Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Patches contributed by Mike Smolinski

AP-78 / APA-33 Bayfield



Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Yankee - Uniform - Quebec
 NYUQ
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 (1) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (3) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Korean Service Medal (5)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Taiwan Straits, 5-Quemoy-Matsu, 1 Cuba, 1-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (2) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (3)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

USS Bayfield (AP-33) was manned by the US Coast Guard during World War II and by a US Navy crew after World War II
Bayfield Class Transport:
  • Laid down, 14 November 1942, as SS Sea Bass a Maritime Commission type (C3-S-A2) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 275) at Western Pipe and Steel Co., San Francisco, CA.
  • Assigned to the Navy as Naval Transport (AP-78)
  • Redesignated Attack Transport (APA-33), 1 February 1943
  • Launched, 15 February 1943
  • Acquired by the Navy, 30 June 1943, placed in reduced commission and renamed Bayfield
  • Decommissioned, 29 july 1943, Atlantic Basic Iron Works, Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Placed in full commission, 20 November 1943 as USS Bayfield (APA-33), CAPT. Lyndon Spencer, USCG, in command
  • During World War II Bayfield (APA-33) was assigned to both the European and Asiatic-Pacific Theaters and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaigns
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns    Campaign and Dates
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944 Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 1 March 1945
    Invasion of southern France, 15 August to 9 September 1944 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 11 April 1945

  • During the Korean War Bayfield (APA-33) participated the following campaigns:
    Korean War
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korean Aggression, 21 September to 2 November 1950 Second Korean Winter, 19 to 23 April 1952
    Communist China Aggression, 3 to 29 December 1950 Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952, 17 to 18 October 1952
    First UN Counter Offensive, 26 February to 7 March 1951 .

  • During the Vietnam War Bayfield (APA-33) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    4 to 9 July 1965
    18 to 28 August 1965
    31 August to 10 September 1965
    22 to 26 October 1965     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase II
    2 to 16 February 1967
    28 February to 10 March 1967
    19 April 1967
    25 April to 29 May 1967

  • Decommissioned, 28 June 1968, at Long Beach, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 October 1968
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 15 September 1969, to Levin Metals, San Pedro, CA.
  • Bayfield received four battle stars for World War II service, five battle stars for Korean War service and two campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,100 t.(lt), 16,100 t.(fl)
    Length 492' 6"
    Beam 69' 6"
    Draft 26' 6"
    Speed 18 kts.
    Complement
    51 Officers
    524 Enlisted
    Flag Accommodation
    43 officers
    108 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodation
    80 Officers
    1,146 Enlisted
    Cargo Capacity 200,000 cu. ft., 4,700 t.
    Boats
    12 LCVP
    4 LCM (Mk-6)
    3 LCP(L) (MK-IV)
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts, one fore and one aft
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    1 General Electric geared turbine
    2 Combustion Engineering D-type boilers
    single propeller, design shaft horsepower 8,500
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Bayfield 60k Stern view of Bayfield (APA-33) off New York Navy Yard, 21 November 1943.
    US Navy photo # NH 99241 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Robert Hurst
    Bayfield 100k Bayfield (APA-33) flagship for the "Utah" Beach landings, lowers LCVPs for the assault, 6 June 1944. LST-346 is partially visible beyond Bayfield's stern, and Nevada (BB-36) is in the far right distance.

    US National Archives photo # 80-G-252377 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center and Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Bayfield 77k Bayfield (APA-33) flagship for the "Utah" Beach landings, loading landing craft on "D-Day", 6 June 1944.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-252391 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    LSM-59 58k Bayfield (APA-33) at anchor off the invasion beaches at Iwo Jima, circa February 1945. LSM-59, with bow doors open, is underway crossing the bow of Bayfield. At the time of the invasion of Iwo Jima Bayfield was painted camouflage Measure 32 Design 3D. John M. Cason for his father Ens. Charles E. Cason, USNR USS LSM-59, 1945.
    Bayfield 101k Bayfield (APA-33) at Charleston, S.C., 4 January 1950. Bayfield is proceeding to Pier D-5 at the Charleston Naval Shipyard to embark troops of the Third Division, from Fort Benning, GA., to participate in Operation "Protrex".
    US Navy photo # NH 99242 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Bill Gonyo and
    Robert Hurst
    Bayfield 84k Bayfield (APA-33) at anchor, location unknown, 6 February 1952.
    US Navy photo # NH 99242 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Robert Hurst
    Bayfield 94k During Operation "Passage to Freedom" four crewmen display a welcoming banner for Vietnamese refugees coming on board Bayfield (APA-33) for passage to Saigon, Indochina, from Haiphong, 3 September 1954.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-709239, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Bayfield 132k Vietnamese refugees receive food on board Bayfield (APA-33) while en route to Saigon, Indochina, from Haiphong, September 1954.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-652318, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Bayfield 132k A Bayfield (APA-33) crewmen rations out water for Vietnamese refugees during their journey to Saigon, Indochina, from Haiphong, September 1954.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-709244, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Bayfield 29 Bayfield (APA-33) underway, date and location unknown. Ken Laesser
    Bayfield 25k Bayfield (APA-33) moored outboard, November 1961, location unknown. Ronald W. Lambe RM1, 1962-69 USS The Sullivan's 1962-63, USS Brownson 1966-67
    Bayfield 95k Bayfield (APA-33) in the Miroflores Locks, Panama Canal, 5 December 1962.
    US Navy photo # NH 99156 by Joyl O. Fox from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Robert Hurst
    Talladega 69k Bayfield (APA-33), third ship in line, about 100 miles away from Hawaii, while en route to Oahu with other amphibious ships to participate in exercise "Dull Knife" in July 1963. In the foreground is Talladega (APA-208) and next is Renville (APA-227).
    US Navy photo # NH 96820 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center.    		 Robert Hurst
    Bayfield 180k Bayfield (APA-33) list of service Steve Dietrich, USS Roark
    USS Virginia, Plank-owner
    View the Bayfield (APA-33)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Bayfield Association
    U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office - USS Bayfield
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Auxiliary and Miscellaneous Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Transport (AP) Photo Index Back To The Attack Transport (APA) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 7 December 2007