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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Hinsdale (APA-120)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Romeo - Alpha
 NZRA
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive - Okinawa, 1 April 1945) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Personnel Awards

Purple Hearts (24-KIA, 21-WIA Okinawa, 1 April 1945)
Haskell Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 21 June 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull MCV 30) at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA.
  • Launched, 22 July 1944
  • Completed and delivered to the Maritime Commission, 14 October 1944, and turned over to the US Navy
  • Commissioned USS Hinsdale (APA-120), 15 October 1944, CDR. Edward F. Beyer, USNR, in command
  • During WWII USS Hinsdale was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Fifteen, CAPT. W.S. Popham USN (14);
     TransDiv Forty-Four (flagship), 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 27 February 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 14 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS Hinsdale was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 30 December 1945 to 6 January 1946
  • Decommissioned, 8 April 1946, at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1946
  • USS Hinsdale earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 12 April 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet, to Stockard Steamship Corp., 31 May 1955 (Repair Program) General Agency Agreement
  • Returned to the James River Reserve Fleet by Stockard Steamship Corp., 4 August 1955
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 16 July 1974, to B.V. Intershitra, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, (PD-X-980) for $731,150.00, withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet, 11 September 1974
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Draft 24' (limit)
    Speed 17.7 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 56
    Enlisted 480
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 86
    Enlisted 1,475
    Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.
    Cargo Capacity 2,900 DWT
    non-refrigerated 150,000 cu. ft
    Boats
    two LCMs
    one open LCPL
    one covered LCPL (Captain's Gig)
    two LCPRs
    eighteen LCVPs
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual-purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    one quad 40mm AA gun mount
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    one Joshua Hendy geared turbine
    two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 465psi 750°
    double Joshua Hendy Main Reduction Gears
    three 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 8,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Hinsdale 164k USS Hinsdale (APA-120) showing Kamikaze damage inflicted 1 April 1945. Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
    Hinsdale
    100312003    		 96k Scene on an Iwo Jima landing beach, shortly after the 19 February 1945 invasion. Note the .30 caliber machine gun on the boat from which the photo was taken, stern of a partially sunken LCVP from USS Hinsdale (APA-120) just offshore in the right center, men working in the beach area, tanks and amphibious tractors operating inland, and smoke rising in the distance. Original 35mm Kodachrome transparency, photographed by LT. Howard W. Whalen, USNR, Boat Group Commander, USS Sanborn (APA-193).
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 104359, Collection of LCDR. Howard W. Whalen, USNR. Donated by Mrs. Nadine Whalen    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Hinsdale 77k USS Hinsdale (APA-120) at anchor in San Francisco Bay CA. in late 1945 or early 1946.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 98729. Donation of Boatswain's Mate First Class Robert G. Tippins, USN (Retired), 2003.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Hinsdale (APA-120)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Beyer, Edward Flood, USNR15 October 1944 - 27 September 1945
    02CAPT. McCormick, George William, USN27 September 1945 - 21 February 1946
    03CDR. Allen, David Evans USN (USNA 1922)21 February 1946 - 8 April 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Data Base
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 17 January 2025