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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Weiss (LPR-135)
ex
 USS Weiss (APD-135) (1945 - 1969)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Echo - India
 NUEI
JANAP Tactical Voice Radio Call Sign - Admiral (Y)ankee - Section 6A of JANAP 119(F) 1968
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (3) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort / Crosley Class High-speed Transport:
  • Laid down, 4 October 1944, as Weiss DE-(719), a Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort, at DeFoe Shipbuilding Bay City, MI.
  • Redesignated a Crosley Class High-speed Transport, APD-135, while under construction
  • Launched, 17 February 1945
  • Commissioned USS Weiss (APD-135), 7 July 1945, LCDR. Thomas D. Morris in command
  • Decommissioned, 2 May 1949, at Charleston S.C.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs
  • Recommissioned, 14 October 1950, LCDR. W. H. Bargeloh in command
  • During the Korean War USS Weiss (APD-135) participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    18 July to 1 August 1951
    9 to 11 August 1951
    27 August to 5 September 1951
    8 to 9 October 1951    		 Third Korean Winter
    15 December 1952
    5 to 7 January 1953
    25 February to 5 March 1953
    13 to 18 March 1953
    Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    31 July to 1 August 1952
    1 to 2 September 1952
    17 to 29 September 1952
    16 October 1952    		  

  • Decommissioned, 2 March 1958, at San Francisco CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Francisco Group, Treasure Island Naval Station
  • Recommissioned, 20 November 1961, at San Diego, CA., CDR. Merritt D. Tuel in command
  • During the Vietnam War USS Weiss (APD-135 / LPR-135) participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    25 November to 11 December 1965    		 Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
    1 to 11 June 1967
    23 June to 3 July 1967
    15 July to 1 August 1967
    9 August 1967
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    5 to 19 January 1966
    26 to 30 January 1966
    5 to 18 March 1966
    25 March to 6 April 1966    		 Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V
    10 September to 1 November 1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    30 to 31 May 1967    		 Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 November 1968 to 4 February 1969
    10 to 12 February 1969

  • Designation changed to Amphibious Transport, Small (LPR-135), 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned, 16 January 1970, at Orange, TX.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 September 1974
  • USS Weiss earned three battle stars for Korean War service and six campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 24 June 1976, to J. R. Steel Corp., Houston, TX for $79,002.00
    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
    Weiss 97k First day of launch cover for USS Weiss (APD-135) postmarked at Bay City, MI February 17, 1945. Paul Petosky
    Weiss 383k USS Weiss (APD-135) underway, circa 1946, location unknown. Peter Bensen for his father Andrew (Andy) M. Bensen USS Weiss 1946.
    Weiss 116k USS Weiss (APD-135) underway date and location unknown. Note the clear fantail used for stowing stores for landing operations. The two twin 40 mm guns aft, each with a director, had a good arc of fire aft. The derrick was used for loading stores into the LCVPs which are carried in gravity type davits. Usually two LCVPs were carried each side under one davit, but Weiss had two LCVPs away when photographed. Note life rafts stowed each side.
    Official US Navy photo scanned from "American Destroyers Escorts of World War 2", by Peter Elliott.    		 Robert Hurst
    Weiss 188k North Korean refugees aboard USS Weiss (APD-135) after they were rescued by Underwater Demolition Team members, during operations intended to reduce Communist Forces' food supplies by destroying North Korean fishing nets, 16 September 1952. Note UDT rubber boats in the left background.US Navy photo #: 80-G-K-14209 now in the collections of the US National Archives. Robert Hurst
    Weiss
    100413517    		 54k USS Weiss (APD-135) moored pierside, circa Korean War, location unknown.
    flickriver.com by Count_StradM.i>    		 John Spivey
    Weiss 193k USS Weiss (APD-135) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Paul Rebold
    Weiss 81k USS Weiss (APD-135) underway, circa 1963, location unknown. George Mason
    Weiss 365k USS Weiss (APD-135) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    Weiss 23k USS Weiss (APD-135) moored pierside, date and location unknown. USS Weiss
    web site
    Weiss 31k USS Weiss (APD-135) nested at Yokosuka in 1954.
    US Navy photo from DANFS.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Weiss 199k USS Weiss (APD-135) under way off San Diego, CA. during the 1960s.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 107527    		 Mike Green
    Weiss 18k USS Weiss (APD-135) arrives at Sattahip, Thailand, in 1963 and was the first ship to visit there in more than a year.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, May 1963.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Weiss 100k US Weiss (APD-135) at anchor during Boat Operations off the Hawaiian Islands, in 1964. Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville.
    Weiss 66k USS Weiss (APD-135) at anchor during Boat Operations off the Hawaiian Islands, in 1964. Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville.
    Weiss 64k USS Weiss (APD-135) underway at Pearl Harbor, HI., October 1968. © Richard Leonhardt
    USS Weiss (APD-135 / LPR-135)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Morris, Thomas D., USNR7 July 1945 - 23 November 1945
    02LCDR. Nelson, Charles Earl, USN (USNA 1941)23 November 1945 - July 1947
    03LTjg. Hankey, Frank, R., USNRJuly 1947 - August 1947
     Decommissioned2 May 1949 - 14 October 1950
    04LCDR. Bargeloh Jr., William Henry, USN14 October 1950 - ?
    05LCDR. Prada, Gerald Warren, USN24 December 1954 - 4 October 1956
    06LCDR. Gant, Ralph Warren, USN4 October 1956 - 2 March 1958
     Decommissioned2 March 1958 - 20 November 1961
    07LCDR. Tuel, Merritt Douglas, USN20 November 1961 - 7 October 1963
    08LCDR. Ripley, Robert Kenyon1963 - 30 April 1965
    09LCDR. Carterette, Robert Theodore, USN30 April 1965 - 8 October 1966
    10LCDR. Viera, John Joseph, USN8 October 1966 - 20 October 1967
    11CDR. Wettroth, John Richard, USN20 October 1967 - December 1967
    12LCDR. Viera, John Joseph, USNDecember 1967 - 1968
    13LCDR. Donlan, William Joseph, USN1968 - 1969
    14LCDR. Firey, Roger Stafford, USN1969 - 16 January 1970
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    USS Weiss APD 135 Association
    Contact: Bill Barton
    Address: 934 N. Center St., Corry, Pa 16407-1229
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Weiss (APD-135)
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
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