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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

AFDB-6
ex
 USS ABSD-6

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Bravo - Alpha
 NWBA
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from left to right
American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
AFDB-4 Class Advance Base Section Dock:
  • Laid down, date unknown, as an Advance Base Section Dock at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.
  • Launched, date unknown
  • Commissioned, USS ABSD-6, 28 September 1944, CDR. Girvin B. Wait, USNR, in command
  • During World War II ABSD-6 served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and was assigned to Apra Harbor, Guam, Marianas Islands
  • Decommissioned, 29 June 1946
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet
  • Redesignated Large Auxiliary Floating Dry Dock AFDB-6, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 1 January 1976 by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 30,800 t.(lt)
    Length 825'
    Beam 246' 5"
    Draft 8' 8" (lt), 67' 4" (subm. max.)
    Complement 187
    Armament
    fourteen single 40mm AA gun mounts
    fourteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LCI(L)-80 73k USS LCI(G)-80 lies alongside USS LCI(G)-449 as the enter USS ABSD-6, probably at Guam, date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.    		 Robert Hurst
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 91k USS LST-643 and USS LST-759 approaching USS ABSD-6 at Guam, 29 May 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-379466, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Nancy Reed
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 98k USS LST-643 and USS LST-759 entering USS ABSD-6 at Guam, 29 May 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-379467, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Nancy Reed
    LST-643/759/ABSD6 112k USS LST-643 and USS LST-759 in the forward end of USS ABSD-6 at Guam, 29 May 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-379468, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Nancy Reed
    LST-662 128k USS LST-646 and USS LST-662 approaching USS ABSD-6 in Apra Harbor, Guam, 29 May 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-379469, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    LST-662 143k USS LST-646 and USS LST-662 in the aft end of USS ABSD-6, Apra Harbor, Guam, 29 May 1945.
    US National Archives photo # 80-N-379472, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    CVE-93 Makin Island 115k

    USS Makin Island (CVE-93) halfway into USS ABSD-6, at Guam, 8 June 1945.
    US Navy photo # NH 99118 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center

    		 US Naval Historical Center
    ARD-26 29k USS ARD-26 is in front of USS ABSD-6 in this photo with barges alongside at Apra Harbor, Guam, circa 1944-45. Note USS ARD-26 has her bow painted black while the rest of her hull is painted traditional gray. Unfortunately, this image of the two dry docks tends to blend them together. Fred Basye USS ARD-26
    BB-57 South Dakota 95k USS ABSD-6 with USS South Dakota (BB-57) drydocked after an accidental explosion, 6 May 1945, while rearming from USS Wrangell (AE-12).
    US Navy photo, courtesy of Cathy Verschelden    		 Mauer D. Rell, S1/c USS South Dakota August 1943 - December 1946.
    LSM-32 94k USS LSM-32 and USS LCI(L)-992 entering USS ABSD-6 at Guam, date unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-112 95k USS LSM-112 and USS LSM-334 entering USS ABSD-6 together at Guam, Marianas Islands, 27 July 1945. In the background are USS LSM-426 and USS LSM-276 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    Holland 145k USS Holland (AS-3) afloat in USS ABSD-6 at Apra Harbor, Guam, in August 1945 having Mount 52 removed as part of her conversion by ship's company to an internal combustion engine repair ship (ARG-18). Mount 53, aft, was also removed using the dock's crane.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Stillwater collection.    		 Mike Green
    LSM-279 65k USS LSM-279 entering USS ABSD-6 at Guam, Marianas Islands for repairs, 15 January 1946.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-37967 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Richard Schatz MoMM3/c USS LSM-279 to the USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-491 55k USS LSM-491 and USS LSM-308 entering USS ABSD-6 at Apra Harbor, Guam, Marianas Islands, date unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-27 72k USS LSM-27 entering USS ABSD-6 at Guam, Marianas, date unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-27 85k USS LSM-27 drydocked in the Advanced Base Dock USS ABSD-6 at Guam, Marianas, date unknown. Photo Courtesy Jim Tusing LSM-372,
    Editor "Alligator Alley" The Newsletter
    of the USS LSM - LSMR Association
    LSM-348 76k USS LSM-348 and USS LSM-85 entering the Advanced Base Dock ABSD-6 at Guam, Marianas, date unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    There is no DANFS History available for USS ABSD-6 / AFDB-6 at NavSource
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Wait, Girvin B., USNR28 September 1944 - 7 November 1945
    02CDR. Thorne, Thomas Smith, USN (20)7 November 1945 - 25 March 1946
    03LCDR. Wiley, Ralph Alvin, USN25 March 1946 - 29 June 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 20 June 2014