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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Vermilion (LKA-107)
ex
 USS Vermilion (AKA-107) (1944 - 1969)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Delta - India
 NEDI
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba]
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Lebanon, Cuba, Dominican Republic]
Tolland Class Amphibious Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down, 17 October 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-AJ3), hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1700), at North Carolina Shipbuilding and Drydock, Wilmington, N.C.
  • Launched, 12 December 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission, and converted for Naval service at Todd Shipyard, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Commissioned USS Vermilion (AKA-107), 23 June 1945, at Brooklyn, N.Y., CAPT. F. B. Eggers in command
  • During World War II USS Vermilion was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater
  • USS Vermilion was assigned to Occupation service in Europe from 1 March to 1 May 1948
  • Decommissioned, 26 August 1949, at Orange, TX.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange
  • Recommissioned, 16 October 1950, at Orange, TX.
  • Redesignated (LKA-107), 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned, 13 April 1971, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 January 1977
  • Custody transferred, 19 February 1988, to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
  • Final Disposition, sunk 40 miles off the coast of Georgetown S.C. as part of a barrier reef 24 August 1988
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,635 t.(lt) 14,160 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 2"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 26' 4"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 38
    Enlisted 387
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Boats
    fourteen LCVP
    eight LCM
    Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.
    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 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
    one propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Vermilion 84k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) underway, date and location unknown.  
    Vermilion 310k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) at New York, date unknown.  
    Vermilion 208k USS Vermilion (AKA-107)'s LSM-1 loaded with troops, circa 1947. Bill West USS Cambria
    Vermilion 55k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) underway, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    Vermilion 52k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) underway, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    Vermilion 57k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) underway, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    Vermilion 798k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 David Buell in honor of his father CWO4 Benton E. Buell, USN (Ret) USS Washburn
    Vermilion 916k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 David Buell in honor of his father CWO4 Benton E. Buell, USN (Ret) USS Washburn
    Vermilion
    100210720    		 239k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) underway, circa late 1950s, location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 107734    		 James Bass
    Vermilion 19k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) at anchor off Vieques, while conducting amphibious training, date unknown.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-445319, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Robert Hurst
    Vermilion 78k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) underway in 1963, location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Robert Hurst
    Vermilion 119k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) underway, 15 July 1963, location unknown.
    US Navy photo KN 9103, courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    Vermilion 74k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) off Norfolk, VA., August 1964 © Richard Leonhardt
    Vermilion 87k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) at NOB Norfolk, VA., August 1964. Also in this photo is a partial view of USS Rankin (AKA-103). © Richard Leonhardt
    Vermilion 87k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Vermilion
    100210721    		 454k USS Vermilion (AKA-107) Master at Arms badge No. 4 Tommy Trampp

    For more photos and information about USS Vermilion, see:
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
  • MARAD Vessel History Database
  • USS Vermillion (AKA-107) War Diaries July 1945 to November 1945
  • Change of Command program, 5 August 1959, Capt. Schneider for Capt. Murray
  • Postal Covers related to the ship
  • Amphibious Squadron (12 CARIB 1-69 February - June 1969) Dependent's Guide
    • Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Eggers, Fremont Baldwin, USN (USNA 1925)23 June 1945 - June 1947
    02CAPT. Tolley, Kemp, USN (USNA 1929) :RADMJune 1947 - September 1948
    03CAPT. McCorkle, Francis Douglas, USN (USNA 1926) :RADMSeptember 1948 - October 1948
    04CAPT. Glick, John Albert, USN (USNA 1926)October 1948 - May 1949
    05CAPT. Jones, Wesley Francis, USNMay 1949 - August 1949
    06LT. Thompson, Roy, USNAugust 1949 - 26 August 1949
     Decommissioned26 August 1949 - 16 October 1950
    07CAPT. Jackson Jr., Alexander, USN (USNA 1925) :RADM16 October 1950 - 27 November 1951
    08CAPT. Addison, Edward Spencer, USN (USNA 1927)27 November 1951 - 11 December 1952
    09CAPT. Kirk, Oliver Grafton, USN (USNA 1929)11 December 1952 - 8 February 1954
    10CAPT. Lay, James Thomas, USN (USNA 1931)8 February 1954 - 25 January 1955
    11CAPT. Fuller, Harold Douglas, USN (USNA 1934)25 January 1955 - 23 March 1956
    12CAPT. Cheatham, Benjamin Ballard, USN (USNA 1933)23 March 1956 - 15April 1957
    13CAPT. Lefelar Jr., Louis, USN (USNA 1934)15 April 1957 - 5 May 1958
    14CAPT. Murray, Hugh Quinn, USN (USNA 1934)5 May 1958 - 5 August 1959
    15CAPT. Schneider Jr., Frederick Henry, USN (USNA 1937) :VADM5 August 1959 - 8 August 1960
    16CAPT. Patriarca, Frank Anthony, USN (USNA 1937) 8 August 1960 - 1 November 1961
    17CAPT. Vannoy, Frank Wilson , USN (USNA 1939):VADM1 November 1961 - 15 January 1963
    18CAPT. Davol Jr., Charles Dean, USN15 January 1963 - April 1964
    19CAPT. McWethy, Robert Devore USN (USNA 1942) :RADMApril 1964 - April 1965
    20CAPT. Bagby, Henry Lawton, USN (USNA 1945)April 1965 - April 1966
    21CAPT. Smith, Lawrence Ned, USN (USNA 1944)April 1966 - March 1967
    22CAPT. Davidson, Edward Albert, USNMarch 1967 - 11 October 1968
    23CAPT. McLaughlin Jr., William Henry, USN (USNA 1945) RADM11 October 1968 - September 1969
    24CAPT. Turk, Carl Frank, USN (USNA 1946)September 1969 - October 1970
    25CAPT. Larsen, Norman Earl, USNOctober 1970 - January 1971
    26LCDR. Leisentritt III, Frederick Charles, USNJanuary 1971 - 13 April 1971
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    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 1 September 2023