| Original caption: “Members of the Fourth Infantry Division that spearheaded the Normandy invasion, threw back the Germans at Saint Lo and went on to liberate Paris, pose for a photo as their transport Hermitage docked in New York, July 10, 1945, at the end of its voyage from the European Theater.” United States Army soldiers celebrate aboard USS Hermitage (AP-54) as they approach docking in New York Harbor. USS Hermitage (AP-54) was the Italian luxury ocean liner steamship Conte Biancamano, launched in 1925. She carried mountaineers to K2 in 1939 and German Jewish refugees to Shanghai in 1940. She was seized by the United States upon her entry into the war in December 1941, when the ship was moored in the Panamanian port of Cristóbal. Conte Biancamano was converted into a troopship by William Cramp and Sons Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia and commissioned into the United States Navy on August 14, 1942. She could accommodate 7,000 soldiers. She served in Operation Torch in November 1942, the Pacific, Operation Overlord in June 1944, and Operation Magic Carpet until January 1946. On July 1, 1945, USS Hermitage was moored at Le Havre, France. She embarked 34 officers and 821 servicemen. The next day she embarked 342 officers, 4,642 servicemen, and 2 Red Cross workers. This took 7 hours and finished at 1600 Hours. She got underway at 1632 Hours; cleared Le Havre Harbor at 1654 Hours; and set a course through the English Channel at 2146 Hours. After 9 days of steaming, USS Hermitage arrived in New York City on July 10, 1945. The Statue of Liberty was sighted at 0621 Hours. The ship moored at Pier 88 at 0740 Hours and over the next 6 hours disembarked 376 Army officers, 5,462 Army servicemen, and 5 Naval officers. After the passengers had departed, Captain George H. Mills (August 5, 1895 – October 24, 1975) reported aboard to replace Captain Joseph T. Talbert (July 31, 1897 – March 14, 1969) as commanding officer. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0791.jpg |
| Image Size | 219.79 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1011 x 1297 |
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| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | July 10, 1945 |
| Location | |
| City | New York |
| State or Province | New York |
| Country | United States |
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| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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