View source for USS Kline

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2013}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=USS Kline (APD-120).jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Kline'' at anchor off [[Manila]] in the [[Philippine Islands]] in July 1945
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag= {{USN flag|1945}}
|Ship name=USS ''Kline'' (DE-687)
|Ship namesake=[[Stanley F. Kline]] (1901-1942), a [[U.S. Navy]] [[sailor]] and [[Silver Star]] recipient
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Bethlehem Steel Company]], [[Quincy, Massachusetts|Quincy]], [[Massachusetts]]
|Ship laid down=27 May 1944 as {{sclass-|Rudderow|destroyer escort|1}}
|Ship launched=27 June 1944
|Ship sponsor=Mrs. Hazel Kline
|Ship reclassified=APD-120, 17 July 1944
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship commissioned=18 October 1944
|Ship decommissioned=10 March 1947
|Ship struck=15 January 1966
|Ship honors=Two [[battle star]]s for [[World War II]] service
|Ship fate=Transferred to the [[Republic of China]], 22 January 1966<ref>Per NavSource Online (at http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/04/04120.htm)</ref> or 22 February 1966;<ref>Per the ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships'' (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k4/kline.htm)</ref>
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country=Taiwan
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Republic of China|naval}}
|Ship name=ROCS ''Shou Shan'' (DE-37)
|Ship namesake=
|Ship acquired=early 1966
|Ship commissioned=
|Ship reclassified=PF-37
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship reclassified=PF-893
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship reclassified=PF-837
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=yes
|Ship decommissioned=
|Ship struck=
|Ship status=
|Ship fate=sunk as target, 18 October 2000
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Ship class={{sclass-|Crosley|high speed transport}}
|Ship displacement= {{convert|2130|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} full
|Ship length= {{convert|306|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam= {{convert|37|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draft= {{convert|12|ft|7|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship hold depth=
|Ship propulsion=
|Ship speed= {{convert|23|kn|lk=in}}  
|Ship range= 
|Ship capacity=
|Ship troops=162
|Ship complement=204
|Ship armament=*1 × [[5"/38 caliber gun|{{convert|5|in|mm|abbr=on}}]] gun
*6 × [[Bofors 40 mm|40 mm guns]]
*6 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm guns]]
*2 × [[depth charge]] tracks
|Ship armor=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''USS ''Kline'' (APD-120)''', ex-'''DE-687''', was a [[United States Navy]] [[high speed transport|high-speed transport]] in commission from 1944 to 1947.

==Construction and commissioning==
''Kline'' was laid down as the [[Rudderow class destroyer escort|''Rudderow''-class]] [[destroyer escort]] USS ''Kline'' (DE-687) on 27 May 1944 by the [[Bethlehem Steel Company]] at [[Quincy, Massachusetts|Quincy]], [[Massachusetts]], and was [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] on 27 June 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Hazel Kline, the [[widow]] of the ship{{'}}s namesake, [[Stanley F. Kline]]. ''Kline'' was reclassified as a [[Crosley class high speed transport|''Crosley''-class]] [[high-speed transport]] and redesignated APD-119 on 17 July 1944. After conversion for her new role, she was [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 18 October 1944 with [[Lieutenant]] B. F. Urban, [[USNR]], in command.

== Service history ==

=== World War II ===
While en route to [[Shakedown (testing)|shakedown]] at [[Bermuda]] on 6 November 1944, ''Kline'' rescued nine survivors from the U.S. Navy [[K class blimp|K-class]] [[blimp]] ''K-34'', which had been forced down in a storm. Completing her shakedown, ''Kline'' cleared [[Norfolk, Virginia|Norfolk]], [[Virginia]], on 24 December 1944 for [[World War II]] service in the [[Pacific]].

Upon arriving at [[Pearl Harbor]], [[Territory of Hawaii]], on 20 January 1945, ''Kline'' trained [[underwater demolition team]]s until departing on 14 February 1945 for [[Leyte]] in the [[Philippine Islands]]. Intensive pre-[[invasion]] exercises were completed in the Philippines before ''Kline'' arrived off [[Okinawa]] on 26 March 1945. ''Kline''{{'}}s underwater demolition team cleared the approaches to the [[island]]. After the main invasion force landed on Okinawa on 1 April 1945, ''Kline'' remained in the area in support of the [[Okinawa campaign]] as [[radar]] and [[antisubmarine warfare]] [[Picket (military)|picket]]. Her guns also assisted in shooting down a Japanese [[aircraft]] on 1 April 1945 and helped down another on 6 April 1945.

''Kline'' departed the Okinawa area on 16 April 1945 and for the next six weeks underwent training and repairs. Departing for [[Borneo]] on 2 June 1945, ''Kline'' provided close fire support during the invasion of [[Brunei Bay]] on Borneo on 10 June 1945, and on 24 June 1945 her underwater demolition team gave valuable service during the invasion of [[Balikpapan]].

''Kline'' departed [[Netherlands East Indies]] waters on 7 July 1945 and, sailing via the [[Caroline Islands]] and [[Marshall Islands]], arrived at [[Oceanside, California|Oceanside]], [[California]], on 5 August 1945.

===Postwar===
Following the [[surrender of Japan]] and end of World War II on 15 August 1945, ''Kline'' departed California for Japan, arriving at [[Sasebo, Nagasaki|Sasebo]], Japan, on 20 September 1945 to commence underwater [[reconnaissance]] missions. After similar operations at [[Nagasaki]], Japan, she returned to the United States at [[San Diego, California|San Diego]], California, on 19 October 1945 to prepare for [[Operation Magic Carpet]]—the seaborne postwar repatriation of American serviceman from overseas—service. ''Kline'' made one Magic Carpet cruise to Pearl Harbor and returned 110 Pacific veterans to San Diego on 19 November 1945.

On 21 November 1945 ''Kline'' departed San Diego for the [[United States East Coast]], arriving at Norfolk on 5 December 1945. On 28 January 1946, ''Kline'' arrived at [[Green Cove Springs, Florida|Green Cove Springs]], [[Florida]], for inactivation.

==Decommissioning and disposal==
''Kline'' was [[Ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] on 10 March 1947 at Green Cove Springs and joined the [[Atlantic Reserve Fleet]] there. After nearly 19 years of inactivity, she was stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] on 15 January 1966.

==Honors and awards==

''Kline'' received two [[battle star]]s for World War II service.

==Republic of China Navy service==
On either 22 January 1966<ref>Per NavSource Online (at http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/04/04120.htm)</ref> or 22 February 1966,<ref>Per the ''Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships'' (at http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k4/kline.htm)</ref> ''Kline'' was sold to the [[Republic of China]] under the [[Military Assistance Program]].  In the [[Republic of China Navy]] she served as [[ROCS Shou Shan (PF-37)|ROCS ''Shou Shan'' (PF-37)]], later redesiganted PF-893 and later again redesignated PF-837.

''Shou Shan'' was sunk as a target in an air-strike exercise on 18 October 2000.

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k4/kline.htm}}
*[http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/04/04120.htm NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive DE-687 / APD-120 Kline]

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{{Rudderow class destroyer escort}}
{{Crosley class transport}}
{{2000 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kline (APD-120)}}
[[Category:Crosley-class high speed transports]]
[[Category:Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:1944 ships]]
[[Category:World War II frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States]]
[[Category:World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States]]
[[Category:Crosley-class high speed transports of the Republic of China Navy]]
[[Category:Ships sunk as targets]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 2000]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks of Taiwan]]
[[Category:United States Navy Pennsylvania-related ships]]