Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the 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

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Casa Grande (LSD-13)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - November - Hotel
NJNH

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 1-Dominican Republic) - Philippines Liberation Medal

Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:

Authorized under the Lend-Lease Act as British Mechanized Artillery Transport BAPM-5

Reclassified Landing Ship Dock LSD-13, 1 July 1942

Contract awarded for LSD-13 to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA., 10 September 1942

LSD-13 was laid down, 11 November 1943 as HMS Spear at Newport New Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News VA.

Launched, 11 April, 1944

Lend-Lease canceled or modified never commissioned in Royal Navy as HMS Portway (F-144)

Commissioned USS Casa Grande (LSD-13), 5 June 1944, LCDR. F. E. Strumm, USNR, in command

During World War II USS Casa Grande was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 20 to 22 October 1844	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 3 June 1945
Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landing, 9 to 30 January 1945	.

Decommissioned, 23 October 1946, at Norfolk, VA.

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk Group;

Recommissioned, 1 November 1950

Decommissioned, (date unknown)

Struck form the Naval Register, 11 October 1976

Final Disposition, sold, 6 April 6 1992, for $270,000 to Baxter Shipping Inc, Burbank, CA., fate unknown

USS Casa Grande received three battle stars for World War II service

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"
Draft 8' 2 ½" fwd, 10' ½" aft (light draft); 15' 5 ½" fwd, 16' 2" aft (seagoing loaded)
Speed 17 knots maximum (design speed)
Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
Crew Complement 17 officers, 237 men; Landing Craft: 6 officers, 30 men
Troop Complement 22 officers, 218 men
Landing Craft 6 officers, 30 men
Speed 17 knots maximum (design speed)
Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
Crew Complement 17 officers, 237 men; Landing Craft: 6 officers, 30 men
Troop Complement 22 officers, 218 men
Well Deck Capacity (without prefabricated "Super-Decks" installed)

3 LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or

2 LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or

14 LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or

47 DUKW or

41 LVT or

Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity
Well Deck Capacity (with prefabricated "Super-Decks" installed)

108 DUKWs or

92 LVTs or

Any combination of tracked/wheeled vehicles up to capacity
(Note: LSDs were incapable of repairing landing craft in this configuration)
Aircraft LSDs 1 - 27 (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

1 - 5"/.38 caliber Dual Purpose single barrel mount in open tub (w/director)

2 - 40MM quad barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (w/directors)

2 - 40MM twin barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (w/directors)

16- 20MM single barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (local control)
Propulsion

2 - Babcock and Wilcox Boilers, D Type, 2 Drum, Single Furnace, Single Uptake,
Oil Fired

2 - Skinner Engines - steam turbine (geared)

Twin screws

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
141k	*USS Casa Grande* (LSD-13)** at anchor, date and location unknown	.
203k	*USS Casa Grande* (LSD-13) discharging LCU-1491** from her well deck, date and location unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine September 1957 issue.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
48k	*USS Casa Grande* (LSD-13)** in the Antarctic ice, circa June-July 1969.	Submitted by Donald Wagner, courtesy Phil Burt, webmaster USS Casa Grande web site
670k	*USS Casa Grande* (LSD-13) and USS Nipmuc (ATF-157)** moored at Thule, Greenland, circa June-July 1969	Marc Schenck, Photo by his father LTjg. Bernard Schenck USS Glacier

View the USS Casa Grande (LSD-13)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
USS Casa Grande (LSD-13) Reunion Association
The LSDs of the US Navy

Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index

Back To The Dock Landing Ship Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

Last Updated 22 February 2008