 USS John Penn under way, 13 September 1942
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name |
|
| Namesake | John Penn, signatory to the American Declaration of Independence |
| Builder | New York Shipbuilding |
| Laid down | 25 October 1930 |
| Launched | 28 May 1931 |
| Acquired | 8 January 1942 |
| Commissioned | 6 April 1942 |
| Reclassified | AP-51 to APA-23, 1 February 1943 |
| Honours and awards | One battle star for World War II service |
| Fate | Sunk by enemy action, 13 August 1943 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | none |
| Displacement | 9,360 tons (lt) |
| Length | 475 ft 4 in (144.88 m) |
| Beam | 62 ft (19 m) |
| Draft | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
| Propulsion | Steam turbine |
| Armament |
|
USS John Penn (APA-23) was an attack transport that served with the US Navy during World War II. Named after Founding Father John Penn, a signatory to the American Declaration of Independence, she was the only ship in her class.
The ship was initially launched as Excambion in 1931 by the New York Shipbuilding Company of Camden, New Jersey as one of American Export Lines's original "Four Aces", SS Excalibur, SS Exeter, SS Excambion and SS Exochorda. She was acquired by the Navy 8 January 1942; and commissioned 6 April 1942.