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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Don McGrogan BMCS USN (Ret.) - Popular Patch

USS Andromeda (AKA-15)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Xray - Hotel - Yankee
NXHY

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (4) -Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (5) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

Andromeda Attack Class Cargo Ship:

Laid down as AK-64, 22 September 1942, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 199), at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Kearny, N.J

Launched, 22 December 1942

Redesignated Attack Cargo Ship (AKA-15), 1 February 1943

Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on loan-charter, 30 March 1943

Commissioned USS Andromeda (AKA-15), 30 March 1943 at New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn N.Y., CDR. William A. Fly in command

During WWII USS Andromeda was assigned first to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and then to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign	Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Sicilian occupation, 9 to 15 July 1943	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April to 14 June 1945
Convoy KMF-25A , 6 November 1943
Salerno landings, 9 to 21 September 1943
Invasion of Southern France, 15 to 25 September 1944

While assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater USS Andromeda came under the command of:
TransRon Eighteen, COMO J. G. Moyer USN (14);
TransDiv Fifty-Two

Following World War II USS Andromeda was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal	China Service Medal (extended)
15 to 26 September 1945	26 February to 5 March 1946
26 October to 6 November 1945	10 to 13 August 1951
	8 to 14 September 1951
	13 to 15 March 1953

During the Korean War USS Andromeda participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
First UN Counteroffensive 16 to 17 April 1951	Second Korean Winger 2 December 1951
Communist China Spring Offensive 26 April to 10 May 1951	Third Korean Winter 15 December 1952 3 to 16 January 1953 13 to 15 February 1953
UN Summer-Fall Offensive 31 August to 2 September 1951 18 October 1951 6 November 1951

Decommissioned, 1 May 1956, at San Diego CA.

Transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia WA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1960

USS Andromeda earned five battle stars during World War II and five battle stars for Korean War service

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping by MARAD, 6 April 1971, to Marine Power and Equipment Co., Seattle WA. (PD-X-899 dated 12 March 1971), under MARAD Contract MA-6229 for $65,000.00. Towed to Taiwan for scrapping.

Specifications:
Displacement 6,556 t.(lt) 14,200 t.(lt)
Length 459' 3"
Beam 63'
Draft 26' 4" (lim)
Speed 16.5 kts (trial)

Complement

Officers 44

Enlisted 360

Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.

Cargo Capacity 4,895 DWT

Non-refrigerated - 393,160 Cu ft.

Refrigerated - 16.131 Cu ft.

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts

Boats

8 LCMs

1 LCP(L)

15 LCVPs

Fuel Capacity

NSFO - 11,010 Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric steam turbine

two Combustion Engineering D-type boilers, 465psi 765°

double General Electric Main Reduction Gears

three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
100201508	100k	*Namesake* Andromeda, located north of the celestial equator, is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century Greco-Roman astronomer Ptolemy and remains one of the 88 modern constellations	Tommy Trampp
	73k	*USS Andromeda* (AKA-15)** pierside, date and location unknown.	Michael Morouney
80-G-?	59k	*USS Andromeda* (AKA-15) at anchor in New York harbor, 8 April 1943. Andromeda** was preparing to get under way for Hampton Roads, VA. US Navy photo No's, 60-G-?, 80-G-64196, and 60-G-64197 from NARA, College Park, MD.	(80-G-?)-Lou Sander (80-G-64196), and (80-G-64197)-Tracy White
80-G-64196	205k
80-G-64197	144k
	223k	*USS Andromeda* (AKA-15)** at anchor in Hong Kong BCC harbor, circa 1954-55. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, February 1955.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	178k	*USS Andromeda* (AKA-15)** under way, date and location unknown.	David Wright
	150k	Ex-*USS Andromeda* (AKA-15) at Seattle, WA., in February 1974, about to be towed to Taiwan for scrapping. Japanese tug Iris, in foreground, did the towing. Andromeda** was fitted with fake guns while at Seattle, and was used as a movie prop. Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 89302	Mike Green

USS Andromeda (AKA-15)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	CDR. Fly, William Anthony	2 April 1942 - ?
02	LCDR. Ward, Duncan	9 December 1944 - ?
03	CAPT. Verhoye, Harry James, USN (USNA 1930)	31 March 1946- September 1947
04	CDR. Anderson Samuel Clay, USN (USNA 1929)	September 1957 - 2 October 1954
05	CAPT. Braun, William Baumert	February 1953 - February 1954
06	CAPT. Langen, Thomas David Francis	February 1954 - 1 May 1956


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
MARAD Vessel History Database
Action Report - Landing of Occupation Forces, Nagasaki Japan, September 1945
USS James O'Hara General Instructions - Exercise 4AP, 17 May 1943, Includes USS Andromeda (AKA-15)

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 16 October 2020