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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Gage (APA-168)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Tango - Kilo
NDTK

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 (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal

Haskell Class Attack Transport:

Laid down, 13 August 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 134) at Oregon Shipbuilding Group, Portland, OR.

Launched, 14 October 1944

Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission, 4 November 1944

Commissioned USS Gage (APA-168), 12 November 1944, CDR. Leroy J. Alexanderson, USNR, in command.

During World War II USS Gage was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
TransRon Twenty, COMO. H.W. Graf USN (15);
TransDiv Fifty-Eight, (flagship) and participated in the following campaign:

Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 5 April 1945

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

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
25 October to 25 November 1945	18 to 21 June 1946
25 January to 4 February 1946
11 to 17 June 1946
23 to 26 June 1946

Decommissioned, 26 February 1947, at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA.

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, St. Julian Annex Naval Station Norfolk, Portsmouth, VA.

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 1 October 1958, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 October 1958

USS Gage earned one battle star for World War II service

Transferred, 19 November 1958, to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, N.C., arriving, 24 November 1958

Removed from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, N.C., 11 November 1964, under tow by USS Umpqua (ATA-209), arrived at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA., 16 November 1964

Withdrawn, 17 May 1984 - 18 October 1984, from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group for stripping at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth, VA.

Withdrawn, 17 August 1989 - 1 July 1991, from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group for target preparation at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Portsmouth, VA.

Final Disposition, contract awarded for scrapping announced, 18 July 2009, to Esco Marine, Brownsville, TX., contract cost $564,910, removed 23 July 2009, scrapping completed, 21 December 2009

Specifications:
Displacement 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
Length 455'
Beam 62'
Speed 17.7 kts (trial)

Complement

Officers - 56

Enlisted - 480

Troop Capacity

Officers - 80

Enlisted - 1,440

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 5"/38 cal 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 Westinghouse geared turbine

two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 465psi 750 °

double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gear

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
USS Gage (APA-168)
	189k	*USS Russell* (DD-414) coming alongside USS Gage (APA-168)** during movement of amphib TG to Okinawa, 31 March 1945. Photos by LTjg Edwin Klump, USS Russell.	John Chiquoine
	126k		John Chiquoine
	65k	*USS Gage* (APA-168)** at anchor in San Francisco Bay, circa 1945-46 US Navy photo # NH 83410 contributed to the US Naval Historical Center courtesy of D. M. McPherson, 1975.	Tom Gonzalez
	75k	*USS Gage* (APA-168)** at anchor in San Francisco Bay, probably in 1946 US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 98721 donated to the US Naval Historical Center by Boatswain's Mate First Class Robert G. Tippins, USN (Retired), 2003.	US Naval History and Heritage Command
MARAD James River Group Reserve Fleet
	58k	Ex-*USS Gage* (APA-168)** laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA., circa 2004. Photo courtesy Russ Padden	Robert Hurst
	89k	From left to right; US Army Corps of Engineers floating nuclear power plant *Sturges, exUSS Gage* (APA-168) and ex-*USNS Range Sentinel* (T-AGM-22)** laid up in the Maritime Administration National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, 6 April 2009.	Photo by Mike Hibbard
	104k	Ex-*USS Gage* (APA-168) and ex-USNS Range Sentinel (T-AGM-22) as seen from the deck of US Army Corps of Engineers floating nuclear power plant Sturges** while, laid up in the Maritime Administration National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, 6 April 2009.	Photo by Mike Hibbard
100316805	150k	Ex-*USS Gage* (APA-168) laid up in the Maritime Administration National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, 6 April 2009. 100316805 - Bridge area viewed from the forward main deck 100316806 - Deck house from aft 100316807 - Gage and Sturges from the stern of Sturges** looking forward 100316808 - Stern and rudder 100316809 - Aft deckhouse 100316810 - Bridge area superstructure from aloft 100316811 - Bow 100316812 - Bow name	Photos by Mike Hibbard
100316806	144k
100316807	117k
100316808	128k
100316809	107k
100316810	159k
100316811	149k
100316812	146k
	61k	Ex-*USS Gage* (APA-168)** leaves the James River Reserve Fleet on her final voyage to the breakers yard in Brownsville, TX., 23 July 2009.	Nick Tiberio
	59k	Ex-*USS Gage* (APA-168)** leaving the James River Reserve Fleet under tow enroute to Esco Marine, Brownsville, TX., 23 July 2009. Photo by E. B. Fletcher, courtesy Russ Padden	Robert Hurst
	48k		Robert Hurst
	66k	Ex-*USS Gage* (APA-168)** off Newport News, VA. after leaving the James River Reserve Fleet under tow enroute to Esco Marine, Brownsville, TX., 23 July 2009. Photo by Photo by Andrew W. Hendley, USN (Retired), courtesy Russ Padden	Robert Hurst

USS Gage (APA-168)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Alexanderson, Leroy John, USNR :RADM	12 December 1944 - 16 September 1945
02	CDR. Midgett, Ellery Clarence, USNR	16 September 1945 - 21 May 1946
03	CDR. Payne, James Michael, USNR	21 May 1946 - 10 August 1946
04	LCDR. Larson, Wesley Leonard, USN	10 August 1946 - 26 February 1947


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
Action Report - Landing of Occupation Forces, Nagasaki Japan, September 1945
MARAD Vessel History Database
USS Gage APA 168 in 2000
Gage Obituary APA

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 7 June 2019