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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Diphda (AKA-59)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Foxtrot - Zulu
NHFZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Korean Service Medal (6)
Fourth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)


Andromeda Class Amphibious Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, date unknown, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 211) at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock, Kearny, N.J.
  • Launched, 11 May 1944
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 7 July 1944
  • Commissioned USS Diphda (AKA-59), 8 July 1944, LCDR. Robert C. Willson, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Diphda was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Fourteen, COMO. D. L. Ryan USN (16);
    TransDiv Forty-One, CAPT. H.J. Wright USN and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 10 April 1945

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

    Navy Occupation Service Medal

    China Service Medal (extended)
    25 October to 15 November 1945 
    1 to 13 April 19461 to 13 April 1946
    28 January to 24 February 194728 January to 24 February 1947

  • During the Korean War USS Diphda (AKA-54) participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    20 to 28 August 1950
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    22 April 19
    5 to 12 and 21 to 30 June 1951
    Communist China Aggression
    28 November 1950 to 24 January 1951
    US Summer-Fall Offensive
    14 July to 8 August 1951
    16 to 18 August 1951
    30 August to 8 September 1951
    26 September to 8 October 1951
    First UN Counter Offensive
    25 January to 13 March 1951
    17 to 21 April 1951
    Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    16 to 23 May 1952

  • Decommissioned, 11 May 1956, at San Diego. CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS Diphda earned one battle star for World War II service and six battle stars for Korean war service
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration, 29 November 1960, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Permanent transfer to the Maritime Administration, 1 October 1962
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 16 March 1970, to Nicolai Joffe Corp., delivered, 13 April 1976
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,556 t.(lt) 14,200 t.(lt)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4" (lim)
    Speed 16.5 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 48
    Enlisted 338
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Cargo Capacity 4,900 DWT
    Non-refrigerated - 444,000 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
    eight LCMs
    one LCP(L)
    fifteen LCVPs
    Fuel Capacity
    NSFO - 1,990 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric steam turbine
    two Foster Wheeler "D"-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    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
    Diphda
    100205906
    BUSHIPS 19-N-69818
    669k USS Diphda (AKA-59) underway outside New York harbor, circa late July-early August 1944. Her Camouflage scheme is measure 32/8T.
    U.S. Navy photos 19-N-69818 and 19-N-69820 by aircraft assigned to Naval Air Station New York
    Nicholas Tiberio
    Diphda
    100205907
    BUSHIPS 19-N-69820
    605k
    Diphda 175k USS Diphda (AKA-59) officers and crew, 19 June 1948.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo #UA 571.35
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Diphda 100k USS Diphda (AKA-59) at anchor, circa 1951, location unknown. D.C. King PN3 USS Diphda 1950-53
    Diphda 35k USS Diphda (AKA-59) under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo
    US Naval Historical Center DANFS
    Diphda 38k USS Diphda (AKA-59) moored pierside at Yokosuka, Japan in 1951. Derrick Hartshorn
    Diphda 151k USS Diphda (AKA-59) arrives at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, 3 July 1952, with a cargo of 5,000 tons of emergency food supplies for the islands residents.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo #NH 61555
    US Naval History and Heritage Command

    USS Diphda (AKA-59)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Willson, Robert Charles USNR8 July 1944 - 20 May 1946
    02CAPT. Davison, Thurlow Weed USN (USNA 1929)20 May 1946 - 21 August 1947
    03CDR. Miller, Albert Stanley USN (USNA 1930)21 August 1947 - 1950
    04CDR. Truxall, Charles Wible USN (USNA 1925)1950 - August 1951
    05CAPT. Wulff, John Thayer USN (USNA 1931) :RADMAugust 1951 - June 1952
    06CAPT. Catlett, Jr., William Jackson USN (USNA 1932)June 1952 - 1953
    07LCDR. Hermanson, Elof Walter USN1953 - ?
    08CDR. Kaufman, William Metcalfe, USN (USNA 1936)1955 - 11 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
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Cargo (AKA) Ship Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 2 June 2023