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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Cleburne (APA-73)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - November - Sierra
 NKNS
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
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal
Gilliam Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, circa April 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE-BD1) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1866) at Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, CA.
  • Launched, 27 September 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission, 21 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS Cleburne (APA-73), 22 December 1944, LCDR. Frank T. Callahan USNR in command
  • During World War II USS Cleburne was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Twenty, COMO. H.W. Graf USN (15);
     TransDiv Fifty-Eight
  • Following World War II USS Cleburne was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    7 to 16 September 1945 
    29 September to 7 October 1945 
    16 to 29 October 1945 
    14 December 1945 to 28 January 194614 December 1945 to 28 January 1946

  • Decommissioned, 7 June 1946, at Pearl Harbor
  • USS Cleburne was assigned Operation Crossroads as a target vessel in 1946
  • Towed to San Francisco and returned to the Maritime Commission, 7 July 1947, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 August 1947
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 13 July 1965, to Zidell Explorations Inc.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,247 t.(lt), 7,080 t.(fl)
    Length 426'
    Beam 58'
    Draft 16.9'
    Speed 16.9 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 27
    Enlisted 293
    Troop Capacity
    Officers 47
    Enlisted 802
    Cargo Capacity 85,000 cu. ft., 2,600 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA radar-directed gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 9,695 Bbls
    Diesel 375 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Westinghouse turbo-electric drive
    two Babcock & Wilcox 450psi 750° boilers
    Ship's Service Generators
     one turbo-drive 250Kw 450V A.C.
     one turbo-drive 150Kw 450V A.C.
     one turbo-drive 100Kw 120/240V D.C.
    two propellers 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Cleburne
    100307308    		 216k Letter from C.W. Lee Production Manager Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, CA. to LCDR. F. T. Callahan, USNR Commanding Officer of USS Cleburne (APA-73) that accompanied some photos and offering best wishes from the Shipyard to the Cleburne and crew. Stephen F. Callahan
    Cleburne
    100307304    		 395k Cleburne (APA-73) launching, 27 September 1944, at Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, CA. Stephen F. Callahan
    Cleburne
    100307305    		 236k USS Cleburne (APA-73) Commissioning Ceremony, 22 December 1944, at Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, CA. Stephen F. Callahan
    Cleburne
    100307306    		 162k LCDR. Frank T. Callahan, USNR reads his orders taking command of USS Cleburne (APA-73) during the ship's Commissioning Ceremony, 22 December 1944, at Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, CA. Stephen F. Callahan
    Cleburne
    100307307    		 231k USS Cleburne (APA-73) underway, date and location unknown. This appears to be a stock photo of a Gilliam Class Attack Transport built at Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, CA. and may not actually be Cleburne Stephen F. Callahan
    Cleburne
    19-N-114615    		 98k USS Cleburne (APA-73) arriving at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, 20 March 1946.
    US National Archives RG-19-LCM. Photo # 19-N-114615 and RG-19-LCM. Photo # 19-N-114617, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Robert Hurst
    Cleburne
    19-N-114617    		 91k
    Cleburne 70k USS Cleburne (APA-73) underway in San Francisco Bay, circa late 1946.
    US Navy photo # NH 98710 donated by Boatswain's Mate First Class Robert G. Tippins, USN (Retired), to the US Naval Historical Center in 2003.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Cleburne
    100307209    		 112k USS Cleburne (APA-73) at anchor, possibly in San Franicsco Bay, circa 1946 U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo # 2014.31, Terry Bramblet Collection. Robert Hurst
    USS Cleburne (APA-73)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR Callahan, Francis Thomas, (Frank) USNR22 December 1944 - 26 September 1945
    02CDR Hartzell, Edwin Willard, USNR26 September 1945 - 21 March 1946
    03CDR Cosgrove, Coleman Robert, USNR21 March 1946 - 7 June 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler, Ron Reeves and R. A. Moody
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    USS Cleburne (APA-73) Commissioning Program
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 16 June 2023