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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Woodford (AKA-86)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Lima - Mike
NHLM
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)


Tolland Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 17 July 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1399), at North Carolina Shipbuilding Corp. Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 5 October 1944
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 19 October 1944, from the Maritime Commission, and towed to her conversion yard at Hoboken, N.J.
  • Commissioned USS Woodford (AKA-86), 3 March 1945, at Todd Shipyard Corp., Hoboken, N.J., CAPT. Winston E. P. Folk USN in command
  • During WWII USS Woodford was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 24 to 30 June 1945

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

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    5 to 15 September 1945
    9 October to 15 December1945

  • Decommissioned, 1 May 1946, at Norfolk VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 8 May 1946
  • USS Woodford earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission at Lee Hall, VA., 10 May 1946, for disposal
  • Merchant Service
    Sold by the Maritime Commission for commercial service, 31 October 1947, to A. H. Bull Steamship Co., N.Y., renamed SS Suzanne
    Sold to Westmount Shipping Co., N.Y., 14 December 1965, renamed SS Rappahannock
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 19 May 1973, to Sing Cheng Yung Iron & Steel Ltd,. Taiwan
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,635 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl), 14,160 (lim)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 38
    Enlisted 387
    Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boats
    fourteen LCVPs
    eight LCMs
    Cargo Capacity 5,275 DWT
    non-refrigerated 380,000 Cu ft.
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 10,425 Bbls
    Diesel 805 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine
    two Foster and Wheeler header-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gear
    three Ship's Service Generators 300Kw, 120V/240V D.C.
    single propeller, 6,000shp

    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image
    Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Woodford (AKA-86)
    Woodford 39k USS Woodford (AKA-86) under way, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Merchant Service
    Woodford 292k Bow view of ex-USS Woodford (AKA-86) in merchant service as Westmount Shipping Co.'s SS Rappahannock moored at Bremerhaven, Germany while working cargo, 5 March 1967 Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Woodford 433k Stern view of SS Rappahannock moored at Bremerhaven, Germany while working cargo, 5 March 1967 Photos by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Woodford 333k

    USS Woodford (AKA-86)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Folk, Winston Estes Pilcher, USN (USNA 1923)3 March 1945 - 1 May 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler

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

    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Woodford (AKA-86) War Diaries April 1945 to November 1945 and Ship's History
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Cargo Ship (AKA) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 15 March 2019