The ship set out once more for Hawaiian waters on 10 April, arrived in Pearl Harbor on the 16th, and began training exercises off Maui. She sailed for the Marianas on 16 May, and reached Saipan 11 days later. The vessel remained at anchor there until 9 July, when she got underway for the Philippines. She pulled into Manila on 13 July and operated in waters of the archipelago through the end of World War II.Appalachian won four battle stars for her World War II service. Post-war service The ship set out for occupation duty in Japan on 18 September, arrived at Aomori at the northern end of Honshū on the 25th, and landed troops who took possession of the town. Soldiers whom she carried also occupied other cities including Ominato, Hakodate, Otaru, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Matsuyama, and Hiroshima.Appalachian departed Japan on 22 November 1945, bound for the west coast of the United States. After reaching the United States, she remained at San Francisco until 12 April 1946 when she was assigned to Joint Task Force 1 which was being established for Operation Crossroads, the atomic bomb tests to be carried out that summer at Bikini Atoll. During the months of May, June, and July, Appalachian'' served as a headquarters for press representatives before returning to San Francisco on 16 August. She became the flagship of the Fifth Fleet on 13 September and also served the Pacific Fleet in a similar role between 28 October 1946 and 30 January 1947. During this time, the vessel operated out of San Diego. She was decommissioned there on 21 May 1947 and placed in reserve. She was subsequently transferred to the Maritime Administration for disposal, and she was scrapped in 1960. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 1 March 1959. References Jackson, Robert "Fighting Ships of The World." London: Amber Books Ltd, 2004 Pg.31 Appalachian-class command ships Ships built in Kearny, New Jersey 1943 ships World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States