Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Burdo (APD-133)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Echo - Golf
 NUEG
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia or Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort / Crosley Class High-speed Transport:
  • Laid down, 26 July 1944, as Burdo (DE-717), a Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort, at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, MI.
  • Redesignated a Crosley Class High-speed Transport APD-133 while under construction
  • Launched, 25 November 1944
  • Commissioned USS Burdo (APD-133), 2 June 1945, LCDR Hadlai A. Hull USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Burdo was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Following World War II USS Burdo was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 20 to 26 September 1945 and in the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater from 20 January to 9 May 1954
  • Decommissioned, 28 February 1958, at Charleston, S.C.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register 1 April 1966
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 30 March 1967, to Southern Scrap Material Co., New Orleans, LA.
    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
    Burdo 100k Newspaper photo of the burial ceremony of PFC Roland Burdo USMC, for whom the USS Burdo (APD-133) was named. Dennis Burdo
    Burdo 68k Burdo (APD-133) launching ceremony at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City MI., 25 November 1944. Mrs Ida Botts, mother of PFC Roland Burdo USMC.
    De Foe Shipbuilding photo.    		 Dennis Burdo
    Burdo 70k Burdo (APD-133) launching ceremony at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City MI., 25 November 1944. From left to right a De Foe representative (name unknown), Senior Naval Officer, probably the Navy Supervisor of Shipbuilding at De Foe (name unknown), LCDR H. A. Hull, USNR, Commanding Officer, Mrs Botts.
    De Foe Shipbuilding photo    		 Dennis Burdo
    Burdo 64k Burdo (APD-133) launching ceremony at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City MI., 25 November 1944. From left to right Senior Naval Officer, probably the Navy Supervisor of Shipbuilding at De Foe (name unknown), LCDR H. A. Hull, USNR, Commanding Officer, Mrs Botts.
    De Foe Shipbuilding photo    		 Dennis Burdo
    Burdo 65k Mrs. Ida Botts breaks champagne bottle over the bow of Burdo (APD-133) during launching ceremony at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City MI., 25 November 1944.
    De Foe Shipbuilding photo    		 Dennis Burdo
    Burdo 63k Burdo (APD-133) launching at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City MI., 25 November 1944.
    De Foe Shipbuilding photo    		 Dennis Burdo
    Burdo 133k The towboat Tom Sawyer and Burdo (APD-133) entering the Marseilles Lock on the Illinois River, 8 May 1945. Burdo is being moved down the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans for commissioning.
    War Department US Engineers Office, Chicago, IL. photo # 555 from the collections of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, Home of the SS Cobia.    		 Larry Bohn
    Burdo 30k USS Burdo (APD-133) under way, date and location unknown. James A Gregory BTCS USN Ret USS Burdo, April 1955 to December 1957
    Burdo 68k USS Burdo (APD-133) with Japanese Prisoners of War seated on deck, circa September 1945. Peter Fernandez for his father LTjg Joseph A. Fernandez Jr. USS Schmitt
    Burdo 33k USS Burdo (APD-133) anchored at Sasebo, Japan, 20 September 1945. Submitted by Ronald Lambe for William A. King, SoM2/c USS Kline
    Burdo 186k USS Burdo (APD-133) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 56648    		 Mike Green
    Burdo 279k Overhead starboard quarter view of USS Burdo (APD-133) under way in 1951, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 96305. Courtesy of George D. Saunders. 1987.    		 Mike Green
    Burdo 279k Overhead starboard bow view of USS Burdo (APD-133) under way in 1951, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 96304. Courtesy of George D. Saunders. 1987.    		 Mike Green
    Burdo 258k USS Burdo (APD-133) approaching USS Missouri (BB-63) for refueling during a Midshipman Training Cruise, circa the early 1950s.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 107526. Courtesy of George D. Saunders. 1987.    		 Mike Green
    Burdo 343k USS Burdo (APD-133) under way circa 1959, location unknown. Tim Rizzuto
    Burdo 64k USS Burdo (APD-133) steams into the harbor at Haifa, Israel, 1 November 1965, as units of the 6th Fleet moved in to aid in the evacuation of Americans from the Middle East.
    AP Wirephoto    		 Ron Reeves
    USS Burdo (APD-133)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Hull, Hadlai A., USNR2 June 1945 - December 1945
    02LCDR. Brittin, Burdick Heinkel, USNDecember 1945 - 1946
    04LCDR. Bienvenue Sr., Roland Gilbert, USN (USNA 1941)1946 - June 1948
    05CDR. Gibson, Edward Isham, USN (USNA 1939)June 1948 - July 1949
    06LCDR. Bennett, William Randolph, USN (USNA 1943)June 1951 - ?
    07LCDR. Wulf, Robert Arnould, USN (USNA 1944)? - 3 April 1957
    08LCDR. Wall, Charles Louis, USN3 April 1957 - 28 February 1958
    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
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The High-speed Transport (APD) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 26 February 2021