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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Bladen (APA-63)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Mike - Papa
 NKMP
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)
Gilliam Class Attack Transport
  • Laid down, 8 March 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BD1) hull under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1856) at Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, CA.
  • Launched, 31 May 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission, 17 October 1944
  • Commissioned USS Bladen (APA-63), 18 October 1944, LCDR. Walter P. Hartung USNR in command
  • During World War II USS Bladen was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Fifteen, CAPT. W.S. Popham USN (14);
    TransDiv Forty-Four, CAPT. J. H. Seyfried USN and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 to 28 February 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 10 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS Bladen was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 14 to 26 October 1945
  • USS Bladen (APA-63) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.2.6 (Target Vessel Group - Merchant Type Units - Transport Division 93 (TRANSDIV 93) for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946
  • Decommissioned, 26 December 1946, at Norfolk, VA
  • Berthed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until August 1953
  • USS Bladen earned two battle stars for her World War II service
  • Returned the Maritime Administration, 3 August 1953, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 20 October 1953
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 15 July 1955, to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, MD. (PD-X-521 dated 14 June 1955) for $161,166.00. Withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet and delivered to Boston Metals Co., 3 August 1955
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,247 t.(lt), 7,080 t.(fl)
    Length 426'
    Beam 58'
    Draft 16.9'
    Speed 16.9 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 27
    Enlisted 295
    Troop Capacity
    Officers 47
    Enlisted 802
    Cargo Capacity 85,000 cu. ft., 2,600 t.
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 9,695 Bbls
    Diesel 375 Bbls
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA radar-directed gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    two Westinghouse turbo-electric drive
    two Babcock & Wilcox 450psi 750° boilers
    Ship's Service Generators
     one turbo-drive 250Kw 450V A.C.
     one turbo-drive 150Kw 450V A.C.
     one turbo-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    two propellers 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Bladen 50k USS Bladen (APA-63) underway, date and location unknown. Norman Hinga in honor of his father Edward C. Hinga USS Bladen 1943-45
    Bladen 125k USS Bladen (APA-63) underway, date and location unknown. Bradley J. Cate for his father, Merle P. Cate USNR USS Bladen
    Gasconade 254k View of the wharf area Pearl Harbor Navy Yard from over the submarine base, 27 February 1946. Among ships present are:
    USS Barrow (APA-61),
    USS Brule (APA-66),
    USS Gasconade (APA-85), and
    USS Appling (APA-58);
    USS LST 219,
    USS LST 285,
    USS LST 388 and
    USS LST 52 with
    LCT 812 and
    LCT 414 embarked;
    USS Briscoe (APA-65) and
    USS Bladen (APA-63).
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-361747, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 US Navy History and Heritage Command
    Gasconade 182k Pearl Harbor Navy Yard amphibious ships alongside the wharf, 27 February 1946. Some are being prepared for target service at Bikini. Ships are (1st group):
    USS Briscoe (APA-65) and
    USS Bladen (APA-63)
    (second group):
    USS LST 52 with
    LCT 812 and
    LCT 414 embarked;
    USS LST 388 and
    USS LST 285,
    USS LST 219,
    third group):
    USS Appling (APA-58),
    USS Gasconade (APA-85),
    USS Barrow (APA-61), and
    USS Brule (APA-66).
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-361731, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 US Navy History and Heritage Command
    Gasconade 250k Aerial view of Pearl Harbor Navy Yard looking toward the drydock area from over the submarine base, 27 February 1946. Among the ships present are: seven Sims, McCall, Gridley, and Mahan class destroyers;
    USS Barrow (APA-61),
    USS Brule (APA-66),
    USS Gasconade (APA-85), and
    USS Appling (APA-58);
    USS LST 219,
    USS LST 285,
    USS LST 388 and
    USS LST 52 with
    LCT 812 and
    LCT 414 embarked;
    USS Briscoe (APA-65) and
    USS Bladen (APA-63).
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-361740, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 US Navy History and Heritage Command
    Bladen
    100306303    		 394k USS Bladen (APA-63) inbound from sea in San Francisco Bay approaching the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, 13 October 1946. Bladen was cleared of radiation hazard after participating in Test Able, 1 July 1946 at Bikina Atoll.
    US Photo from Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum    		 Darryl Baker
    Bladen
    100306304    		 130k USS Bladen (APA-63) at anchor, probably off Mare Island Navy Yard in 1946
    US Navy photo # USN 1045672    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    USS Bladen (APA-63)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01Hartung, Walter Paul, USNR18 October 1944 - 2 January 1946
    02CAPT. Mewhinney, Leonard Sparks, USN (USNA 1927)2 January 1946 - 26 December 1946
    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
    An Informal Biography of USS Bladen
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Attack Transport (APA) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 14 June 2024