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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Horace A. Bass (LPR-124)
ex
 USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) (1944 - 1968)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - kilo - Zulu - Bravo
 NKZB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (30 July 1945 - Okinawa) - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (6) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Personal Awards

Purple Heart (16-WIA, 30 July 1945, Okinawa
Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort / Crosley Class High-speed Transport:
  • Laid down, 3 August 1944, as Horace A. Bass (DE-691), a Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort, at Bethlehem Steel Co. Quincy, MA.
  • Reclassified a Crosley Class High-speed Transport while under construction
  • Launched, 12 September 1944
  • Commissioned USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124), 21 December 1944, LCDR. Frederick W. Kuhn, in command
  • During World War II USS Horace A. Bass was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater TransDiv One Hundred Five CAPT. J. M. Kennaday USN, and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 6 to 10 April, 25 April to 30 June 1945     		Attack and sinking of submarine IJN RO-109, 25 April 1945

  • During the Korean War USS Horace A. Bass participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    8 September to 2 November 1950     		UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    27 November 1951
    Communist China Aggression
    4 November 1950 to 23 January 1951     		Second Korean Winter
    28 November to 5 December 1951
    7 to 22 December 1951
    9 to 13 and 20 to 25 January 1952
    1 to 4 and 29 to 30 February 1952
    19 to 30 April 1952
    Inchon Landing
    13 to 16 September 1950     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    1 to 5 May 1952
    30 May to 13 June 1952
    10 to 25 June 1952

  • During her service as part of the Pacific Fleet USS Horace A. Bass 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 1945 to 13 June 19465 March to 30 July 1947
     15 July to 1 December 1948
     29 November to 28 December 1949
     11 to 17 May 1950
     30 January to 13 February 1955

  • Decommissioned, 9 February 1959, at Orange, TX.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange.
  • Recommissioned, date unknown
  • Designation changed to Amphibious Transport, Small (LPR-124). 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned, 30 July 1969
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 September 1974
  • USS Horace A Bass earned two battle stars for World War II service and six battle stars for Korean War service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 11 August 1975, to J. R. Steel, Inc., Houston, TX. for $79,002
    APD Specifications:
    Displacement 1,630 t.(lt) 2,130 t.(fl)
    Length 306' ovl.
    Beam 37'
    Draft 12' 7" (limiting)
    Speed 23.6 kts. (trial)
    Range 6,000 nautical miles at 12 kts.
    Complement
    12 Officers
    192 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    12 Officers
    150 Enlisted
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Boats four LCVP landing craft
    Troop Accoutrements
    six 1/4 ton trucks
    two 1 ton trucks
    four ammunition carts
    four pack howitzers
    Storage
    Ammunition 6,000 cu. ft.
    General Cargo 3,500 cu. ft.
    Gasoline 1,000 cu. ft.
    Armament
    one 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    three twin 40 mm gun mounts
    six single 20 mm gun mounts
    two depth charge tracks
    Propulsion
    two Babcox and Wilcox "D" Express type boilers, 435 PSI 750°
    two General Electric turbines, (turbo-electric drive) Ship's Service Generators
     two turbo-drive 300Kw 450V A.C.
     two turbo-drive 40Kw 120V D.C.
    two shafts, shaft horsepower 12,000
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Horace A. Bass
    100412416    		 35k
    Namesake
    Horace A. Bass - Horace Ancel Bass, Jr., was born in Roanoke, Va., 22 September 1915, and enlisted in the Navy 24 February 1941. In May he was designated Aviation Cadet, and after aviation training was appointed Ensign 5 December 1941. Ensign Bass underwent further flight training and reported to USS Saratoga (CV-3) in early 1942. Assigned to USS Yorktown (CV-5) during the pivotal Battle of Midway, he flew as part of the combat air patrol 4 June, and although his plane was damaged, shot down an attacking dive bomber and a fighter. For his important part in the battle Ensign Bass was awarded the Navy Cross. Assigned to Fighting Squadron 5 on board Saratoga. Bass again acted as combat air patrol during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons 23-25 August 1942. As he and his fellow pilots protected Saratoga, Ensign Bass was shot down and reported missing in action. He was presumed dead 24 August 1942, as Japanese fleet units were blocked from driving on Guadalcanal.    		 Mike Smolinski
    Horace A. Bass 2592k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Darryl Baker
    Horace A. Bass 22k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
    Horace A. Bass 123k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) alongside the battleship HIJNS Nagato, at Nagaura-ko, Yokosuka, Japan, 30 August 1945.
    Life Magazine Archives, John Florea photographer, shared by Peter DeForest    		 Mike Green
    Horace A. Bass 171k
    Horace A. Bass 177k
    Horace A. Bass 65k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) alongside the battleship HIJNS Nagato, at Nagaura-ko, Yokosuka, Japan 30 August 1945. Robert Hurst
    Hollis 75k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) moored alongside the Japanese battleship < HIJNS Nagato at Nagaura-ko, Yokosuka, Japan, 30 August 1945. Cathy Petersen for James Ray Cannon USS William J. Pattison
    Horace A. Bass
    100412415    		 169k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) underway judging by the condition of her hull paint she is probably in Japanese waters, circa 1945. David Wright
    Horace A Bass 42k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		  
    Lipan 522k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) moored inboard of USS Lipan (ATF-85) at Navy Yard Mare Island, 8 April 1946.
    US Naval Shipyard Mare Island photo.    		 Ed Zajkowski
    Horace A. Bass 188k Aft plan view of USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) at Mare Island, 8 April 1946. She was in overhaul at the yard from 11 February to 10 April 1946. USS Lipan (ATF 85) is outboard while USS LSM-251 is inboard.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1436-46.    		 Darryl Baker
    Horace A. Bass 114k Forward plan view of USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) at Mare Island, 8 April 1946. She was in overhaul at the yard from 11 February to 10 April 1946. USS Lipan (ATF 85) is outboard while USS LSM-251 is inboard.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1437-46.    		 Darryl Baker
    Horace A. Bass 412k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) underway, circa 1947, location unknown.
    Photo courtesy Chris Wright    		 Ed Zajkowski
    Horace A. Bass 610k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) at anchor, 3 November 1947, near Philadelphia Navy Yard.
    Photo courtesy Chris Wright    		 Ed Zajkowski
    Horace A. Bass 435k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) nested with an unidentified Destroyer Escort, date and location unknown.
    Photo by Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret.    		 Scott Nelson for his grandfather Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret.
    Delta 292k USS Delta (AR-9) moored in the harbor at Sasebo, Japan in April 1955 while tending destroyers (inboard to outboard):
    USS McDermut (DD-677),
    USS Yarnall (DD-541),
    USS Tingey (DD-539),
    USS Boyd (DD-544), and
    USS Horace A. Bass (APD 124)    		 Mike Cary for his father James H. Cary SFCM USN Ret. USS Delta
    Horace A. Bass 138k USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) under way in June or July 1958, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command PHoto # NH 53572, courtesy of Mr. J. Sherman Rowe.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    USS Horace A Bass (APD / LPR-124)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Kuhn, Frederick Wilhelm, USN (USNA 1929)21 December 1944 - April 1946
    02LCDR. Cramer, Donald Stanley, USNApril 1946 - June 1946
    03LCDR. Morgan, William Abraham, USNJune 1946 - July 1947
    04LCDR. Hines, Kenneth Washburn, USNJuly 1947 - September 1948
    05LCDR. Holly, David Chuncey, USNSeptember 1948 - 1 August 1949
    06LCDR. Ray, Alan, USN (USNA 1941)1 August 1949 - 12 May 1950
    07LCDR. Curran Jr., James Henry, USN no dates
    08LCDR. Lavrakas, Lefteris, USN (USNA 1943)July 1951 - 21 January 1953
    09LCDR. Erickson, Ernest Oscar (Ernie), USN21 January 1953 - 1954
    10LCDR. Hepfinger, William Joseph, USN1954
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    ENS. Horace A. Bass Navy Cross Citation
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
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    Last Updated 14 October 2022