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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS John P. Gray (APD-74)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Alpha - Alpha
 NUAA
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 - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Buckley Class Destroyer Escort / Charles Lawrence Class High-speed Transport:
  • Laid down, 18 December 1943, as John P. Gray (DE-673), a Buckley Class Destroyer Escort, at Dravo Corp. Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Launched 18 March 1944
  • Redesignated (APD-74), 27 June 1944
  • Towed to Orange, TX. for fitting out as a High-speed Transport
  • Commissioned, USS John P. Gray (APD-74), 15 March 1945, at Consolidated Shipbuilding Co., Orange, TX., LCDR. William E. Sims in command
  • During World War II USS John P. Gray was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, TransDiv One Hundred Seven, CAPT. N. E. Miller USN
  • Following World War II USS John P. Gray was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 3 to 20 September 1945
  • Decommissioned 29 May 1946 at Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange, TX.
  • Struck form the Naval Register, 1 March 1967
  • Final Disposition, sold 3 September 1968, for scrapping
    APD Specifications:
    Displacement 1,400 t.(lt), 2,130 t.(fl)
    Length 306' ovl.
    Beam 37'
    Draft 12' 7" (limiting)
    Speed 23.6 kts. (trial)
    Range 6,000 nautical miles at 12 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 12
    Enlisted 192
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 12
    Enlisted 150
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Boats 4 LCVP landing craft
    Troop Accoutrements
    six 1/4 ton trucks
    two 1 ton trucks
    four ammunition carts
    four pack howitzers
    Storage
    Ammunition 6,000 cu. ft.
    General Cargo 3,500 cu. ft.
    Gasoline 1,000 cu. ft.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    three twin 40 mm AA gun mounts
    six single 20 mm AA gun mounts
    two depth charge tracks
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 2,216 Bbls
    Diesel 93 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Combustion Engineering "D" Express boilers, 435psi 750°
    two General Electric turbines, (turbo-electric drive)
    Ship's Service Generators
    two 300Kw 450V A.C.
    two 40Kw 120V D.C.
    two propellers, 12,000shp

    Joseph Janney Steinmetz. Photo # JJS0458 from the collections of the Florida Memory Project
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    John P. Gray 124k Launching of John P. Gray (DE-673) at Dravo Corp. Pittsburgh, PA., 18 December 1943. Photo # BS 62430. Nick Tiberio
    John P. Gray
    100407402    		 46k Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs, Florida, circa 1948. Identifiable ships;
    USS John P. Gray (APD-74)
    USS Register (APD-92) and
    USS William M. Hobby (APD-95)    		 Robert Hurst
    Kline
    100412032    		 177k U.S. Navy high-speed transports "mothballed" at Green Cove Springs, Florida, between 1947 and 1966. The ship nearest to the camera is USS Kline (APD-120). The stern of USS John P. Gray (APD-74) is visible behind Kline.
    Joseph Janney Steinmetz. Photo JJS0454 from the collections of the Florida Memory Project    		 Robert Hurst
    USS John P. Gray (APD-74)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Sims, William Everett, USNR15 March 1945 - 5 March 1946
    02LT. Heaton, Clair William, USNR5 March 1946 - 29 May 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 15 December 2023