Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Laurens (APA-153)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Romeo - Kilo
 NDRK
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines LIberation Medal (1)
Haskell Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, date unknown, as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull under a Maritime Commission contract at Oregon Shipbuilding Group, Portland OR.
  • Launched, date unknown
  • Acquired, 6 September 1944 by the Navy from the Maritime Commission
  • Commissioned USS Laurens (APA-153), 7 September 1944, CAPT. Arthur R. Ponto USN in command
  • During World War II USS Laurens was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Fourteen, COMO. D. L. Ryan USN (16);
     TransDiv Forty-One, CAPT. H.J. Wright USN and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 11 to 12 January 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 6 April 1945

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

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    7 September to 2 October 1945
    12 October to 11 November 1945
    14 to 25 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, 10 April 1946, at Norfolk VA.
  • USS Laurens earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 13 April 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1946
  • Assigned, 5 February 1956, to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River N.Y. Group
  • Transferred, 10 May 1969 to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall VA.
  • Sold, 3 October 1974, for non-transportation use to Frank W. Watts and K.E. Tureaud, sale terminated
  • Final Disposition, resold, 1 December 1988, to Farrell Lines for resale to China Resources and Minerals Co. Ltd., Hong Kong for scrapping at Shanghai, China, removed 11 May 1989
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Speed 17.7 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 54
    Enlisted 465
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 86
    Enlisted 1,475
    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 cal dual-purpose gun mount
    one quad 40mm AA gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 7,780 Bbls
    Diesel 970 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one Westinghouse geared turbine
    two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 465 psi 750°
    double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears
    three 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    one propeller, 8,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Laurens 57k USS Laurens (APA-153) underway, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
    Laurens 73k USS Laurens (APA-153) at anchor, date and location unknown Will Conner for his grandfather Ardell Bernard "Cal" Calvin (Quartermaster) USS Laurens
    Laurens 70k USS Laurens (APA-153) in San Francisco Bay, CA., in late 1945 or early 1946.
    US Navy photo # NH 98736 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, donated by Boatswain's Mate First Class Robert G. Tippins, USN (Retired), 2003.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    USS Laurens (APA-153)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Ponto, Arthur Rudolph, USN7 September 1944 - 1 October 1944
    02CAPT. McGregor, Donald :RADM USN (USNA 1926)1 October 1944 - 18 August 1945
    03CAPT. Byrne, James Francis18 August 1945 - 10 April 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    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 28 February 2014