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

USS Andromeda (AKA-15)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Hotel - Yankee
 NXHY
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (4) -Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (5) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Andromeda Attack Class Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down as AK-64, 22 September 1942, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 199), at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J
  • Launched, 22 December 1942
  • Redesignated Attack Cargo Ship (AKA-15), 1 February 1943
  • Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on loan-charter, 30 March 1943
  • Commissioned USS Andromeda (AKA-15), 30 March 1943 at New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn N.Y., CDR. William A. Fly in command
  • During WWII USS Andromeda was assigned first to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and then to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 14 June 1945
    Convoy KMF-25A , 6 November 1943  
    Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943  
    Invasion of Southern France, 15 to 25 September 1944  

  • While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS Andromeda came under the command of:
    TransRon Eighteen, COMO J. G. Moyer USN (14);
     TransDiv Fifty-Two
  • Following World War II USS Andromeda was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    15 to 26 September 194526 February to 5 March 1946
    26 October to 6 November 194510 to 13 August 1951
     8 to 14 September 1951
     13 to 15 March 1953

  • During the Korean War USS Andromeda participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    First UN Counteroffensive
    16 to 17 April 1951     		Second Korean Winger
    2 December 1951
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    26 April to 10 May 1951     		Third Korean Winter
    15 December 1952
    3 to 16 January 1953
    13 to 15 February 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    31 August to 2 September 1951
    18 October 1951
    6 November 1951     		 

  • Decommissioned, 1 May 1956, at San Diego CA.
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia WA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1960
  • USS Andromeda earned five battle stars during World War II and five battle stars for Korean War service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping by MARAD, 6 April 1971, to Marine Power and Equipment Co., Seattle WA. (PD-X-899 dated 12 March 1971), under MARAD Contract MA-6229 for $65,000.00. Towed to Taiwan for scrapping.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,556 t.(lt) 14,200 t.(lt)
    Length 459' 3"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4" (lim)
    Speed 16.5 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 44
    Enlisted 360
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Cargo Capacity 4,895 DWT
    Non-refrigerated - 393,160 Cu ft.
    Refrigerated - 16.131 Cu ft.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boats
    8 LCMs
    1 LCP(L)
    15 LCVPs
    Fuel Capacity
    NSFO - 11,010 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric steam turbine
    two Combustion Engineering D-type boilers, 465psi 765°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Andromeda
    100201508    		 100k
    Namesake
    Andromeda, located north of the celestial equator, is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century Greco-Roman astronomer Ptolemy and remains one of the 88 modern constellations    		 Tommy Trampp
    Andromeda 73k USS Andromeda (AKA-15) pierside, date and location unknown. Michael Morouney
    Andromeda
    80-G-?    		 59k USS Andromeda (AKA-15) at anchor in New York harbor, 8 April 1943. Andromeda was preparing to get underway for Hampton Roads, VA.
    US Navy photo No's, 60-G-?, 80-G-64196, and 60-G-64197 from NARA, College Park, MD.    		 (80-G-?)-Lou Sander
    (80-G-64196), and (80-G-64197)-Tracy White
    Andromeda
    80-G-64196    		 205k
    Andromeda
    80-G-64197    		 144k
    Andromeda
    100201510    		 167k View from the bridge aft of the U.S. Navy attack cargo ship USS Andromeda (AKA-15), circa 1950. The landing craft repair ship USS Sphinx (ARL-24) is visible on the left, she was recommissioned, 3 November 1950. Aft of Sphinx is the cargo ship USS Grainger (AK-184).
    U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-NN-AKA-15 Andromeda-154139. This image is available in the holdings of the US National Archives and Records Administration, cataloged under the National Archives Identifier (NAID) ) 6931761.    		 Robert Hurst
    Andromeda 223k USS Andromeda (AKA-15) at anchor in Hong Kong BCC harbor, circa 1954-55.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1955.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Andromeda
    100201509    		 244k USS Andromeda (AKA-15) underway at sea, circa 1959.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # USN 1044327    		 Robert Hurst
    Andromeda 178k USS Andromeda (AKA-15) underway, date and location unknown. David Wright
    Andromeda 150k Ex-USS Andromeda (AKA-15) at Seattle, WA., in February 1974, about to be towed to Taiwan for scrapping. Japanese tug Iris, in foreground, did the towing. Andromeda was fitted with fake guns while at Seattle, and was used as a movie prop.
    Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 89302    		 Mike Green
    USS Andromeda (AKA-15)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Fly, William Anthony2 April 1942 - ?
    02LCDR. Ward, Duncan9 December 1944 - ?
    03CAPT. Verhoye, Harry James, USN (USNA 1930)31 March 1946- September 1947
    04CDR. Anderson Samuel Clay, USN (USNA 1929)September 1957 - 2 October 1954
    05CAPT. Braun, William BaumertFebruary 1953 - February 1954
    06CAPT. Langen, Thomas David FrancisFebruary 1954 - 1 May 1956
    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 Database
    Action Report - Landing of Occupation Forces, Nagasaki Japan, September 1945
    USS James O'Hara General Instructions - Exercise 4AP, 17 May 1943, Includes USS Andromeda (AKA-15)
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 16 October 2020