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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Natrona (APA-214)


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Quebec - Foxtrot
 NPQF
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 (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal
Haskell Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 30 June 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 562) at Permanente Metals Corp., Yard No. 2, Richmond, CA.
  • Launched, 27 September 1944
  • Commissioned USS Natrona (APA-214), 8 November 1944, Capt. Eric E. Winquist. USNR. in command
  • During World War II USS Natrona was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Seventeen, COMO. T.B. Brittan USN (20);
     TransDiv Fifty, CAPT. R.W. Abbot USN (20) and participated in the following campaign;

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 30 June 1945

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

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    12 October to 5 November1945
    23 to 30 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, 29 July 1946, at Mare Island, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Stockton Group
  • Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 26 August 1958, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 October 1958
  • USS Natrona earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 5 March 1975, to Nicolai Joffe Corp. (PD-X-993 dated 24 January 1975) for $78,789,30, delivered, Withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet, 1 April 1975
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Speed 17.7 kts. (trial)
    Draft 24' (lim)
    Complement
    Officers 56
    Enlisted 480
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 86 Officers
    Enlisted 1,475
    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
    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.
    single propeller, 8,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Natrona 31k USS Natrona (APA-214) at anchor, date and location unknown. Chuck Bailey
    Natrona 73k USS Natrona (APA-214) at anchor, date and location unknown. Chuck Bailey
    Natrona 79k USS Natrona (APA-214) in San Francisco Bay, in late 1945 or early 1946. The missing gun tub on the bow indicates that this photo was taken after all of her armament except two 20mm guns was removed, an action taken before late January 1946.
    US Navy photo # NH 98740 Donated by Boatswain's Mate First Class Robert G. Tippins, USN (Retired), 2003 to the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    USS Natrona (APA-214)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Winquist, Eric Edward, USNR8 November 1944 - 27 August 1945
    02LCDR. Bower, Carl Rogers, USNR27 August 1945 - 25 May 1946
    03LCDR. Paris, George, USN25 May 1946 - 29 July 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
    APA 214 USS Natrona
    MARAD Vessel History Database
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 19 May 2017