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: Service Ship Photo Archive

AP-153 / USAT / T-AP-153 General R. M. Blatchford

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal - Korean Service Medal (2) - Vietnam Service Medal (1)
Fourth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

General G. O. Squier Class Transport:

Laid down as a Maritime Commission type (C4-S-A1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 705) at Kaiser Co. Inc., Yard No. 3, Richmond, CA.; Launched, 27 August 1944

Acquired by the US Navy and Commissioned USS General R. M. Blatchford (AP-153), 26 January 1945

Decommissioned, 12 June 1946, at Baltimore, MD.

Struck from the Naval Register, (date unknown)

Returned to the Maritime Commission for service with the U S Army Transportation Service, commissioned USAT General R. M. Blatchford

Reacquired by the Navy and reinstated on the Naval Register, 1 March 1950

Assigned to the Military Sea Transport Service (MSTS) and placed in service as USNS General R. M. Blatchford (T-AP-153)

During the Korean War General R. M. Blatchford participated in the following campaigns:

Third Korean Winter
16 to 17 April 1953
30 April 1953
Korea, Summer-Fall 1953
1 to 2 May 1953
20 June to 12 July 1953

During the Vietnam War General R. M. Blatchford participated in the:

Vietnam Defense Campaign, October 1965
Landing elements of the US Army 1st Infantry Division at Vung Tau, South Vietnam in mid-October 1965

Placed out of service in January 1967

Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)

Transferred to the Maritime Administration in September 1968, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet

Sold to Waterman Carriers Inc., New York in January 1969

Rebuilt at Portland, OR. as a container ship and renamed Stonewall Jackson entering commercial service in 1970

Renamed Alex Stephens in 1973

Acquired by the US Department of Commerce in 1979

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 13 April 1980, to Chien Yu Steel Enterprises, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

General R. M. Blatchford received two battle stars for service during the Korean war

Specifications:
Displacement 9,950 t.(lt) 17,250 t.(fl)
Length 522' 10"
Beam 71' 6"
Draft 26' 6"
Speed 16.5 kts.
Complement 256
Troop Accommodations 3,823
Armament

4 single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts

4 twin 1.1" gun mounts (replaced by 4 twin 40mm gun mounts)

15 twin 20mm AA gun mounts
Propulsion geared turbine, single shaft, 8,500hp

Size	Image Description	Source
78k	General R. M. Blatchford (T-AP-153) underway, date and place unknown. US Navy photo.	Carl R. Friberg Jr.
89k	General R. M. Blatchford (T-AP-153) at anchor, date and place unknown. US Navy photo.	William Zarkas, Retired MSC Boatswain President, MSC Retiree Association
78k	General R. M. Blatchford (T-AP-153) moored pierside at Bremerhaven, Germany, circa 1952. *Blatchford* was transporting Displaced Persons to the US and Canada.	Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus
114k	General R. M. Blatchford (T-AP-153) moored pierside at Bremerhaven, Germany, August 1963.	Photo by Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus

View the General R. M. Blatchford (AP-153)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site

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

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
No Information Available

Back to the Navsource Photo Archives Main Page

Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index

Back To The Transport (AP) Photo Index

Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.

This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 19 May 2006