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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Kline (APD-120)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Alpha - Romeo
 NUAR
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 (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

USS Kline (APD-120) was transferred to the Republic of China and renamed ROCS Shou Shan (PF-37)
Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort / Crosley Class High-speed Transport:
  • Laid down, 27 May 1944, as Kline (DE-687), a Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort, at Bethlehem Steel Co. Quincy, MA.
  • Launched, 27 June 1944
  • Redesignated a Crosley Class High-speed Transport, 17 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS Kline (APD-120), 18 October 1944, at Bethlehem Steel Co. Quincy, MA., LT. Benjamin F. Uran, USNR, in command
  • During WWII USS Kline was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater TransDiv One Hundred Three, CDR. W. S. Parsons, USN, and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 15 April 1945     		Borneo operation
    Brunei Bay operation, 10 June 1945
    Balikpapan operation, 21 June to 10 July 1945

  • Following World War II USS Kline was assigned to Occupation service from 2 to 27 September 1945
  • Decommissioned, 10 March 1947, at Green Cove Springs, FL.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 January 1966
  • USS Kline earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Sold to the Republic of China, 22 January 1966, under the Military Assistance Program and renamed ROCS Shou Shan (PF-37)
  • Pennant number changes occurred twice (893) and (837)
  • Decommissioned and struck from the Republic of China Navy, 16 March 1997
  • Final Disposition, sunk by an air-strike exercise, 18 October 2000
    APD Specifications:
    Displacement 1,630 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
    12 Officers
    192 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    12 Officers
    150 Enlisted
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Boats four 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 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    three twin 40 mm gun mounts
    six single 20 mm gun mounts
    two depth charge tracks
    Propulsion
    two Babcox and Wilcox "D" Express type boilers, 435 PSI 750°
    two General Electric turbines, (turbo-electric drive) Ship's Service Generators
     two turbo-drive 300Kw 450V A.C.
     two turbo-drive 40Kw 120V D.C.
    two shafts, shaft horsepower 12,000
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Kline (APD-120)
    Kline 125k USS Kline (APD-120) Commissioning booklet. Ronald Lambe for his father Ralph W. Lambe EM2/c USS Kline
    Kline 124k USS Kline (APD-120) commissioning ceremony, 18 October 1944, at Bethlehem Steel Co. Quincy, MA, Ronald Lambe, Courtesy William A. King SoM2/c USS Kline
    Kline 55k USS Kline (APD-120) underway during sea trials, date and location unknown. Scott Hendrick for his father James H. Hendrick PHM2/c USS Kline
    Kline 51k USS Kline (APD-120) underway during sea trials, date and location unknown. Scott Hendrick for his father James H. Hendrick PHM2/c USS Kline
    Kline 65k USS Kline (APD-120) at anchor showing port side damage resulting from the anchor of USS LST-1002. catching the side of USS Kline while she was maneuvering through the nets at Saipan, 20 April 1945 Scott Hendrick for his father James H. Hendrick PHM2/c USS Kline and Mary Wickre, Rod and Pat Day for their father Bill Day SC3/c USS Kline
    Kline 63k USS Kline (APD-120) moored at Norfolk in 1945. Crew member Ken McIntoch SMS/3c. with USS Kline "Scoreboard." USS Kline gun crews were credited with downing three Japanese planes, two Mitsubisi A6M "Zeros," 1 and 6 April 1945, and one Mitsubisi G4M3 "Betty," 26 June 1945. Scott Hendrick for his father James H. Hendrick PHM2/c USS Kline
    Kline 112k USS Kline (APD-120) underway in San Diego Bay, date unknown.
    Photo ©Atlantic Fleet Sales, Norfolk, VA.    		 Ronald Lambe for his father Ralph W. Lambe USS Kline
    Kline 102k Union Jack flown by USS Kline (APD-120) during 1944-45. Scott Hendrick for his father James H. Hendrick PHM2/c USS Kline
    Kline 35k USS Kline (APD-120)'s Underwater Demolition Team in action off Okinawa, 31 March 1945. Submitted by Ronald Lambe for William A. King, SoM2/c USS Kline
    Kline 42k USS Kline (APD-120) crew members on the beach at Okinawa, 2 April 1945.
    Official US Navy photo.    		 Submitted by Ronald Lambe for William A. King, SoM2/c USS Kline
    Kline 47k Port bow view of USS Kline (APD-120) anchored at Manila, Philippine Islands in July 1945. Submitted by Ronald Lambe for William A. King, SoM2/c USS Kline
    Kline 50k Starboard bow view of USS Kline (APD-120) anchored at Manila, Philippine Islands in July 1945. Submitted by Ronald Lambe for William A. King, SoM2/c USS Kline
    Kline 44k Starboard broadside view of USS Kline (APD-120) anchored at Manila, Philippine Islands in July 1945. Submitted by Ronald Lambe for William A. King, SoM2/c USS Kline
    Kline 38k Fantail view of USS Kline (APD-120) anchored at Manila, Philippine Islands in July 1945. Submitted by Ronald Lambe for William A. King, SoM2/c USS Kline
    Earheart 247k Left to right, USS Earheart (APD-113), USS Kline (APD-120), USS Burke (APD-65) and on the opposite side of the pier USS Hubbard (APD-53) laid up in reserve at the US Navy's Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs Florida site, September 1960. John Chiquoine
    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). She was decommissioned, 10 March 1947, at Green Cove Springs and sold to the Republic of China in 1966. 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
    ROCS Shou-Shan (PF-37)
    Kline 9k Ex-USS Kline (APD-120) in Republic of China service as ROCS Shou-Shan (PF-837) underway, date and location unknown. Yu-Lun Miao
    Kline 57k ROCS Shou-Shan (PF-37) underway at Keelung, Taiwan, in 1974.
    Photos by Karsten Petersen    		 Robert Hurst
    Kline 69k
    USS Kline (APD-120)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Uran, Benjamin Franklin, USNR18 October 1944 - 29 March 1946
    02LCDR. Roddy, James William, USNR29 March 1946 - 9 July 1946
    03LCDR. Witten, Charles Henry, USNR9 July 1946 - 10 March 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
    USS Kline (APD-120) Miscellaneous Items
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 15 December 2023