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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Bowie (APA-137)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Oscar - Romeo
 NDOR
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Haskell Class Attack Transport Laid down, 28 August 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 53) at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA.
  • Launched, 31 October 1944
  • Acquired from the Maritime Commission, 22 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS Bowie (APA-137), 23 December 1944, at Terminal Island, CA., CDR. Frank L. Durnell USN (25) in command
  • During World War II Bowie was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Twenty-Two, COMO. S.P. Jenkins;
    TransDiv Sixty-Six, CAPT. W.G. Ludlow, Jr. USN (17) and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 10 to 16 May 1945

  • Following World War II USS Bowie was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    20 to 25 September 1945
    20 to 24 October 1945

  • Decommissioned, 8 March 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 14 March 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 March 1946
  • USS Bowie earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet, 8 June to 8 September 1955, to South Atlantic Steamship Line Inc. (Repair Program) General Agency Agreement
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 9 April 1973, to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., New York City, N.Y., (PD-X-956 dated 5 March 1973) for $111,560.00, withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet, 24 July 1973, delivered to River Development Corp., Kearny, N.J.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Draft 24'
    Speed 17.7 kts.
    Complement
    56 Officers
    480 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    86 Officers
    1,475 Enlisted
    Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.
    Cargo Capacity 2,900 DWT
    non-refrigerated 150,000 Cu ft
    Boats
    two LCMs
    one open LCPL
    one covered LCPL (Captain's Gig)
    two LCPRs
    eighteen LCVPs
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual-purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    one quad 40mm AA gun mount
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 7,780 Bbls
    Diesel 970 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one Joshua-Hendy geared turbine
    two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 465 psi 750°
    double Joshua-Hendy Main Reduction Gears
    three 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 8,500 shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Bowie 11k USS Bowie (APA-137), at anchor after landing troops at Okinawa, date unknown. Russ Padden
    Bowie 90k USS Bowie (APA-137) moored in a Japanese Shipyard in September 1945.
    US National Archives Photo # 80-G-352452 (Cropped), a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Max Holloway, S/2c USS Bowie, Oct.44 to Dec. 45
    Bowie 135k USS Bowie (APA-137) and USS Clermont (APA-143) (middle distance) moored in a Japanese Shipyard in September 1945.
    US National Archives Photo # 80-G-352452, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    USS Bowie (APA-137)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Durnell, Frank Lenox USN (USNA 1925)23 December 1944 - 8 March 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
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Amphibious Forces WWII- USS Bowie APA 137
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Attack Transport (APA) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 7 April 2017