APD High Speed Transports (converted DE's) UDT

[Salvage Sailor]

Aloha Everyone,

 

APDs were intended to deliver small units such as UDT teams and Army Ranger units onto hostile shores. They could carry up to a company size unit. They were also capable of standing off shore and providing gunfire support as needed. The earliest High-speed Transports were World War I vintage flush-deck destroyers. These ships had two boilers and their stacks along with all of their torpedo tubes removed during conversion to APDs. These were replaced by four landing craft (LCP(L)s, their handling machinery and troop stowage and quarters.

 

USS Clemson (Destroyer No. 186) (1918 - 1920) converted to USS Clemson (AVD-4) (1940 - 1943)

 

Because of the kamikaze threat being encountered, the fast transports were relatively well armed; 3"/50s replacing her original 5"/50s, single 40mm guns aft along with five 20mm A.A. guns. To offset these additions four depth charge throwers and a single depth charge stern rack were removed. 

 

USS Clemson (APD-31) off the Charleston Navy Yard, South Carolina on 21 April 1944, following conversion from a destroyer (DD-186, ex-AVD-4). Circles mark recent alterations.  US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 91794, courtesy of Arthur D. Baker III, 1981.

 

USS Clemson (APD-31) underway off Charleston Navy Yard, 21 April 1944. Note the depth charge throwers aft, which gave her a significant ASW capability. Circles indicate changes made during previous refits, which converted her into an APD.  US Navy photo from "US Amphibious Ships and Craft", by Norman Friedman.

 

The later APDs were newly constructed DEs (Destroyer Escorts). These ships were converted to High-speed Transports by increasing troop berthing and equipment storage amidships, adding four LCVPs and a boom crane aft. All APDs in the Navy inventory on 1 January 1969 were redesignated (LPR).

 

Information from navsource.com

[Salvage Sailor]

The later APD's - converted from Destroyer Escorts, some while under construction in the WWII shipyards

 

USS BOWERS (APD-40)
ex USS Bowers (DE-637) (1944 - 1945)

Buckley Class Destroyer Escort / Charles Lawrence Class High-speed Transport in service 1945 to 1958

 

USS BOWERS (DE-637/APD-40) Buckley Class Destroyer Escort / Charles Lawrence Class High-speed Transport in service 1944 to 1958. USS Bowers earned four battle stars for World War II service.

 

STRUCK BY A KAMIKAZE  - Bowers was then assigned to anti-submarine screen duty six miles north of Ie Shima. At dawn on 16 April 1945, the destroyer escort shot down one attacking Japanese plane. Then at 09:30, two more planes came in, flying low and fast. Bowers maneuvered radically to avoid the planes as they split to attack the escort. The first came in dead ahead, but Bowers' guns brought it down. The second passed over the ship as her port guns came to bear. Despite the heavy gunfire, the kamikaze regained altitude, turned, and came in from a 45-degree angle forward. It crashed into the warship's flying bridge, spraying high octane gasoline over the bridge and pilot house. The plane's bomb penetrated the pilot house and continued down through the ship for 20 feet before it exploded and sprayed the deck with fragments. Fire fighting parties brought the flames under control in about 45 minutes; but 37 men from the ship were killed, 11 were reported missing, and many of her 56 wounded died later. 

 

After the War - UDT Training Ship - After her conversion was completed, the new high speed transport got underway on 19 September for training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She returned to Philadelphia on 25 October for the Navy Day celebration and then steamed to Green Cove Springs, Florida, where she languished in limbo for more than a year before being decommissioned on 10 February 1947.

 

Recommissioned at Green Cove Springs on 6 February 1951, Bowers joined the Amphibious Force, Atlantic Fleet. After five weeks at Guantanamo Bay for training, she embarked upon a series of short training exercises for marines, underwater demolition teams(UDT's), and midshipmen. The high-speed transport operated off the east coast until March 1955, although she made a six-week cruise to the West Indies and a five-month cruise to the Mediterranean.

 

In November 1954, Bowers entered the Charleston Naval Shipyard for a three-month overhaul. Upon completion, she reported to the Commandant, 6th Naval District, at Charleston for duty as a naval reserve training ship. From March 1955 until December 1958 the warship embarked reservists for training cruises along the east coast and in the West Indies.

 

USS Bowers (APD-40) at anchor, circa 1953, location unknown.

 

 

USS Bowers (APD-40) moored outboard of USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748) at Portland Maine, date unknown

[Salvage Sailor]

USS LIDDLE (APD-60)
ex USS Liddle (DE-206) (1943-1944)

Buckley Class Destroyer Escort / Charles Lawrence Class High-speed Transport 1944 to 1967

 

4 battle stars for WWII service - High Speed Gator Greyhound Patch circa 1960's

 

Liddle embarked 141 troops on 6 December for a flanking operation in the Leyte Gulf area. After landing her troops at Ormoc without casualty on 7 December, Liddle came under attack from Japanese aircraft. Though splashing five attackers, she was hit on the bridge by a kamikaze and seriously damaged, necessitating her return to San Francisco on 16 January 1945 for repairs. While she was being refitted, a sign on her quarterdeck read: "This Ship Lost 38 Officers and Men. She is Anxious to Get Back Into Action."

 

USS Liddle (APD-60) moored pierside, at a US Navy Drydock, Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA., date unknown.  US Navy photo

 

 

USS Boxer (LPH-4) underway and USS Liddle (APD-60) in transit to Spain, during Operation "Steelpike 1", October 1964.
From the William C. Reed Collection (COLL/5634) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division official USMC photograph

[Salvage Sailor]

USS RUCHAMKIN(APD-89) (1945-1969)

USS Ruchamkin (LPR-89) 1969

Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort (DE-228) - Reclassified a Crosley Class High-speed Transport while under construction

 

USS Ruchamkin (APD-89) at anchor off Cannes, France, in 1952 during the Cannes Film Festival.

 

Further amphibious exercises off the U.S. East Coast followed her return from Sixth Fleet duty, and, in August 1952, she conducted her first midshipman training cruise. Three months later, on 14 November 1952, while involved in fleet exercises off the Virginia Capes, she collided with the merchant tanker Washington. Hit portside in the troop compartment area, Ruchamkin lost seven of the troops embarked for the exercise.

Photo dated, 15 November 1952, one day after USS Ruchamkin (APD-89) had been rammed by SS Washington, a 10,000 ton tanker. Note major damage as a result of the collision.  US Navy photo.

 

 

After repairs at Norfolk and refresher training off Cuba during April 1953, Ruchamkin resumed amphibious training duties. For the next year, she trained with United States Marines off the Virginia Capes and the Carolina capes and off Puerto Rico. In July 1954, she conducted another Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps midshipman training cruise.

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

USS EARLE B. HALL (APD-107)

Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort (DE-597) - Crosley Class High-speed Transport in service 1945 to 1965

(also shown an 'error' rocker)

USS EARLE B. HALL (APD-107) with an error tab

The Versatile Gator aka the Iron Porpoise in service 1945 to 1965. This patch is from her 1961-1965 commissioning period when she was assigned to Cuban blockade duty in the Caribbean. She suffered a major breakdown in 1965 and her entire crew was cross-docked to her newly reactivated sister ship, USS KIRWIN (APD-90)

 

USS Earle B. Hall (APD-107) under way in the Caribbean, circa 1962-63. Photo taken from USS Rankin (AKA-103)

 

During the autumn of 1964 Earle B. Hall suffered a major engineering failure that caused her to lose all power while underway, and it was decided that she would be retired from service. To replace her, high-speed transport USS KIRWIN (APD-90), which had been in reserve since decommissioning in 1946, arrived under tow at Little Creek on 30 November 1964 and was moored alongside Earle B. Hall. Earle B. Hall's crew then set about preparing Kirwin for reactivation.  On 15 January 1965, Earle B. Hall was decommissioned for the last time. Simultaneously, USS KIRWIN was recommissioned, and Earle B. Hall's crew transferred to Kirwin.  Earle B. Hall was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 February 1965. She was sold for scrapping on 28 January 1966.

[Salvage Sailor]

USS KIRWIN (APD-90)

Commissioned in 1945, Laid up in the reserve fleet 1946 to 1965 and reactivated to 1969

Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort (DE-229) - Crosley Class High-speed Transport in service 1945 to 1969

Sister ship to USS EARLE B. HALL

USS Kirwin (APD-90) underway in Hampton Roads, Virginia, 25 October 1965.

 

Her 1965 to 1969 patch as APD-90 USS KIRWIN crewed by the men from the USS EARLE B. HALL

 

 

Carib 1-68 Patrol Caribbean Ready Group steams in formation as it patrols the Caribbean Sea. Commanded by Capt. J. B. Drachnik, USN, Commander Amphibious Squadron Four, its mission is the promotion of peace and goodwill and the protection of U.S. citizens and property ashore in time of crisis. Homeported in Norfolk, VA., the Group has been deployed since March. Ships of the Ready Group are: (l-r)
Attack Cargo Ship USS Rankin (AKA-103);
Dock Landing Ship, USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30);
Amphibious Assault Ship, USS Boxer (LPH-4);
Tank Landing Ship, USS Graham County (LST-1176); and
High Speed Transport, USS Kirwin (APD-90).
The original photograph and caption was released by USS Boxer in 1968. .
US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 97284 by PH2 A. P. Gonthier, Jr..

[Tonomachi]

10 hours ago, Salvage Sailor said:

USS RUCHAMKIN(APD-89) (1945-1969)

USS Ruchamkin (LPR-89) 1969

Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort (DE-228) - Reclassified a Crosley Class High-speed Transport while under construction

 

USS Ruchamkin (APD-89) at anchor off Cannes, France, in 1952 during the Cannes Film Festival.

 

Further amphibious exercises off the U.S. East Coast followed her return from Sixth Fleet duty, and, in August 1952, she conducted her first midshipman training cruise. Three months later, on 14 November 1952, while involved in fleet exercises off the Virginia Capes, she collided with the merchant tanker Washington. Hit portside in the troop compartment area, Ruchamkin lost seven of the troops embarked for the exercise.

Photo dated, 15 November 1952, one day after USS Ruchamkin (APD-89) had been rammed by SS Washington, a 10,000 ton tanker. Note major damage as a result of the collision.  US Navy photo.

 

 

After repairs at Norfolk and refresher training off Cuba during April 1953, Ruchamkin resumed amphibious training duties. For the next year, she trained with United States Marines off the Virginia Capes and the Carolina capes and off Puerto Rico. In July 1954, she conducted another Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps midshipman training cruise.

 

 

Great hard to find APD patches.  Here is a variant of the USS Ruchamkin APD-89 patch. 

 

I have seen patches for the following APDs and was wondering if there were any other APD ships that had patches produced for their crew?  My guess is that only the APD ships that were still in operations after WW2 had patches made as I don't think any of the APDs had patches produced during WW2.

 

USS Balduck APD-132

USS Horace Bass APD-124

USS Bassett APD-119

USS Begor APD-127

USS Bowers APD-40

USS Cavallaro APD-128

USS Cook APD-130

USS Diachenko APD-123

USS Liddle APD-60

USS B. W. Reid APD-119

USS Ruchamkin APD-89

USS Weiss APD-135

 

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

32 minutes ago, Tonomachi said:

Great hard to find APD patches.  Here is a variant of the USS Ruchamkin APD-89 patch. 

 

I have seen patches for the following APDs and was wondering if there were any other APD ships that had patches produced for their crew?  

 

 

One may only hope, and continue to search for them...

 

USS WEISS (APD-135) 1945 to 1969

Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort (DE-719)/ Crosley Class High-speed Transport

USS WEISS earned three battle stars for Korean War service and six campaign stars for Vietnam War service

 

The high-speed transport spent the bulk of her first Korean War tour in bombardment and Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) missions. She also conducted training and exercises with the UDT men as well as with other units of the 7th Fleet. She concluded her assignment in the Far East on 17 October when she set a course to return to the United States.

 

Following a period of upkeep and training on the west coast during the winter of 1951 and 1952, Weiss headed back to the Far East in the summer, and arrived in Korean waters on 2 July. Once again, bombardment missions and UDT support duty occupied the majority of her time. She also participated in "Operation Fishnet", a strategic initiative intended to drive the North Koreans into submission by depriving them of their fish catch. The high-speed transport completed her second tour of Korean War service on 1 April 1953, and arrived in San Diego on 2 July.

 

North Korean refugees aboard USS Weiss (APD-135) after they were rescued by Underwater Demolition Team members, during operations intended to reduce Communist Forces' food supplies by destroying North Korean fishing nets, 16 September 1952. Note UDT rubber boats in the left background.US Navy photo #: 80-G-K-14209 now in the collections of the US National Archives.

 

USS WEISS (APD-135) underway date and location unknown. Note the clear fantail used for stowing stores for landing operations. The two twin 40 mm guns aft, each with a director, had a good arc of fire aft. The derrick was used for loading stores into the LCVPs which are carried in gravity type davits. Usually two LCVPs were carried each side under one davit, but Weiss had two LCVPs away when photographed. Note life rafts stowed each side.  Official US Navy photo scanned from "American Destroyers Escorts of World War 2", by Peter Elliott.

 

 

VIETNAM

Her first actual combat mission came on 30 November and 1 December when she landed marines near Lang Ke Ga, South Vietnam, as part of Operation Dagger Thrust IV. Her second such mission occurred on the 5th and 6th when her embarked marines made a search-and-destroy landing near Phu Tu as a part of Operation Dagger Thrust V. On the evening of the 6th, she reembarked the troops and retired toward Subic Bay for a rest and relaxation period. However, on the 8th, she was recalled to assist in a salvage operation near Phu Tu. She completed her part in that mission on the 9th, and resumed her voyage to Subic Bay where she arrived on 13 December.

 

UDT Operation Jackstay

 

In January 1966, Weiss did two tours of duty in Vietnamese waters conducting surveys of the coast and river mouths. She returned to the Philippines from the second Vietnam tour of the year on 1 February, and embarked American UDT men and a Philippine underwater operations unit to participate in bilateral reconnaissance exercises near Legaspi, Luzon, between 3 and 9 February. A visit to Hong Kong, availability at Subic Bay, and another survey tour off Vietnam followed in late February and early March. Her last combat operation of the deployment began on 20 March when she came under the operational control of the amphibious ready group for Operation Jackstay, a combined surface and helicopter-borne amphibious assault on Viet Cong guerrillas in the Rung Sat Special Zone. The operation began on 26 March and continued through 6 April, at which time Weiss headed back to Subic Bay for upkeep. Later that month, she departed the Philippines and headed home. She made a stop at Pearl Harbor along the way and arrived in San Diego on 14 May.

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

22 hours ago, Salvage Sailor said:

USS LIDDLE (APD-60)
ex USS Liddle (DE-206) (1943-1944)

Buckley Class Destroyer Escort / Charles Lawrence Class High-speed Transport 1944 to 1967

 

4 battle stars for WWII service - High Speed Gator Greyhound Patch circa 1960's

 

Liddle embarked 141 troops on 6 December for a flanking operation in the Leyte Gulf area. After landing her troops at Ormoc without casualty on 7 December, Liddle came under attack from Japanese aircraft. Though splashing five attackers, she was hit on the bridge by a kamikaze and seriously damaged, necessitating her return to San Francisco on 16 January 1945 for repairs. While she was being refitted, a sign on her quarterdeck read: "This Ship Lost 38 Officers and Men. She is Anxious to Get Back Into Action."

 

USS Liddle (APD-60) moored pierside, at a US Navy Drydock, Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA., date unknown.  US Navy photo

 

 

USS Boxer (LPH-4) underway and USS Liddle (APD-60) in transit to Spain, during Operation "Steelpike 1", October 1964.
From the William C. Reed Collection (COLL/5634) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division official USMC photograph

 

 

Easy to date this one, she was in reserve and only became active from 1967 to 1969 replacing the LIDDLE

 

USS BEVERLY W. REID (APD-119)

Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort / Crosley Class High-speed Transport

Laid down, 5 January 1944, as Beverly W. Reid (DE-722), a Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort, at Dravo, Corp., Neville Island, Pittsburgh, PA.
Launched, 4 March 1944
Redesignated a (APD-119) 17 July 1944
Ferried to Orange, TX. for fitting out as a High-speed Transport at Consolidated Steel Corp., Orange, TX.
Commissioned USS Beverly W. Reid (APD-119), 25 June 1945, at Orange, TX., LCDR. Gordon D. Kissam, USNR, in command
Decommissioned, 5 May 1947, at Green Cove Springs, FL.
Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs
Retrieved from the Reserve Fleet and towed to Norfolk, VA. by USS Liddle (APD-60) for recommissioning
Recommissioned, 18 March 1967, with the crew of Liddle, LCDR. Aloysius G. Hennessey, Jr., in command
Designation changed to Amphibious Transport, Small (LPR-119) 1 July 1969
Decommissioned, 14 November 1969

 

    USS Liddle (APD-60) and the soon to be recommissioned USS Beverly W. Reid (APD-119) moored pierside, pier 11, Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, VA., circa November 1966

 

Inactivated at Green Cove Springs and placed in reserve on 1 September 1946, Beverly W. Reid was decommissioned on 5 May 1947 and placed in the Florida Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet at Green Cove Springs. Reid was moved from Green Cove Springs to the Naval Reserve Fleet in Orange, Texas and remained there until movement to Little Creek Amphibious Base by the crew of the USS Liddle.

 

After nearly 20 years of inactivity, Beverly W. Reid was inspected and prepared for towing to Little Creek, Virginia by a Naval tug by high-speed transport USS Liddle crew. The Liddle crew worked with civilian contractors to modernize the Reid, on 18 March 1967 she was recommissioned at the Norfolk Shipbuilding and Drydock Company at Norfolk, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Aloysius G. Hennessey, Jr., and manned by the crew of Liddle, which decommissioned that day.

 

 

Assigned to Amphibious Squadron 8, Beverly W. Reid was home-ported at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to which she shifted on 19 April 1967.

 

 

[Tonomachi]

Here are two patches for the USS Bassett APD-73.  

[Tonomachi]

Here are a few patches for the USS Cook APD-130.

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

USS BALDUCK (APD-132)

Crosley class high speed transport in service 1945 to 1958

ex-Rudderow class destroyer escort (DE-716)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Tonomachi]

Here is a slightly older variant of the USS BALDUCK APD-132 patch.

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

On 6/19/2023 at 7:19 AM, Tonomachi said:

Great hard to find APD patches.

 

I have seen patches for the following APDs and was wondering if there were any other APD ships that had patches produced for their crew?  My guess is that only the APD ships that were still in operations after WW2 had patches made as I don't think any of the APDs had patches produced during WW2.

 

USS Balduck APD-132

USS Horace Bass APD-124

USS Bassett APD-119

USS Begor APD-127

USS Bowers APD-40

USS Cavallaro APD-128

USS Cook APD-130

USS Diachenko APD-123

USS Liddle APD-60

USS B. W. Reid APD-119

USS Ruchamkin APD-89

USS Weiss APD-135

 

 

Plus the Kirwin and Earle B. Hall which I've posted.

 

Here's the updated list of known APD vessels with ships' patches (14).  Anyone else have something we've missed?

 

NAME                    HULL NUMBER

USS BOWERS              APD-40

 

USS LIDDLE                 APD-60

 

USS BASSETT               APD-73

 

USS RUCHAMKIN        APD-89

 

USS KIRWIN                 APD-90

 

USS EARLE B. HALL      APD-107

 

USS BEVERLY W. REID  APD-119

 

USS DIACHENKO          APD-123

 

USS HORACE BASS       APD-124

 

USS BEGOR                   APD-127

 

USS CAVALLARO           APD-128

 

USS COOK                     APD-130

 

USS BALDUCK               APD-132

 

USS WEISS                     APD-135

 

USS BEGOR (APD-127) and a motor launch stand by in the foreground as smoke rises over Hungnam's port area, as faculties and remaining U.N. supplies are demolished by explosives on the final day of evacuation operations, 24 December 1950.
US Navy photo # (K-11771) now in the collections of the US National Archives

[Tonomachi]

Another one for the USS Begor APD-135.  A little different patch in that the lance extends beyond the perimeter which over the years did not tear off/detach.

 

 

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Bitchen patch, really nice one.

 

Here are eight (8) more possibilities...

 

USS LLOYD (APD-63), Occupation service in Europe 1951 to 1958

USS HOLLIS (APD-86), Fleet Sonar School Key West, 1951 to 1956

USS KNUDSON (APD-101), In service 1953 to 1958

USS WALTER B. COBB (APD-106), Occupation service in Europe, decommissioned in 1957

USS WANTUCK (APD-125), Pacific Fleet until she collided with USS LENAWEE off of San Diego in 1957

USS BURDO (APD-133), Occupation service in the Far East & Europe, decommissioned in 1958

USS KLEINSMITH (APD-134), Occupation service in Europe & China until 1960

USS CARPELLOTTI (APD-136), 6th Fleet Occupation service in Europe, decommissioned in 1958

 

The search continues...

[Tonomachi]

1 hour ago, Salvage Sailor said:

Bitchen patch, really nice one.

 

Here are eight (8) more possibilities...

 

USS LLOYD (APD-63), Occupation service in Europe 1951 to 1958

USS HOLLIS (APD-86), Fleet Sonar School Key West, 1951 to 1956

USS KNUDSON (APD-101), In service 1953 to 1958

USS WALTER B. COBB (APD-106), Occupation service in Europe, decommissioned in 1957

USS WANTUCK (APD-125), Pacific Fleet until she collided with USS LENAWEE off of San Diego in 1957

USS BURDO (APD-133), Occupation service in the Far East & Europe, decommissioned in 1958

USS KLEINSMITH (APD-134), Occupation service in Europe & China until 1960

USS CARPELLOTTI (APD-136), 6th Fleet Occupation service in Europe, decommissioned in 1958

 

The search continues...

Thanks for this information.  I've come across three drawings produced for the following APDs that I have yet to see any patches made from (see photos).  In particular I wrote down information I read somewhere that the drawing of the USS Earl B. Hall APD-107 was actually made into a patch in the 1950s however I've never come across one.   

 

USS Earl B. Hall APD-107

USS Wantuck APD-125

USS Kleinsmith APD-134

 

This plaque for the USS Horace A. Bass APD-124 is not the design that was made into a patch (see photos).  I wonder if a patch was ever produced from the design on this plaque.  

 

 

 

[Tonomachi]

On 6/19/2023 at 10:51 AM, Salvage Sailor said:

 

One may only hope, and continue to search for them...

 

USS WEISS (APD-135) 1945 to 1969

Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort (DE-719)/ Crosley Class High-speed Transport

USS WEISS earned three battle stars for Korean War service and six campaign stars for Vietnam War service

 

The high-speed transport spent the bulk of her first Korean War tour in bombardment and Underwater Demolition Team (UDT) missions. She also conducted training and exercises with the UDT men as well as with other units of the 7th Fleet. She concluded her assignment in the Far East on 17 October when she set a course to return to the United States.

 

Following a period of upkeep and training on the west coast during the winter of 1951 and 1952, Weiss headed back to the Far East in the summer, and arrived in Korean waters on 2 July. Once again, bombardment missions and UDT support duty occupied the majority of her time. She also participated in "Operation Fishnet", a strategic initiative intended to drive the North Koreans into submission by depriving them of their fish catch. The high-speed transport completed her second tour of Korean War service on 1 April 1953, and arrived in San Diego on 2 July.

 

North Korean refugees aboard USS Weiss (APD-135) after they were rescued by Underwater Demolition Team members, during operations intended to reduce Communist Forces' food supplies by destroying North Korean fishing nets, 16 September 1952. Note UDT rubber boats in the left background.US Navy photo #: 80-G-K-14209 now in the collections of the US National Archives.

 

USS WEISS (APD-135) underway date and location unknown. Note the clear fantail used for stowing stores for landing operations. The two twin 40 mm guns aft, each with a director, had a good arc of fire aft. The derrick was used for loading stores into the LCVPs which are carried in gravity type davits. Usually two LCVPs were carried each side under one davit, but Weiss had two LCVPs away when photographed. Note life rafts stowed each side.  Official US Navy photo scanned from "American Destroyers Escorts of World War 2", by Peter Elliott.

 

 

VIETNAM

Her first actual combat mission came on 30 November and 1 December when she landed marines near Lang Ke Ga, South Vietnam, as part of Operation Dagger Thrust IV. Her second such mission occurred on the 5th and 6th when her embarked marines made a search-and-destroy landing near Phu Tu as a part of Operation Dagger Thrust V. On the evening of the 6th, she reembarked the troops and retired toward Subic Bay for a rest and relaxation period. However, on the 8th, she was recalled to assist in a salvage operation near Phu Tu. She completed her part in that mission on the 9th, and resumed her voyage to Subic Bay where she arrived on 13 December.

 

UDT Operation Jackstay

 

In January 1966, Weiss did two tours of duty in Vietnamese waters conducting surveys of the coast and river mouths. She returned to the Philippines from the second Vietnam tour of the year on 1 February, and embarked American UDT men and a Philippine underwater operations unit to participate in bilateral reconnaissance exercises near Legaspi, Luzon, between 3 and 9 February. A visit to Hong Kong, availability at Subic Bay, and another survey tour off Vietnam followed in late February and early March. Her last combat operation of the deployment began on 20 March when she came under the operational control of the amphibious ready group for Operation Jackstay, a combined surface and helicopter-borne amphibious assault on Viet Cong guerrillas in the Rung Sat Special Zone. The operation began on 26 March and continued through 6 April, at which time Weiss headed back to Subic Bay for upkeep. Later that month, she departed the Philippines and headed home. She made a stop at Pearl Harbor along the way and arrived in San Diego on 14 May.

 

 

 

Here is a lighter for the USS Weiss APD-135.  I wonder if the design on this lighter was ever made into a patch?

 

[Salvage Sailor]

I've only seen that design used on lighters and 'generic' Tonkin Gulf & patrol patches

 

 

[Tonomachi]

On 6/23/2023 at 8:04 PM, Tonomachi said:

Here are two patches for the USS Bassett APD-73.  

Just picked up a variant of the USS Bassett APD-73 patch which is intermediate size between the large and small versions.

[Tonomachi]

Here is the patch for the USS Diachenko APD-123.

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

On 6/18/2023 at 8:58 PM, Salvage Sailor said:

USS KIRWIN (APD-90)

Commissioned in 1945, Laid up in the reserve fleet 1946 to 1965 and reactivated to 1969

Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort (DE-229) - Crosley Class High-speed Transport in service 1945 to 1969

Sister ship to USS EARLE B. HALL

USS Kirwin (APD-90) underway in Hampton Roads, Virginia, 25 October 1965.

 

Her 1965 to 1969 patch as APD-90 USS KIRWIN crewed by the men from the USS EARLE B. HALL

 

 

Carib 1-68 Patrol Caribbean Ready Group steams in formation as it patrols the Caribbean Sea. Commanded by Capt. J. B. Drachnik, USN, Commander Amphibious Squadron Four, its mission is the promotion of peace and goodwill and the protection of U.S. citizens and property ashore in time of crisis. Homeported in Norfolk, VA., the Group has been deployed since March. Ships of the Ready Group are: (l-r)
Attack Cargo Ship USS Rankin (AKA-103);
Dock Landing Ship, USS Fort Snelling (LSD-30);
Amphibious Assault Ship, USS Boxer (LPH-4);
Tank Landing Ship, USS Graham County (LST-1176); and
High Speed Transport, USS Kirwin (APD-90).
The original photograph and caption was released by USS Boxer in 1968. .
US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 97284 by PH2 A. P. Gonthier, Jr..

 

Amphibious Squadron Four (PHIBRON 4)

 

 

 

[raven316]

My father was a plank owner on the USS Crosby DD-164/APD 17. They did have LCP(L's) early in their conversion to APD's but soon after had LCP(R's)

[Salvage Sailor]

On 7/2/2023 at 1:48 PM, Tonomachi said:

This plaque for the USS Horace A. Bass APD-124 is not the design that was made into a patch (see photos).  I wonder if a patch was ever produced from the design on this plaque.  

 

 

Men of UDT-1 at muster on the deck of the USS HORACE A. BASS (APD-124) receiving their daily job assignments, while assigned to the mine force sweeping Chinnampo South Korea, November 1950.