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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Queens (APA-103)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Uniform - Delta
NZUD

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 - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

Windsor Class Attack Transport:

Laid down, 2 March 1944, under as a Maritime Commission type C3-S-A3 hull under Maritime Commission contract MC hull 1677 at Bethlehem Steel Corp., Sparrows Point, MD.

Launched, 12 September 1944

Delivered to the Maritime Commission, 16 December 1944 and acquired by the US Navy the same day

Commissioned USS Queens (APA-103) the same day, CAPT. John J. Mockrish, USNR, in command

During World War II Queens was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
TransRon Thirteen, COMO. M.O. Carson USN (16);
TransDiv Thirty-Seven

Following World War II USS Queens (APA-103) was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
2 to 26 September 1945
19 October to 1 November 1945

Decommissioned, 10 June 1946, at Norfolk, VA.

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 11 June 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946

Converted to Maritime Commission hull type (P1-S1-DR1) in November 1947

Purchased by American Export Lines, 22 November 1948, renamed SS Excambion

Returned to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 17 March 1959 (Trade in Program)

Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River Group, 20 April 1959

Loaned to Texas Maritime Academy, 26 April 1965, for service as a merchant marine officer training ship

Renamed USTS Texas Clipper (I), 16 May 1965

Returned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX., 6 August 1996, after use as a dormitory for two years by Seaborne Conservation Corps.

Custody transferred, 4 October 2006, to Texas Parks & Wildlife for use as reef

Removed. 10 November 2007, to ESCO, Brownsville for remediation & partial scrapping by Resolve Marine Services

Towed, 14 November 2007, towed to sinking site, 17miles off Port Isabel, South Padre Island, TX. in 134 feet water on port side

Final Disposition, sunk. 17 November 2007. as an artificial reef

Specifications:
Displacement 7,970 t.(lt) 13,143 t.(fl)
Length 473' 1"
Beam 66'
Draft 25'
Speed 18.6 kts (trial)

Complement

42 Officers

434 Enlisted

Troop Accommodations

94 Officers

1,463 Enlisted

Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.

Cargo Capacity 1,600DWT

non-refrigerated 150,000 cu. ft.

Armament

two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

two twin 20mm AA gun mounts

eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 12,330 Bbls

Diesel 575 Bbls

Propulsion

one Bethlehem Shipbuilding steam turbine

two Babcock & Wilcox steam turbines, 450psi 750°

double Falk Main Reduction Gears

three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 8,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Queens (APA-103)
	48k	*USS Queens* (APA-103)** at anchor, circa 1945, location unknown. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 74300	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	27k	*USS Queens* (APA-103)** underway in harbor, date and location unknown.	Robert Hurst
100310313	104k	*USS Queens* (APA-103)** arrivinag at a US port with US service personel, possibly Portland, OR. circa October 1945. Photo from Flickr.com by Thom C	John Spivey
Merchant Service American Export Lines
100310308	353k	Ex-*USS Queens* (APA-103)** as American Export Line's SS Excambion underway, 3 December 1948, on her maiden voyage departing New York City. *Excambion* provided service between New York and Mediterranean ports from 1948 to 1959 American President Lines	Gerhard Mueller Debus and Tommy Trampp
USTS Texas Clipper (I)
	125k	Ex-*USS Queens* (APA-103)** in service as the merchant marine officer training ship USTS Texas Clipper (I) at Texas A&M University Galveston, moored pierside at Horgan's Quay, Cork, Ireland during the first week of July, 1993.	David Nixon
	68k	USTS Texas Clipper (I) at Texas A&M University Galveston, moored pierside, October 1984	Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	27k	USTS Texas Clipper (I) moored pierside, probably at Galveston, TX., date unknown.	Robert Hurst
	256k	USTS Texas Clipper (I) underway off Genoa, Italy, 1 July 1992.	Photo by Carlo Martinelli
100310312	516k	Overhead port bow view of USTS Texas Clipper (I) underway, date and location unknown.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
Ex- Queens (APA-103, Ex- USTS Texas Clipper (I)
	59k	Ex-Queens (APA-103), Ex-*Texas Clipper (I)* being scrapped at ESCO, Brownsville, TX., February 2007.	Photo by Michael Martin, Brownsville, TX.
	43k	Ex-Queens (APA-103), Ex-*Texas Clipper (I)* partly dismantled at ESCO, Brownsville, TX., circa March 2007.	Ron Reeves
	417k	Ex-Queens (APA-103), Ex-*Texas Clipper (I)* under tow enroute to being reefed off South Padre Island, TX., circa November 2007.	Tommy Trampp
	310k	©Associated Press article, 17 November 2007 - "She's finally found her resting place on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico..." Ex-Queens (APA-103), Ex-*Texas Clipper (I)* reefed off South Padre Island, TX., circa November 2007.	Tommy Trampp

USS Queens (APA103)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CAPT. Mockrish, John Joseph, USNR	16 December 1944 - 21 March 1946
02	CDR. Hamblett, Cyril Bertramm USN :ADM	21 March 1946 - 10 June 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

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 17 January 2025