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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN Ret. - Popular Patch

USS Olmsted (LPA-188)
ex
 USS Olmsted (APA-188) (1944 - 1963)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Victor - Victor
 NDVV
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia or Europe clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3-Lebanon) -Philippines Liberation Medal
Haskell Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 11 April 1944 as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MCV 656) at Kaiser Shipbuilding Corp, Vancouver WA.
  • Launched, 4 July 1944
  • Acquired by the US Navy from the Maritime Commission and commissioned USS Olmsted (APA-188), 5 September 1944, CAPT Clarence L. C. Atkeson Jr. USNR, in command
  • During WWII USS Olmsted was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Fourteen, COMO. D. L. Ryan USN (16);
    TransDiv Forty-One (flagship), CAPT. H. J. Wright USN; and participated in the following campaign:

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

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

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    20 to 30 September 1945
    20 January to 2 February 1946
    14 to 24 June 1946

  • Decommissioned, 21 February 1947
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk VA.
  • Recommissioned, 2 February 1952, CAPT. Robert C. Leonard USN, in command
  • USS Olmsted (APA-188) was assigned to Occupation service in Europe from 20 January to 9 May 1953
  • Decommissioned, 27 February 1959 at Norfolk VA.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1960
  • USS Olmsted earned one battle star for service in World War II
  • Returned the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
  • Redesignated Amphibious Transport (LPA-188), 1 January 1969
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 1 August 1981, to Waterman SS Co., resold to Balbao Desqueces Maritimos, S.A. for scrapping in Spain, removed 16 September 1983, scrapping completed 28 May 1984
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Speed 19 kts.
    Complement
    56 Officers
    480 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    86 Officers
    1,475 Enlisted
    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
    one quad 40mm AA gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    one Allis-Chalmers geared turbine
    two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers
    one propeller, design shaft horsepower 8,500 shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Olmsted 63k USS Olmsted (APA-188) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo     		Tom Gonzalez
    Olmsted 726k USS Olmsted (APA-188) moored at Genoa, Italy, 21 April 1957. Photo by Carlo Martinelli
    Olmsted 63k Overhead view of USS Olmsted (APA-188) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from Veramar Arts     		Tommy Trampp
    Olmsted 132k USS Olmsted (APA-188) under way, circa the middle or later 1950s, location unknown.
    US National Archives Photo # 80-G-688815, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.     		US Naval History and Heritage Command
    USS Olmsted (APA / LPA-188)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Atkeson Jr. Clarence Lee Conner, USN (USNA 1922) ;RADM5 September 1944 - 20 February 1945
    02CAPT. Spiegel, Charles Edward Albert, USNR20 February 1945 - 20 September 1946
    03CDR. Powell, Elmer Calvin, USN (USNA 1927)20 September 1946 - 21 February 1947
    03Decommissioned21 February 1947 - 2 February 1952
    04CAPT. Leonard, Robert Craven, USN (USNA 1932)2 February 1952 - December 1952
    05CAPT. Williams Jr., Henry, USN (USNA 1931)December 1952 - December 1954
    07CAPT. Johnson, Clifford Arthur, USN (USNA 1932)1956 - December 1956
    08CAPT. Frazer, Charles Leonard, USN (USNA 1932)December 1956 - 6 February 1957
    09CAPT. Slayton, Morgan, USN (USNA 1933)6 February 1957 - September 1957
    10CAPT. White Jr., Richard Daniel, USN (USNA 1933)September 1957 - December 1958
    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 Data Base
    "U.S.S. OLMSTEAD (APA-188) on 'Magic Carpet' DUTY HOMEWARD BOUND FROM BIAK - HOLLANDIA (the jungle) to LOS ANGELES (civilization)November 27 - December 15 1945"
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 2 June 2023