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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Winged Arrow (AP-170)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Sierra - Foxtrot
NDSF

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)

La Salle Class Transport:

Laid down, 26 January 1943, as SS Winged Arrow, a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1156) at Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, CA.

Launched, 3 April 1943

Acquired by the Navy from the War Shipping Administration on 21 April 1944 and commissioned that same day as USS Winged Arrow (AP-170), CDR. John E. Shomier, in command

During WWII USS Winged Arrow was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Saipan, 16 to 28 June 1944	Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 9 to 16 March 1945
Tinian capture and occupation 21 to 28 July 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, June 1945
Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 11 to 12 January 1945

Following World War II USS Winged Arrow was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
12 to 16 December 1945	1 to 23 February 1946

Decommissioned, 12 August 1946, at Seattle, WA. and transferred to the War Department

Commissioned USAT Winged Arrow, date unknown

Struck from the Naval Register, 28 August 1946

USS Winged Arrow earned five battle stars for World War II service

Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 23 October 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.

Merchant Service

Sold to Waterman SS Corp, at San Francisco, 18 October 1948, renamed SS Fairhope

Sold to Admiralty Steamship Corp, S.A., Panama,in 1 February 1954, renamed SS Susan, Panamanian flagged

Sold, 6 January 1955, to Compania Maritima Unidas, S.A., Monrovia, Liberia, reflagged Liberia, renamed SS Noordzee

Sold, 1 May 1956, to Overzeese Scheepvaart-Maatschappij, N.V., reflagged Netherlands

Chartered, 20 January 1959, to Central Gulf Steamship Corp., reflagged United States, renamed SS Green Bay

Returned to the Maritime Commission , 6 August 1965, renamed SS Winged Arrow

Wrecked in 1965

Transferred to the Maritime Administration, 3 October 1965, at Mobile, for disposal

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 7 August 1970 to Union Minerals and Alloys, Corp, at Mobile, AL. (PD-X-868 of 14 July 1970) for $53,000.00

Withdrawn, 16 September 1970, from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, AL., delivered to Union Minerals and Alloys Corp., scrapped by Southern Scrap Material, New Orleans, LA. broken up in Panama

Specifications:
Displacement 6,556 t.(lt) 12,200 t.(fl)
Length 459' 2"
Beam 63'
Draft 25' 9"
Speed 16.5 kts (trial)

Complement

Officers 24

Enlisted 252

Troop Accommodations

Officers 71

Enlisted 1,500

Largest Boom Capacity 20 t.

Cargo Capacity 2,100 DWT

non-refrigerated 150,000 Cu ft.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four single 3"/50 cal. dual purpose gun mounts

twelve single 20mm AA gun mounts

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 19,300 Bbls

Diesel 880 Bbls

Propulsion

two General Electric steam turbines

two Foster and Wheeler D-type boilers, 450psi 750°

double General Electric Main Reduction Gears

three Turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Winged Arrow (AP-170)
092217011	208k	Starboard and port side views of *USS Winged Arrow* (AP-170)** underway in San Francisco Bay, circa April 1944. US Navy photos	Dirk Dijksman
092217012	181k		Dirk Dijksman
	91k	*USS Winged Arrow* (AP-170)** at anchor, date and place unknown.	Barbara Tackett for her husband J. C. (Jake) Tackett, Cox. USNR, USS Winged Arrow
	114k	*USS Winged Arrow* (AP-170)** crew photo, possibly August 1944 at San Francisco, CA.	Barbara Tackett for her husband J. C. (Jake) Tackett, Cox. USNR, USS Winged Arrow
	90k	*USS Winged Arrow* (AP-170)** near the Army's Port of Embarkation at Seattle, WA., 19 May 1946. Untypically this transport still retained her wartime armament and appearance. US Army Signal Corps photo, courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Robert Hurst
Merchant Service Waterman Steamship Lines Central Gulf Lines
092217006	332k	Ex-*USS Winged Arrow* (AP-170)** as the Waterman Steamship Co. freighter SS Fairhope, underway, date and location unknown.	Dirk Dijksman
092217007	169k	Ex-*USS Winged Arrow* (AP-170)** as the US flagged freighter SS Green Bay, moored pierside, date and location unknown.	Dirk Dijksman
	250k	Ex-*USS Winged Arrow* (AP-170)** as the Netherlands flagged SS Noordzee, in Central Gulf colors.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
092217009	271k	SS Noordzee, underway, date and location unknown.	Dirk Dijksman
092217010	167k	SS Noordzee, underway, date and location unknown.	Dirk Dijksman
092217008	111k	Ex-*USS Winged Arrow* (AP-170)** as the US flagged freighter SS Winged Arrow, moored pierside, date and location unknown.	Dirk Dijksman

USS Winged Arrow (AP-170)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Shomier II, John Edward, USN (USNA 1923)	21 April 1944 - 2 April 1945 (Hospital)
02	LCDR. Perkins, Benjamin Martin (XO temporary command)	2 April 1945 - 10 December 1945
03	CDR. Peak, Charlie Oscar, USNR	10 December 1945 - 10 July 1946
04	LT. Westergaard, Clarence William, USN	10 July 1946 - 12 August 1946


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
Postal Covers related to the ship
MARAD Vessel History Database
USS Winged Arrow (AP-170) Crew Listing

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 16 February 2024