300 passengers, and 11 from all other Pacific areas with 15,700 passengers.

A total of 49 vessels with a capacity of about 69,000 returnees were loading at the following Pacific embarkation points on October 31: In Okinawa and Japan were 25 ships with a capacity of approximately 35,000 passengers; in the Philippines were 5 ships which could carry about 7,000 passengers; in the Marianas were 15 ships with a capacity of about 20,000 passengers, and in Hawaii were 4 ships able to carry about 6,000 passengers.

En route from the West Coast to embarkation points were 33 ships with a total passenger capacity of about 45,000. Of this number, 9 with a capacity of 12,000 were headed for Okinawa and Japan; 6 with a capacity of 8,000 were destined for the Philippines; 8 with a capacity of 11,000 were bound for the Marianas; 8 with a capacity of 11,000 were scheduled for Hawaii, and 2 with a capacity of about 2,500 for other Pacific areas.

As of October 30, a total of 316 ships had been assigned to the "magic carpet" shuttle service, and of that number, 255 had reported for duty under the command of Rear Admiral Henry S. Kendall, USN, Commander of Carrier Division TWENTY-FOUR. The vessels already incorporated into the shuttle service require about 125,000 crewmembers to man them, and have a total passenger capacity in excess of 300,000.


28 Nov 2006