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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Harris (APA-2)
ex
 USS Harris (AP-8) (1940 - 1943)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - India - Sierra - Whiskey
 NISW
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - 8 and 9 January 1945, 1 to 3 April 1945)
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended) - American Defense Service Medal (with bronze star in lieu of Fleet clasp)
Third Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (9)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Harris Class Transport:
  • Built as SS Pine Tree State in 1921 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corp, Sparrows Point, MD.
  • Purchased by Admiral Orient Lines, renamed SS President Grant in 1922
  • Acquired by the US Navy from the Maritime Commission, 17 July 1940
  • Converted to a Naval Transport at Todd Shipyard, Seattle, WA.
  • Commissioned USS Harris (AP-8), 19 August 1940, LCDR. A. M. Van Eaton in command
  • During World War II USS Harris (AP-8) was first assigned to the European Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater participating in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    North African Occupation
    Algeria-Morocco occupation, 8 November 1942

  • Reclassified as an Attack Transport (APA-2), 1 February 1943
  • USS Harris (APA-2) participated in the following Asiatic-Pacific Theater campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Aleutian Islands operation
    Attu occupation, 11 May 1943     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 to 28 October 1944
    Gilbert Islands operation
    Tarawa landings, 20 November to 2 December 1943     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944     		Manila Bay - Bicol operations
    Zambales - Subic Bay, 20-30 January 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 16 to 20 June 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 6 April 1945
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands
    Babelthuapt Island landing, 15 September 1944
    Ulithi Atoll landing, 23 September 1944     		 

  • Decommissioned, 16 April 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS Harris earned ten battle stars for World War II service
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 28 June 1946, at Davisville, R.I.
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA., 3 July 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 30 December 1947, to American Shipbreakers Inc. (PD-X-401 dated 10 July 1947), withdrawn 29 July 1948
    Specifications:
    Displacement 13,529 t.(lt) 21,900 t.(fl)
    Length 535' 2"
    Beam 72' 6"
    Draft 31' 3"
    Speed 17.2 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 37
    Enlisted 585
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 126
    Enlisted 1,557
    Flag Accommodations
    Officers 43
    Enlisted 108
    Cargo Capacity 2,200 DWT
    non-refrigerated 190,000 Cu. ft.
    Armament
    four single 3"/50 cal gun mounts
    one twin 40mm AA gun mount
    one quad 40mm AA gun mount
    10 single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 29,675 Bbls
    Diesel 375 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Bethlehem Curtis-type turbines
    eight Yarrow header-type boilers, 265psi Sat°
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    three turbo-drive 200Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    twin propellers, 12,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Merchant Service
    George Clymer 121k Admiral Orient Lines cruise ship SS President Grant 1923 advertisement for sailings from Seattle to Japan. Tommy Trampp
    USS Harris (APA-2)
    Harris 111k
    Namesake

    Colonel. John Harris USMC
    John Harris was born in Pennsylvania, 20 May 1790, and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps, 23 April 1814. He fought with a mounted detachment of Marines in the Florida Indian Wars 1836 to 37 and as part of the occupying force in Mexico near the close of the war. Harris was promoted to the office of Colonel Commandant of the Corps, 7 January 1859, on the eve of the Civil War. Colonel Harris died while serving as Commandant 12 May 1864.    		 Bill Gonyo
    SS 143 62k USS Harris (APA-2) moored in the background of this photo of USS S-38 (SS-143) following overhaul at San Diego, April 1943.
    US Navy photo # 1198-43 from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard collection now held at Seattle NARA.    		 Tracy White
    Harris 56k USS Harris (APA-2) underway in harbor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Jim Kurrasch
    Battleship Iowa Pacific Battleship Center
    Harris 58k USS Harris (APA-2) at anchor, date and location unknown. Harris is painted camouflage Design 32 Measure 4T. Russ Padden
    Harris 33k USS Harris (APA-2) at anchor, date and location unknown. Harris is painted camouflage Design 32 Measure 4T. Russ Padden
    William P Biddle 106k USS Rixley (APH-3) in a floating drydock on the Wellington, N.Z., waterfront, 27 October 1943. USS William P. Biddle (APA-8), USS Harris (APA-2) and USS Sheridan (APA-51) are riding at anchor in the harbor and destroyers USS Anderson (DD-411) and USS Russell (DD-414) are nested pierside. All units are in continuing TF53 exercises and drills for the coming assault of Tarawa in November. Both destroyers were part of TF 53 that provided escort screen for the attack transports heading for Tarawa, screened heavier battle units as they shelled Betio Island in support of the landings, and provided additional fire support for the attack transports as they collected Marine casualties.
    Photo from the Museum of Wellington City and Sea, Wellington, New Zealand.     		David C. Hoover
    Harris 51k USS Harris (APA-2) at anchor, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    Harris 51k USS Harris (APA-2) at anchor, date and location unknown. Brian Morris
    Harris 302k USS Harris (APA-2) LCVP-2-18 underway with troops aboard, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "Allied Landing Craft of World War Two", Arms and Armour Press.     		Robert Hurst
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR Van Eaton, Albert Montgomery, USN19 August 1940 - 16 October 1940AP-8
    02CAPT. Forster, Otto Marquard, USN (USNA 1912)16 October 1940 - 15 February 1943AP-8/APA-2
    03CDR. Van Eaton, Albert Montgomery15 February 1943 - 30 June 1944APA-2
    04CAPT. Murphy, Marion Emerson. USN (USNA 1922) :VADM30 June 1944 - 26 May 1945APA-2
    05CAPT. Burns, George Louis, USNR26 May 1945 - 16 April 1946APA-2
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

    For more photos and information about USS Harris, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • APA 2 Harris
  • Miscellaneous Crew Photos, Documents, Etc.
    • Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Transport (AP) Photo Index Back To The Attack Transport (APA) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 9 August 2019