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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Patch contributed David Buell

USS Oak Hill (LSD-7)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Sierra - Lima
 NXSL
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




<Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - China Service (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5)
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia or Europe clasp)- National Defense Service Medal (2)
Third Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Quemoy-Matsu) - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation
Fourth Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (15) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Ashland Class Dock Landing Ship:
  • Originally authorized as (APM-7), a Mechanized Artillery Transport
  • Reclassified Landing Ship Dock (LSD-7), 1 July1941;
  • Laid down, 9 March 1943, at Moore Dry Dock Co. Oakland, CA.
  • Launched, 25 June 1943
  • Commissioned USS Oak Hill (LSD-7), 5 January 1944, CDR. Carl A. Peterson USNR in command
  • During WWII USS Oak Hill was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 to 22 June 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 to 14 October 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 10 June 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 13 to 24 October, 31 October to 9 November and 13 to 21 November 1944     		 

  • Following World War II USS Oak Hill was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 to 12 September 19452 December 1945 to 1 February 1946
    27 October to 1 December 1945 
    2 to 6 February 1946 

  • Decommissioned, 17 March 1947, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Recommissioned, 25 January 1951, at San Diego
  • USS Oak Hill was also assigned to Occupation service in Europe from 11 May to 20 September 1954
  • During the Vietnam War USS Oak Hill participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    27 to 28 October 1965     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    2 to 8 June 1967
    29 June to 8 July 1967
    19 to 22 July 1967
    27 July to 2 August 1967
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    1 January to 24 February 1966
    12 March to 1 April 1966     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    2 to 9 September 1968
    20 to 24 September 1968
    28 to 30 September 1968
    12 October to 1 November 1968
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    4 to 14 March 1967
    2 to 5 April 1967
    13 to 23 April 1967     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 to 9 November 1968
    5 to 9 December 1968
    20 December to 5 January 1969
    30 January to 2 February 1969
    5 to 7 February 1969

  • Decommissioned, 26 October 1969
  • Struck from the Naval Register 31 October 1969
  • USS Oak Hill earned five battle stars for World War II service and six campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 15 April 1970, to Marine Power and Equipment Co., Seattle WA.
    Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence, 7 April 1944)
    Displacement 4,032 (light draft), 7,930 (seagoing - loaded)
    Length 457' 9" o.a.
    Beam 72'2"
    Draft
    8' 2 ½" fwd, 10'½" aft (light draft)
    15' 5 ½" fwd, 16'2" aft (seagoing loaded)
    Speed 17 kts (design speed)
    Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
    Complement
    Officers 17
    Enlisted 237
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 218
    Well Deck Capacity (varies with mission)
    three LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or
    two LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or
    fourteen LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or
    forty-seven DUKW or
    forty-one LVT or
    Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity
    Aircraft (still in commission in late 40's or early 50's) were fitted/retro-fitted with a prefabricated steel grated "Portable Deck" suspended between the wing walls and supported by removable I-beam girders. The aft end of the portable deck contained a wooden helicopter platform, enabling the ship to land and launch 1 helicopter at a time. Stowage of helicopters was limited to capacity of the portable deck installed for the mission. Aircraft servicing was limited to re-fueling. With portable deck and aircraft platform installed, the Landing ship, dock was still capable of transporting, launching and repairing smaller amphibious craft and vehicles up to the size of a Landing craft, utility (LCU) in their well decks.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount in open tub (w/director)
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts (local control)
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 11,720 Bbls
    Diesel 160 Bbls
    Gasoline 5,085 Gals
    Propulsion
    two Skinner Uniflow 5-cylinder reciprocating steam engines
    two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi
    Ship's Service Generators
     two turbo-drive 150Kw 120V D.C.
     one Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    twin propellers, 7,400shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Rocky Mount
    10010340    		 374k USS Rocky Mount (AGC-3) and USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) moored at the site of the former coaling dock at Navy Base Pearl Harbor, 21 March 1944. Rocky Mount was scheduled to start an overhaul the next day and Oak Hill had temporarily tied off following an aborted journey to the west coast that was cancelled two hours in following boiler problems.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-221095 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives, College Park, MD.    		 Tracy White
    Oak Hill 69k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) underway, 21 March 1944, location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII web site
    Oak Hill 1079k Aerial views of USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) underway, 21 April 1944, off the coast of California enroute to Pearl Harbor with two Flotilla 13 LCTs aboard. LCT-984 and LCT-982 are loaded stern to stern in Oak Hill's well deck along with numerous LVTs. Photos was taken from a Blimp Squadron (ZP-32) Airship based at Moffett Field, Sunnyvale CA. Photo - David Buell
    Additional Caption Information Walter Slater - LCT-982
    Oak Hill 1192k
    Oak Hill 1086k
    LSM-277 99k USS LSM-277 enters or exits the well deck of USS Oak Hill (LSD-7), at Hagushi, Okinawa, in May 1945. Ships in the background include USS Wabash (AOG-4) at anchor. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    Wabash 203k USS Wabash (AOG-4) crosses astern of USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) after delivering diesel fuel to her, at Hagushi, Okinawa, 18 May 1945.
    US National Archives, Photo No. 80-G-323373, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Mike Green
    Oak Hill 417k PT Boats of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron (MTB-37) being eased into their cradles in the flooded well deck of USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) at Espiritu Santo, 24 July 1945, for shipment to Okinawa.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # 80-G-326551 from "At Close Quarters: PT Boats on the United States Navy" by Captain Robert J. Bulkley, Jr. USNR (Ret.)    		 Robert Hurst
    Oak Hill 81k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7), USS San Marcos (LSD-25), and USS Carter Hall (LSD-3) all recommissioned, 26 January 1951, at the Destroyer Repair Base (Naval Station) San Diego, CA. Photo by Bob Allport, RD2 USN USS Carter Hall, 26 January 1951
    Oak Hill 471k Overhead view of USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) underway in the 1950s, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 David Buell in honor of his father CWO4 Benton E. Buell, USN (Ret), Main Propulsion Assistant USS Oak Hill
    Oak Hill 131k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) under way in San Francisco Bay, November 1957.
    Photo by Allied Photographers.    		 Robert M. Cieri
    Oak Hill 583k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) change of command pamphlet, cover, 22 October 1960. From the collection of CWO4 Benton E. Buell USN. David Buell
    Oak Hill 456k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) under way off Point Loma, San Diego, CA., circa early-1960s.
    US Navy photo from PIO Commander Amphibious Force, US Pacific Fleet.    		 David Buell in honor of his father CWO4 Benton E. Buell, USN (Ret), Main Propulsion Assistant USS Oak Hill
    Oak Hill 103k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) moored to a buoy during the 1960s.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo: # NH 107623    		 Robert Hurst
    Oak Hill 125k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Tommy Trampp
    Oak Hill 37k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) at Subic Bay, PI, March 1966. © Richard Leonhardt
    Oak Hill 49k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) in Subic Bay PI, January 1969. Photo by Joe Criscione
    Oak Hill 71k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) at Subic Bay, PI loading YFU-58 and LCU-1499 into her well deck after the two craft had completed a two month yard period at Naval Station Subic Bay, P.I. Oak Hill will carry them back to South Vietnam, circa 1969 Photo by Joe Criscione
    Oak Hill
    10120718    		 239k USS Oak Hill (LSD-7) underway, outbound to sea from San Diego, CA., date unknown.
    ©George Barber    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    USS Oak Hill Additional Ships Patches
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski
    Oak Hill Oak Hill
    USS Oak Hill (LSD-7)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Peterson, Carl Arthur, USN (USNA 1929)5 January 1944 - 17 March 1945
    02LCDR. Russel, Raymond C., USNR17 March 1945 - 23 March 1946
    03CDR. Goza, John Perry, USNR23 March 1946 - 17 March 1947
     Decommissioned17 March 1947 - 26 January 1951
    05CDR. Houston, Robert Cecil, USN (USNA 1934)26 November 1951 - 17 March 1952
    06CDR. Youngjohns, Ernest James, USN17 March 1952 - 20 February 1953
    07CDR. Tower III, Robert S.20 February 1953 - 17 November 1954
    08CDR. Vidani Jr., Paul Joseph, USN17 November 1954 - 12 November 1956
    09CDR. Taylor, Thomas Hart, USN (USNA 1940)12 November 1956 - 13 January 1958
    10CDR. Glaes, James Gordon, USN (USNA 1939)13 January 1958 - 16 May 1959
    11CDR. Carl Jr., Edward Franklin, USN16 May 1959 - 22 October 1960
    12CDR. Hartman, Raymond Graham, USN22 October 1960 - 18 August 1962
    13CDR. Flitton II, Charles Neville, USN18 August 1962 - 1964
    14CDR. Hinman Charles Robert, USN1964 - 17 October 1966
    15CDR. Cort, Walter Williams, USN (USNA 1948-A)17 October 1966 - 7 September 1968
    16CDR. Mayo, Donald H.7 September 1968 - 26 October 1969
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    Last Updated 6 January 2023