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

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Source
    General R M Blatchford 78k General R. M. Blatchford (T-AP-153) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo.
    Carl R. Friberg Jr.
    General R M Blatchford 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
    General R M Blatchford 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
    General R M Blatchford 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
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 19 May 2006