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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Westmoreland (APA-104)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Uniform - Juliet
NZUJ

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)

Bayfield Class Attack Transport:

Laid down, 8 December 1943, as a Maritime Commission type (C3-S-A2) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 872) at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp, Pascagoula, MS.

Launched, 28 April 1944

Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission 8 July 1944

Placed in reduced commission 8 July 1944 for transit to her fitting out yard at Hoboken, N.J., LCDR. James H. Graves, USNR, in command

Decommissioned at Hoboken, 12 July 1944

Fitted out as an Attack Transport at Todd Shipyards, Hoboken. N.J.

Recommissioned, USS Westmoreland (APA-104), 18 January 1945, CAPT. James M. Hicks USN (25) in command

During World War II USS Westmoreland was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
TransRon Twenty-Two (flagship), COMO. S.P. Jenkins;
TransDiv Sixty-Five, CAPT. E.C. Rogers USN (18)

Following World War II USS Westmoreland was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
2 to 27 September 1945
19 to 23 October 1945

Decommissioned, 5 June 1946, at Norfolk, VA.

Returned to the Maritime Commission, 7 June 1946, at the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 19 June 1946

Sold for merchant service by the Maritime Commission 2 July 1947 to Isthmian Steamship Co., renamed SS Steel King

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 28 August 1973, to Shyeh Sheng Huat Steel & Irons Works, Taiwan

Specifications:
Displacement 8,100 t.(lt), 16,100 t.(fl)
Length 492'
Beam 69' 6"
Draft 23' 3" (lim)
Speed 18.4 kts (trial)

Complement

51 Officers

524 Enlisted

Flag Accommodation

43 Officers

108 Enlisted

Troop Accommodation

80 Officers

1,146 Enlisted

Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.

Cargo Capacity 4,800 DWT

non-refrigerated 180,500 Cu. ft.

Boats

12 LCVP

4 LCM (Mk-6)

3 LCP(L) (MK-IV)

Armament

two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts, one fore and one aft

two twin 40mm AA gun mounts

eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 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 400Kw 120V/240V D.C.

single propeller, 8,500shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Westmoreland (APA-104)
100310416	143k	*USS Westmoreland* (APA-104) underway, possibly near Hoboken, N.J. after fitting out as an Attack Transport, circa January 1945. Westmoreland** has the added structure behind the stack for extra communications that allows her to function as a command ship. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 32, Design 4T. U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo from Flickr	John Spivey
100310413	183k	*USS Westmoreland* (APA-104)** underway, date and location unknown. U.S. Navy photos	MARAD
100310415	202k		MARAD
100310414	19k	*USS Westmoreland* (APA-104)** moored pierside, date and location unknown. U.S. Navy photo	MARAD
	96k	*USS Westmoreland* (APA-104)** underway, date and location unknown. From the Fredrick Wood Collection.	Stanley C. Svec
	3619k	Panoramic view of *USS Westmoreland* (APA-104)**'s entire crew, including names, taken at Terminal Island Navy Yard, Long Beach, CA., circa 4 March to 21 April 1946. Names were provided by crew member William Fellner	Christopher Yost for his father LTjg. Paul W. Yost USS Westmoreland

	210k	*USS Westmoreland* (APA-104)** Combat Information Center.	Christopher Yost for his father LTjg. Paul W. Yost USS Westmoreland
	82k	Three *USS Westmoreland* (APA-104)** LCVP's in the water, date and location unknown.	Christopher Yost for his father LTjg. Paul W. Yost USS Westmoreland
	139k	Bow view of *USS Westmoreland* (APA-104)** at anchor while lifting one of her LCP(L)'s out of the water, date and location unknown.	Christopher Yost for his father LTjg. Paul W. Yost USS Westmoreland
100310412	237k	*USS Westmoreland* (APA-104)** in San Francisco Bay circa 1946 on a Magic Carpet voyage, her decks filled with returning troops to the USA. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 80016	Darryl Baker
Merchant Service Isthmian S.S. Co.
	347k	Ex-*USS Westmoreland* (APA-104)** underway in merchant service as Isthmian Steamship Co.'s SS Steel King, circa 1970, location unknown. Photo ©Airfoto Malacca.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus

USS Westmoreland (APA-104)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
	LCDR, Graves, James Harvey, USNR (Ferry Crew #5)	8 July 1944 - 12 July 1944
	Decommissioned	12 July 1944 - 18 January 1945
01	CAPT. Hicks, James Martin USN (USNA 1925)	18 January 1945 - 5 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
Bangor Public Library - Digital Commons - USS Westmoreland (APA-104)
MARAD Vessel History Data Base

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 17 January 2025