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USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119)
ex
USAT General William Weigel (1946 - 1950)
USS General William Weigel (AP-119) (1945 - 1946)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Mike - Delta
NKMD
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East 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 (7)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)



USS General William Weigel (AP-119) was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II
General John Pope Class Transport:
  • Laid down, 15 March 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (P2-S2-R2) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 677) at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J.
  • Named General C.H. Barth (AP-119), 15 April 1944
  • Renamed General William Weigel (AP-119), 24 August 1944
  • Launched, 3 September 1944
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 4 January 1945
  • Commissioned USS General William Weigel (AP-119), 6 January 1945, at Bayonne, N.J., CAPT. Thomas Y. Awalt, USCG, in command.
  • During and following World War II USS General William Weigel served in both the Europe-Africa-Middle East and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters and was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    16 to 23 October 1945
    7 to 12 December 1945
    21 to 27 January 1946

  • Decommissioned, 10 May 1946 and Struck from the Naval Register, at New York, N.Y.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission for assignment to the US Army Transportation Service, renamed USAT General William Weigel
  • Re-acquired by the US Navy, 20 July 1950 and placed in service with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119) 1 August 1950
  • During the Korean War USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119) participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    24 September to 1 November 1950
    Second Korean Winter
    2 January 1952
    20 February 1952
    10-11 April 1952
    Communist China Aggression
    11 to 13 November 1950
    Korean Defensive Summer-Fall 1952
    3 June 1952
    29 July 1952
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    6 to 8 July 1951
    Third Korean Winter
    5 to 6 December 1952 27 to 28 January 1953
    US Summer-Fall Offensive 30 to 31 August 1951  

  • Placed out of service and returned to the Maritime Commission, 12 June 1958, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet Olympia, WA.
  • Reacquired, 18 August 1965, and placed in service with the Military Sealift Command (MSC)
  • During the Vietnam War USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119) transported US troops to and from the war zone
  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 31 March 1986
  • USNS General William Weigel earned seven battle stars for Korean War service and one campaign star for Vietnam War service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 10 April 1987, by the Maritime Administration, for $1,005,050, scrapped in Taiwan in 1987
    Specifications:
    Displacement 11,450 t.(lt) 20,175 t.(fl)
    Length 622' 7"
    Beam 75' 6"
    Draft 25' 6"
    Speed 20.6 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 43
    Enlisted 464
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 397
    Enlisted 4,882
    Cargo Capacity 2,700 DWT
    Non-refrigerated 99,542 Cu. ft.
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Armament
    four single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    twenty 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    NSFO 19,600 Bbls
    Diesel 410 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two De Laval steam turbines
    four Foster Wheeler "D"-type boilers, 465psi 765°
    double De Laval Main Reduction Gears
    four turbo-drive Ship's Service Generators, 400Kw 120/240V D.C.
    twin propellers, 17,000shp

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    USS General William Weigel (AP-119)
    General William Weigel 110k
    Namesake

    William Weigel born in New Brunswick, N.J., 25 August 1863, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1887. After fighting in the Indian Wars as a junior officer, he took part in the Cuban campaign during the Spanish-American War and was active in the Philippine Insurrection. As a division commander during World War; I, he commanded troops in the Aisne-Marne offensive and the Meuse-Argonne campaign. Following the war he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, and served as Chief of Staff, Department of the East. Weigel later was a divisional commander and in 1927 headed the Philippine Department. He retired as a Major General 25 August 1927 and filled various civic and patriotic posts until his death in New York 4 March 1936.
    Gen. R.L. Bullard & Col. Wm Weigel
    Digital ID: ggbain 29658 Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division
    Bill Gonyo
    General William Weigel 72k USS General William Weigel (AP-119) arriving from Manila, P.I. with returning Pacific War veterans at the US Army Port of Embarkation, Fort Mason, San Francisco, CA., 11 April 1946. as part of the Magic Carpet fleet. Barbara Fowler, for her father Raymond W Woodall, US Army 1943-1946, HQ CO 1st BN 342nd INF86th Div.
    USAT General William Weigel
    General William Weigel 496k USAT General William Weigel underway in San Francisco Bay, date unknown. Richard A. Mathsen
    General William Weigel 195k USAT General William Weigel return to San Francisco, 23 December, 1946. USAT William Weigel departed Japan, 6 December 1946, with returning US Army occupation forces. Richard A. Mathsen
    General William Weigel 232k
    General William Weigel 61k USAT General William Weigel arriving/departing on one of her shuttle runs to the US garrisons in the Pacific, possibly Okinawa, circa 1946-1950. Mike Harpe
    General William Weigel 1481k Domain of the Golden Dragon Certificate issued on board USAT General William Weigel to Richard A. Mathsen's father-in-law, Anthony Ferrera, during his passage on the 6 to 23 December 1946, Japan to San Francisco crossing. Richard A. Mathsen
    General William Weigel 151k USAT General William Weigel arriving/departing during Magic Carpet operations. Note unidentified LCT alongside. Sgt. Major M. A. Vlahos was a passenger aboard Weigel in 1945. He notes "Sailed this ship from Manila PI boarding it April 17th and leaving April 18th. Arrived in Honolulu April 28(?) 1947. Left Honolulu May 1st- arrived San Francisco May 5th 1947. Average speed 20.5 knots." Frances Vlahos Rohm for his father Sgt. Major M.A. Vlahos Oregon National Guard
    General William Weigel 109k USAT General William Weigel some time before 31 January 1948, when an Army wife and her three young children sailed in her from San Francisco to Manila. The voyage took 19 days, including a 3 day stop in Hawaii and 1 day in Guam. The Army modified the ship for a civilian instead of Navy crew but retained all ten of the ship's Welin boat davits and made few other changes.
    Photo courtesy Shipscribe.com.
    Robert Hurst
    General William Weigel
    092211931
    242k USAT General William Weigel entering San Francisco Bay circa 1946-50 with two Army tugs alongside. Darryl Baker
    USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119)
    General William Weigel 107k USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119) underway off San Francisco, CA., date unknown
    @copy Allied Photographers, San Francisco, CA.
    Jack W. Windsor
    General William Weigel 92k USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119) during the Korean War era.
    US Navy photo.
    Photo from the collection of Capt William Strain USNR Ret USNS General William Weigel. Submitted by his son-in-law Capt Joe Baker USN Ret.
    General William Weigel
    092211930
    213k USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119) moored pierside at Portland, OR., date unknown.
    U.S. Navy - Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) photo.
    Nicholas Tiberio
    General William Weigel 103k Navy replacements disembark from USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119) at Fleet Activities, Yokosuka, Japan, after a voyage from the United States, 11 June 1951. These men are (from left to right): DC1 John R Stamper; AD3 Lee T Feemster, Jr; and AA Walter L Brown.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-429655, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.
    US Naval Historical Center
    General John Pope
    NH 104591
    87k The MSTS Reserve Fleet nest at the Navy Industrial Reserve Shipyard, Everett, WA., 25 June 1957, looking north. The ships, from right to left, are;
    USNS General John Pope (T-AP-110),
    USNS General M. C. Meigs (T-AP-116),
    USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119),
    USNS General R. L. Howze (T-AP-134),
    USNS Marine Phoenix (T-AP-195),
    USNS Marine Adder (T-AP-193), and
    USNS Marine Lynx (T-AP-194).
    They are in MSTS Ready Reserve status. All were moved to the Maritime Administration reserve fleets at Olympia and Astoria in 1958. During World War II this site was occupied by the Everett Pacific Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., which built net laying ships, non-self propelled barracks ships, self-propelled covered lighters and small harbor tugs. Larger ships were repaired at the piers where the MSTS ships were later moored.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo #'s NH 104591 and NH 104592
    Robert Hurst
    General John Pope
    NH 104592
    86k
    General John Pope 79k The MSTS Reserve Fleet nest at the Navy Industrial Reserve Shipyard, Everett, WA., 25 June 1957, looking west. The ships, from front to rear, are;
    USNS General John Pope (T-AP-110),
    USNS General M. C. Meigs (T-AP-116),
    USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119),
    USNS General R. L. Howze (T-AP-134),
    USNS Marine Phoenix (T-AP-195),
    USNS Marine Adder (T-AP-193), and
    USNS Marine Lynx (T-AP-194).
    They are in MSTS Ready Reserve status. All were moved to the Maritime Administration reserve fleets at Olympia and Astoria in 1958. During World War II this site was occupied by the Everett Pacific Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., which built net laying ships, non-self propelled barracks ships, self-propelled covered lighters and small harbor tugs. Larger ships were repaired at the piers where the MSTS ships were later moored.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 104594
    Robert Hurst
    General John Pope 90k The MSTS Reserve Fleet nest at the Navy Industrial Reserve Shipyard, Everett, WA., 25 June 1957, looking east. The ships, from back to front , are;
    USNS General John Pope (T-AP-110),
    USNS General M. C. Meigs (T-AP-116),
    USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119),
    USNS General R. L. Howze (T-AP-134),
    USNS Marine Phoenix (T-AP-195),
    USNS Marine Adder (T-AP-193), and
    USNS Marine Lynx (T-AP-194).
    They are in MSTS Ready Reserve status. All were moved to the Maritime Administration reserve fleets at Olympia and Astoria in 1958. During World War II this site was occupied by the Everett Pacific Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., which built net laying ships, non-self propelled barracks ships, self-propelled covered lighters and small harbor tugs. Larger ships were repaired at the piers where the MSTS ships were later moored.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 104593
    Robert Hurst
    General William Weigel
    092211929
    153k USNS General William Weigel (T-AP-119) being towed away from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet site by a US Navy tug in the summer of 1965. General William Weigel was selected for reactivation during the Vietnam War. Gerhard Mueller-Debus

    USS / USNS General William Weigel (AP-119 / T-AP-119)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Awalt, Thomas Young, USCG6 January 1945 - 10 May 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler

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

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 24 February 2023