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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Skagit (LKA-105)
ex
 USS Skagit (AKA-105) (1944 - 1968)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Charlie - Kilo
 NECK
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (3)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2-Taiwan Straits) - Vietnam Service Medal (3) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (6)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal
Tolland Class Attack Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 21 September 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ3) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1696) at North Carolina Shipbuilding, Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 18 November 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission, 28 November 1944 and towed or ferried to her conversion yard at Bethlehem Steel, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Commissioned Attack Cargo Ship USS Skagit (AKA-105), 2 May 1945, at Bethlehem Steel Co., Brooklyn, N.Y., CAPT. Harold R. Parker, in command
  • During World War II USS Skagit was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • Following World War II USS Skagit was assigned to Occupation service and China service for the following periods;

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 to 8 September 1945 
    24 September to 2 December 194524 September to 2 December 1945
     24 March to 1 September 1947
     5 to 21 September 1951

  • Decommissioned, 30 June 1949, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.
  • Recommissioned, 26 August 1950, CAPT. George R. Over USN in command
  • During the Korean War USS Skagit participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    First UN Counter Offensive
    16 April 1951     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    17 June to 12 July 1952
    17to 18 October 1952
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    2 to 27 May 1951     		 

  • During the Vietnam War USS Skagit participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    3 to 9 December 1965     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    28 June to 1 July 1967
    15 September to 1 November 1967
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    26 January to 21 February 1966
    17 March to 15 April 1966     		 

  • Redesignated Amphibious Cargo Ship (LKA-105), 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned and Struck from the Naval Register, 1 July 1969
  • USS Skagit earned three battle stars for Korean War service and three campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration; Final Disposition, scrapped in 1974
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,556 t.(lt) 14,160 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 38
    Enlisted 387
    Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.
    Cargo Capacity 5,275 DWT
    non-refrigerated 380,000 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 Capacities
    NSFO 10,425 Bbls
    Diesel 805 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric steam turbine
    two Combustion Engineering header-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
    Skagit 81k USS Skagit (AKA-105) under way, date and location unknown. Ed Spigler
    Skagit 159k USS Skagit (AKA-105) under way circa 1940s, location unknown.
    US US National Archives photo # USN 1045155 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Skagit 235k Capt George R. Over during the USS Skagit (AKA-105) re-commissioning ceremonies at Mare Island, 26 August 1950.
    Photo # (AKA 105 6800-8-50, Navy Photo, 8/26/50).    		 Darryl Baker
    Skagit 202k USS Skagit (AKA-105) at anchor circa the early 1950s. US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 107736 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Skagit 33k USS Skagit (AKA-105) under way, circa 1954, location unknown. Robert Hurst
    Skagit 103k USS Skagit (AKA 105) in drydock at Pearl Harbor, HI., 1956. Photo by Dale C Haskin
    Skagit 69k USS Skagit (AKA 105) under way in Puget Sound, Washington. This photo, dated 13 November 1959, was used in an Associated Press article reporting the explosion of one of Skagit's boilers which caused her to go dead in Northern Pacific waters with 350 passengers aboard. The ship was enroute to Alaska at time. Ron Reeves
    Skagit 105k USS Skagit (AKA 105) moored pierside at Sasebo, Japan in February 1966. The bow of USS Ashtabula (AO-51) is visible aft of Skagit Photo by Larry Backus
    Skagit 145k USS Skagit (AKA-105) under way off San Diego, CA., 4 September 1968.
    US US National Archives photo # K-57334 by PHC L.A. Hyatt, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Skagit 131k USS Skagit (AKA 105) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Tommy Trampp

    For more photos and information about USS Skagit, see:
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • USS Skagit (AKA-105) War Diaries May 1945 to November 1945 and History
  • USS Skagit AKA / LKA-105
    • Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Parker, Harold Rivington 2 May 1945 - 14 December 1946
    02CAPT. Hammond, Wellington Anthony :RADM 14 December 1946 - 3 June 1947
    03CAPT. Allen, Robert Addison3 June 1947 - 1948
    04CAPT. Stone, Martin Robert :RADM1948 - 30 June 1949
     Decommissioned30 June 1949 - 26 August 1950
    05CAPT. Over, George Russell :RADM26 August 1950 - 12 May 1952
    06CAPT. Winter Jr., William12 May 1952 - 5 November 1953
    07CAPT. Torgerson, Theodore Adolf :RADM5 November 1953 - 23 March 1955
    08CAPT. Tiedeman, Carl :RADM23 March 1955 - 9 June 1956
    09CAPT. Snider, Lewis Levi9 June 1956 - 20 July 1957
    10CAPT. Woodard, Sanford Elza (Red Dog)20 July 1957 - 15 October 1958
    11CAPT. Buaas, Marion Hugo15 October 1958 - 24 October 1959
    12CAPT. Purdie, Samuel Bulla24 October 1959 - 27 October 1960
    13CAPT. Brigham, Carrol Walter27 October 1960 - 4 November 1961
    14CAPT. Taeusch, Frederick Leonard4 November 1961 - 17 September 1962
    15CAPT. Price, William McKinley17 September 1962 - 10 August 1963
    16CAPT. Clark III, Asa Alan10 August 1963 - 14 August 1964
    17CAPT. McCulley Jr., William Marvin14 August 1964 - 26 November 1965
    18CAPT. Chambliss, Joe E.28 November 1965 - 10 December 1966
    19CAPT. Mackey Sr., William Alex (Wam)10 December 1966 - 14 December 1967
    20CDR. Sparger, John 14 December 1967 - 28 February 1969
    21CDR. Graf, Harry Reichert28 February 1969 - 1 July 1969
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves. Photos courtesy Bill Gonyo
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 11 April 2019