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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Tortuga (LSD-26)

/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Echo - Uniform NAEU

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (5)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (7) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (6)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:

Laid down, 16 October 1944, at Boston Navy Yard, Boston, MA.

Launched, 20 January 1945

Commissioned USS Tortuga (LSD-26), 8 June 1945, LCDR. George R. Brown, USNR in command

Decommissioned, 18 August 1947, at San Diego

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group

Recommissioned, 15 September 1950

During the Korean War USS Tortuga (LSD-26) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
First UN Counter Offensive 7 February to 8 March 1951 20 to 21 April 1951	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 17 to 18 October 1952
Communist China Spring Offensive 22 April to 20 June 1951	Third Korean Winter 7 to 16 December 1952 19 to 20 December 1952 18 February 1953 26 February to 7 March 1953 10 March 1953
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 23 September to 3 November 1951 6 November 1951

During the Vietnam War USS Tortuga (LSD-26) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Advisory Campaign 9 August to 28 September 1964 4 to 9 June 1965	Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III 5 to 28 September 1967 6 October to 12 November 1967 19 to 23 November 1967 1 to 5 December 1967 11 to 17 December 1967 27 to 31 December 1967
Vietnam Defense 6 to 9 July 1965	Tet Counteroffensive 30 January to 2 February 1968
Vietnam Counteroffensive 16 April to 30 June 1966	Tet69/Counteroffensive 12 to 16 March 1969 23 March to 3 April 1969 15 to 20 April 1969 23 April to 28 May 1969
Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II 1 July to 15 September 1966	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 30 June to 4 July 1969 13 to 21 July 1969 7 to 10 August 1969 12 to 16 August1969

Decommissioned, 26 January 1970, at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NISMF), Mare Island, Vallejo, CA.

Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 10 June 1970, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.

Permanent custody assigned to MARAD, 1 September 1971

Struck from the Naval Register, 15 October 1976

USS Tortuga earned five battle stars for Korean War service and for Vietnam War service Tortuga earned the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with seven campaign stars

Withdrawn from the National Defense Reserve Fleet, 26 May 1983, by the US Navy for stripping

Final Disposition, scuttled, 21 August 1988 after grounding on San Miguel Island while being used as a target, the ship was partially dismantled, raised and towed offshore and scuttled on this date

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 Newport News Shipbuilding steam turbines

two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi

single Newport News Shipbuilding Main Reduction Gears

two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship' Service Generators

twin propellers, 7,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
10122614	36k	Mrs. George T. Paine wife of CAPT. George T. Paine, USN christens Tortuga (LSD-26), 20 January 1945, during the ship's launching at Boston Navy Yard. Boston Navy Yard photo	Dale Hargrave
10122615	54k	Tortuga (LSD-26) slides down the builders ways as she is launched, 20 January 1945, at Boston Navy Yard. Boston Navy Yard photo #464-45	Dale Hargrave
	142k	Tortuga (LSD-26) under way off Boston Navy Yard, 4 June 1945, four days before being commissioned. Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collections	Mike Green
	67k	*USS Tortuga* (LSD-26)** under way, photo pre 1958	Charles Westbrook MM2c USS Tortuga, 1956-1960
	35k	*USS Tortuga* (LSD-26)** under way, date and location unknown.	.
	46k	*USS Tortuga* (LSD-26)** at anchor and ballasted down to flood her well deck, date and location unknown.	USS Ashland Association web site
	60k	*USS Tortuga* (LSD-26)** leaving San Diego in October 1950 for her first shakedown cruise off the coast of California after her re-commissioning, 15 September 1950. Photo by Jack Davidson of San Diego.	Richard A. Bowman QM2 USS Tortuga, 1950-52
	52k	*USS Tortuga* (LSD-26)** leaving San Diego in October 1950 for her first shakedown cruise off the coast of California after her re-commissioning, 15 September 1950. Photo by Jack Davidson of San Diego.	Richard A. Bowman QM2 USS Tortuga, 1950-52
	34k	*USS Tortuga* (LSD-26)** at Sasebo, Japan, 1951.	Richard A. Bowman QM2 USS Tortuga, 1950-52
10122607	243k	*USS Tortuga* (LSD-26)** disgorges LVTs and LVT(A)s during tests conducted at Sagami Bay, Japan in December 1952. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine August 1953 issue	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret. and David Wright
	47k	*USS Tortuga* (LSD-26)** at anchor, location unknown, 1966	Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville
	275k	*USS Tortuga* (LSD-26)** decommissioning ceremony general view of the crew and guests, 26 January 1970, at the US Navy Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Vallejo, CA. Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum, File name: LSD 26 952X1-1-70, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum.	Darryl Baker
	417k	Lowering the colors at the conclusion of the *USS Tortuga* (LSD-26)** decommissioning ceremony, 26 January 1970, at the US Navy Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Vallejo, CA. Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum, File name: LSD 26 952X2-1-70, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum.	Darryl Baker
	30k	*USS Tortuga* (LSD-26)** ship's plaque.	Tommy Trampp

USS Tortuga (LSD-26)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Brown, Raymond George, USNR	8 June 1945 - 8 June 1946
02	CDR. Langley, Thomas Rhodes	8 June 1946 - 18 August 1947
	Decommissioned	18 August 1947 - 12 September 1950
03	CDR. Shook, Kenneth Sydney	12 September 1950 - 22 August 1951
04	CDR. Hermanson, Elof Walter	22 August 1951 - 10 November 1952
05	CDR. Winne, George Morris	10 November 1952 - 15 January 1954
06	CDR. Brenner Jr., James Emmet	15 January 1954 - 27 December 1954
07	LCDR. Young, Vincent Joseph	27 December 1954 - 5 January 1955
08	CDR. Biggers, Charlie Craig	5 January 1955 - 29 March 1955
09	CDR. Purdie, Samuel Bulla	29 March 1955 - 3 July 1956
10	CDR. Davis Jr., Landon Leslie	3 July 1956 - 23 November 1957
11	CDR. Eder, Willard E.	23 November 1957 - 29 October 1958
12	CDR. Silverman, Milton Joseph	29 October 1958 - 12 January 1960
13	CDR. Walton, Nelson Collins	12 January 1960 - 24 February 1962
14	CDR. Hayes, George M.	24 February 1962 - 15 August 1963
15	CDR. Cannon, Herbert B.	15 August 1963 - 10 October 1964
16	CDR. Heinberg, Wolf	10 October 1964 - 28 November 1966
17	CDR. Bauman, Robert Walter	28 November 1966 - 22 July 1968
18	CDR. Vogel, Oscar John, USN	23 July 1968 - 26 January 1970


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
USS Tortuga's last deployment to Vietnam, a video from 8mm film by Don Smith
USS Tortuga LSD-26 Decommissioning Program

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 20 August 2021