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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

APB-40 Nueces / IX-503 / APL-40


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - India - Romeo
 NUIR
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (2 March 1969)
Second Row - Presidential Unit Citation - Naval Unit Citation (2) - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3-Dominican Republic)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (2) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (2) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Benawah Class Self-propelled Barracks Ship:
  • Authorized, 17 December 1943, as Barracks Ship (non-self propeller) APL-40
  • Reclassified Barracks Ship (self-propelled) APB-40, 8 August 1944
  • Laid down, 2 January 1945, at Boston Naval Shipyard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 6 May 1945
  • Commissioned USS Nueces (APB-40), 30 November 1945, LT. Leonard I. Berkowitz in command
  • Inactive-in-Commission at Green Cove Springs, FL., March 1946
  • Decommissioned, 30 September 1955
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange, TX.
  • Recommissioned, 3 May 1968
  • During the Vietnam War Nueces participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    3 to 11 May 1966
    10 to 18 and 25 to 30 June 1966     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    1 to 11 and 18 to 25 July 1966
    5 to 9 and 16 to 24 August 1966
    1 to 7 and 15 to 22 September 1966
    24 October 1966 to 4 February 1967

  • Decommissioned, 13 March 1970, at US Naval Station Long Beach, CA.
  • Assigned to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, San Diego CA., 16 April 1970
  • Assigned to Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Seattle, berthed at WISCO Portland OR., 19 August 1974
  • Reclassified Miscellaneous Auxiliary (IX-503), a messing and berthing barge, 1 November 1975, assigned to US Naval Ship Repair Facility, Sasebo, Japan
  • Reclassified Barracks Ship (non-self propeller) APL-40, 3 July 2001
  • APL-40 is part of the CincPacFlt Berthing and Messing Program and is berthed at SRF Yokosuka, Japan
    APB Specifications:
    Displacement 2,189 t.
    Length 328'
    Beam 50'
    Draft 11' 2"
    Speed 12 kts.
    Complement 160
    Berthing Capacity 990
    Armament two 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts, two quad 40mm gun mounts, twenty .50 and .30 cal machine guns
    Propulsion 2 General Motors 12-567 diesel engines, two shafts, twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Nueces 31k Nueces (APB-40) at anchor at Green Cove Springs, FL., circa 1946-47 Wesley E. Reed QM2/c USS Nueces
    Nueces 47k Nueces (APB-40) pierside at Green Cove Springs, FL., circa 1946-47 Wesley E. Reed QM2/c USS Nueces
    Nueces 84k Nueces (APB-40) as flagship for the Florida Group Decommissioning Activity at Green Cove Springs, FL., circa 1946-47 Wesley E. Reed QM2/c USS Nueces
    Nueces 80k Nueces (APB-40) C Division (Control Division), part of the flagship staff for the Florida Group Decommissioning Activity at Green Cove Springs, FL., circa 1946-47. Wesley Reed is in the back row immediately to the left of Lt. Boooks, the Division Officer. Wesley E. Reed QM2/c USS Nueces
    Nueces 22k Nueces (APB-40) in South Vietnamese waters, circa 1969. Photo Courtesy Richard Kane, 4th-47th Riverine Infantry
    Source MRFA
    Nueces 6k Nueces (APB-40) in South Vietnamese waters, circa 1969. Photo Courtesy Richard Kane, 4th-47th Riverine Infantry
    Source MRFA
    Nueces 56k Nueces (IX-503) at the Naval Ship Repair Facility, Yokosuka, Japan, 1995 Shigeru Motosugi
    Nueces 13k Nueces (IX-503) at the Naval Ship Repair Facility, Yokosuka Japan, 1999 Photo Courtesy Ray Prospero
    Source MRFA
    Nueces 37k Nueces (IX-503) at the Naval Ship Repair Facility, Yokosuka, Japan Photo by Ray Prospero
    Source MRFA
    Nueces 45k Nueces (APL-40) at the Naval Ship Repair Facility, Yokosuka, Japan. Port view showing addition of a third deck berthing module added to the superstructure. Bob Gregory COMPACFLT N43 Berthing & Messing Program Manager OPN/IPE Functional Manager
    Nueces 65k Nueces (APL-40) at the Naval Ship Repair Facility, Yokosuka, Japan. Starboard view showing addition of a third deck berthing module added to the superstructure. Bob Gregory COMPACFLT N43 Berthing & Messing Program Manager OPN/IPE Functional Manager
    View the USS Nueces (APB-40)
    DANFS history at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    Back to the Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To the Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Non-self-propelled Barracks Craft (APL) Photo Index Back To The Self-propelled Barracks Ship (APB) Photo Index Back To The Miscellaneous Unclassified (IX) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2007 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 20 October 2006