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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Russ Padden

USS Elmore (APA-42)

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Golf - Charlie
 NJGC
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - Leyte) - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (8) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Personal Awards

Purple Hearts (1-KIA, 5-WIA Leyte)
Bayfield Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, date unknown, as SS Sea Panther, Maritime Commission type (C3-S-A2) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 390) at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS.
  • Assigned to the Navy as Naval Transport (AP-87)
  • Launched, 29 January 1943
  • Reclassified Attack Transport (APA-42), 1 February 1943
  • Completed and accepted by the War Shipping Administration for the Navy, 30 March 1943
  • Placed in partial commission, 30 March 1943, as USS Elmore (APA-42) for transit to her fitting out yard, Maryland Dry Dock Co., Baltimore, MD., CDR. Charles Allen, USN (Ferry Crew #4) in command
  • Decommissioned, 13 April 1943, at Maryland Dry Dock Co., Baltimore, MD.
  • Re-commissioned USS Elmore (APA-42), 25 August 1943, CDR. Drayton Harrison in command
  • During WWII USS Elmore was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Thirteen, COMO. M.O. Carson USN (16);
    TransDiv Thirty-Seven (flagship) and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marshall Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 13 to 21 October and 19 November 1944
    Bismarck Archipelago operation
    Admiralty Islands landings, 11 to 12 April 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 11 to 14 January 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 21 to 25 July 1944     		Manila Bay-Bicol operations
    Zambales-Subic Bay, 29 to 31 January 1945
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 5 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS Elmore was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 September to 16 October 19452 September to 16 October 1945
    28 October to 1 November 1945 
  • Decommissioned, 13 March 1946, at Mobile, AL.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS Elmore earned eight battle stars for World War II service
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 15 May 1946, for disposal, name reverted to SS Sea Panther
  • Merchant Service
    Sold for commercial service, 22 May 1947, to Pacific Transport Lines, renamed SS China Transport
    Sold to States Steamship Co. in August 1957, renamed SS Oregon
    Renamed SS Idaho, 30 December 1959
    Title transferred to the Maritime Administration, 20 May 1966 (trade-in program)
    Returned to the Maritime Administration, 4 August 1969, at Olympia, WA.
  • Final Disposition sold for scrapping, 30 April 1971, to American Ship Dismantlers Inc. (PD-X-901 dated 13 April 1971) for $73,111.00
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,100 t.(lt), 16,100 t.(lim)
    Length 492'
    Beam 69' 6"
    Draft 26' 6" (lim)
    Speed 18.4 kts.
    Complement
    42 Officers
    518 Enlisted
    Flag Accommodation
    43 Officers
    108 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    83 Officers
    1,435 Enlisted
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Cargo Capacity 4,700DWT
    non-refrigerated 175,000 cu. ft.,
    Boats
    12 LCVP
    4 LCM (Mk-6)
    3 LCP(L) (MK-IV)
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eighteen single 20 mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Oil Capacity
    Navy Standard Fuel Oil 8,510 bbls.
    Diesel 750 bbls.
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine
    two Foster-Wheeler D-type boilers 465psi 765°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    three turbo-drive Ship Service Generators, 250kW 240V D.C.
    one propeller, 8,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Elmore (APA-42)
    Elmore 72k USS Elmore (APA-42) underway, date and location unknown. USS Elmore web site
    Elmore 151k Transports steam in column off Pavuvu, Russell Islands, August 1944, probably during exercises preceding the Palaus operation. Photographed from USS Fayette (APA 43) looking forward, showing her kingposts and LCVPs stowed on deck. USS Pinkney (APH 2) is leading the column, followed by USS Elmore (APA 42) and USS DuPage (APA 41). Photo by Sgt McBride, USMC, 1st Division.
    USMC photo # 94719    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Elmore 544k USS Elmore (APA-42) APA-42 hoisting an LCVP on A-day at Leyte Island, Philippine Islands, 20 October 1944.
    US Army Signal Corps photo by Pvt Robert Sorace from the collections of the US National Archives Still Pictures Branch, College Park, MD. Researcher-Margaret Johnson, Digital photo by-Michael Campbell.    		 John Clingman
    Elmore 523k 3rd Bn, 19th Inf Reg disembarking from USS Elmore (APA-42) before hitting the beach at Leyte. Note landing craft circling near Elmore, awaiting their turn to load troops and then waiting for the signal to form waves. US Army Signal Corps photo by Pvt Robert Sorace from the collections of the US National Archives Still Pictures Branch, College Park, MD. Researcher-Margaret Johnson, Digital photo by-Michael Campbell. John Clingman
    Elmore 23k USS Elmore (APA-42) underway, date and location unknown. Her camouflage is Measure 32 Design 16D. USS Elmore web site
    Merchant Service
    Elmore 306k Ex-USS Elmore (APA-42) in merchant service as the Pacific Transport Lines cargo ship SS China Transport at San Francisco, CA. in 1952. Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Elmore 104k
    USS Elmore (APA-42)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
     CDR. Allen, Charles, USN (Ferry Crew #4)30 March 1943 - 13 April 1943
     Decommissioned13 April 1943 - 25 August 1943
    01CDR. Harrison, Drayton25 August 1943 - 8 February 1945
    02CAPT. Reynolds, John Leeper8 February 1945 - 1946
    03CDR. Conkey, George Lissant1946 - 13 March 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    Last Updated 17 March 2017