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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

AP-85 / APA-40 Custer

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Echo - Yankee

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

Bayfield Class Attack Transport:

Laid down as SS Sea Eagle, a Maritime Commission type (C3-S-A2) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 388) at Ingalls Shipbuilding Co., Pascagoula, MS.

Launched, 6 November 1942

Assigned to the Navy as Naval Transport (AP-85)

Acquired by the Navy, 23 January 1943, and placed in partial commission as USS Custer (AP-85) for transit to her fitting out yard

Reclassified Attack Transport (APA-40), 1 February 1943

Commissioned in full USS Custer (APA-40), 18 July 1943, CAPT. R. E. Hansen, in command

During WWII Custer was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Marshall Islands operation Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 19 February 1945	Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 to 12 January 1945
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Saipan, 11 June 1944 Capture and occupation of Guam, 12 July1944	Manila Bay-Bicol operation Zambales-Subic Bay, La Paz landing, 29 January 1945
Leyte operation Leyte landings, 20 to 21 October and 18 November 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 6 April 1945

Decommissioned, 24 May 1946

Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)

Returned to the Maritime Commission for disposal

Commercial Service

Sold by the Maritime Commission for commercial service in 1948 renamed SS Mormacmar

Renamed SS Santa Ana in 1973

Final Disposition, scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1973

Custer received six battle stars for World War II 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

twelve LCVP

four LCM (Mk-6)

three LCP(L) (MK-IV)
Armament

two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts, one fore and one aft

two quad 1.1" gun mounts, aft port and starboard, replaced by two single 40mm AA gun mounts

two twin 40mm AA gun mounts forward, port and starboard

eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
Propulsion General Electric geared turbine, two Combustion Engineering D-type boilers, single propeller, Design shaft horsepower 8,500

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
45k	Custer (APA-40) at anchor, 24 July 1943, location unknown. US Navy photo	Stan Svec
104k	Custer (APA-40) at anchor, 24 July 1943, location unknown. US Navy photo	Stan Svec
101k	Custer (APA-40) at anchor, date and location unknown. Photo from Lanier (APA-125) cruise book, 1944-46	Russ Padden

View the Custer (APA-40)
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
No Information Available

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Last Updated 1 June 2007