USS McCawley (APA-4) was a that served with the United States Navy during World War II. Named after Charles G. McCawley, eighth Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, she was the lead ship in her class. The second McCawley, formerly SS Santa Barbara, was completed in 1928 by the Furness Shipbuilding Company of Haverton Hill-on-Tees, England; she was acquired by the Navy from Grace Lines 26 July 1940, and renamed McCawley (AP-10) 29 July 1940. The ship was commissioned on 11 September 1940. She was reclassified as an attack transport, APA-4, on 1 February 1943. Service history On 19 February 1942, McCawley got underway for Iceland with troops embarked. She returned to New York City on 25 March and then steamed to Norfolk, Virginia, en route a new assignment with the Pacific Fleet. Transiting the Panama Canal on 18 April, she discharged Marine aviators at Pago Pago on 8 May and continued on to Wellington, New Zealand. Joining Amphibious Force, South Pacific, she became the flagship for Rear Admiral R. K. Turner shortly before the first Allied counterinvasion of the war, Guadalcanal. Invasion of Guadalcanal On 7 August, the campaign started; at 0800, landings were made at Tulagi, at 0919 on Lunga Point, Guadalcanal. Air raids commenced on 8 August; McCawley'''s guns scored their first kills, destroying three or possibly four planes. Supply missions amid naval battles On 9 August, she witnessed the flares of the Battle of Savo Island, in which American heavy cruisers , , , and Australian heavy cruiser were lost and American heavy cruiser was severely damaged. The transports continued to unload cargo until sailing for Nouméa that afternoon.McCawley returned to Guadalcanal on 18 September with supplies and reinforcements, departing again the same day with wounded and POWs. The aircraft carrier was lost and battleship and destroyer were damaged by torpedoes while protecting this troopship convoy. On 9 October, the transport again got underway for Guadalcanal in a convoy carrying over 2,800 reinforcements. One of the support groups for the convoy was Rear Adm. Norman Scott's cruiser force, which, on the night of 11 and 12 October, defeated an enemy force off Cape Esperance, insuring successful completion of the troop movement. McCawley landed her troops and cargo, returning once more to Nouméa with wounded and POWs. On 8 November, McCawley departed Nouméa with other units of TF 67 for Guadalcanal. Two cruisers and three destroyers under