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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USS Hermitage (AP-54)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Delta - Bravo
 NEDB
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Hermitage Class Transport:
  • Laid down and launched in 1925 as SS Conte Biancamano at William Beardmore and Co., Ltd., Dalmuir, Scotland, for Lloyd Triestino SA. anon di Nav. of Italy
  • Interned at Balboa C.Z. in December 1941
  • Assigned to the US Navy and converted to a Naval Transport at William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Commissioned, USS Hermitage (AP-54), 14 August 1942, CAPT. Donald F. Patterson in command
  • During World War II Hermitage served in both the Europe-Africa-Middle East and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters and participated in the following campaign:
    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    North African occupation
    Algeria-Morocco landings Casablanca, 8 to 25 November 1942
  • Decommissioned, 20 August 1946, at San Francisco, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
  • Returned to Italian Government in May 1947
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in Italy in 1960
  • Hermitage earned one battle star for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 24,465 t.
    Length 555'
    Beam 66' 1"
    Draft 27'
    Speed 20 kts.
    Complement 909
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    six single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    Propulsion steam turbine
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    Hermitage 29k USS Hermitage (AP-54) underway, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Hermitage 62k USS Hermitage (AP-54) underway, January 1943, location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    Hermitage 134k USS Hermitage (AP-54) screw under repair at Navy Yard Mare Island inside machine ship (Shop 31), 22 March 1944. Hermitage was at Mare Island for emergency docking (appears she chewed-up some bottom with her screw) in dock #2 from 17 March until 19 March 1944. Possibly the screw was removed and repaired by Mare Island and then ship and screw where reunited in a Hunters Point dry dock.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 1845-44    		 Darryl Baker
    View the USS Hermitage (AP-54)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S.Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Reunion Contact
    Contact: Frank Calvarese
    Place: Myrtle Beach, S.C.
    Date: Annually in October
    E-mail: USS Hermitage (AP-54) Reunions
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    No Information Available
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 25 April 2008