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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinksi

USS Henrico (LPA-45)
ex
 USS Henrico (APA-45) (1943 - 1969)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - India - Golf
 NKIG
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons






Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - Europe-Africa-Middle Campaign Medal (2) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Fourth Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (9)
Fifth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 6-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (1) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (3)
Sixth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Individual Awards

Purple Heart (49 KIA, Okinawa, 2 April 1945)
Bayfield Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, date unknown, as SS Sea Darter, a Maritime Commission type (C3-S-A2) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 393) at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, MS.
  • Assigned to the Navy as Naval Transport (AP-90)
  • Reclassified Attack Transport (APA-45), 1 February 1943
  • Launched, 31 March 1943
  • Acquired by the Navy, 23 June 1943
  • Placed in partial commission, 24 June 1943 through 8 July 1943, for transit to her fitting out yard at Bethlehem Steel Co., Hoboken, N.J.
  • Commissioned in full USS Henrico (APA-45), 26 November 1943, CDR. J. H. Willis in command
  • During World War II USS Henrico served in both the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and the Asiatic-Pacific Theater where she was assigned as squadron flagship for TransRon Twenty-Three, COMO. A. S. Witherspoon, TransDiv Sixty-Seven for the Okinawa Gunto operation
  • Henrico participated in the following campaigns during World War II:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944 Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 25 May to 14 April 1945
    Invasion of southern France, 15 August to 25 September 1944  

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

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    21 to 28 April 194721 March to 20 April 1947
     29 April to 2 July 1947
     16 to 30 July 1947
     28 July 1948 to 8 February 1949
     18 February to 4 March 1951
     3 to 21 February 1952
     26 January to 14 February 1955

  • During the Korean War USS Henrico participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    1 August to 12 September 1950
    18 September to 31 October 1950     		Second Korean Winter
    5 to 6, 17 to 18 and 28 to 29 December 1951
    11 January 1952
    Communist China Aggression
    19 November to 29 December 1950     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    5 to 12 and 21 to 26 June 1952
    Inchon Landing
    13 to 17 September 1950     		Third Korean Winter
    17 to 30 April 1952
    First UN Counter Offensive
    5 to 11 February 1951     		Korean Summer-Fall 1953
    1 to 19 May 1953
    29 May to 1 June 1953
    16 and 22 to 25 July 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    6 to 7 November 1951
    13 to 14 November 1951     		 

  • During the Vietnam War USS Henrico participated in the following campaign:
    Vietnam War Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    26 to 31 August 1966
    15 to 30 September 1966
    26 October to 6 November 1966
    31 December 1966 to 16 January 1967
    24 February to 24 March 1967

  • Decommissioned, 14 February 1968
  • Designation changed to Amphibious Transport (LPA-45), 1 January 1969
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 June 1973
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Final Disposition, sold by MARAD, 1 October 1979, fate unknown
  • USS Henrico earned three battle stars for World War II service and nine battle stars for Korean War service plus a Navy Unit Commendation and one campaign star for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,100 t.(lt), 16,100 t.(fl)
    Length 492'
    Beam 69' 6"
    Draft 26' 6"
    Speed 18.4 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 54
    Enlisted 450
    Flag Accommodations
    Officers 43
    Enlisted 108
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 87
    Enlisted 1,452
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Cargo Capacity, 4,700 DWT
    175,000 Cu ft
    Boats
    twelve LCVPs
    four LCM (Mk-6)s
    three LCP(L) (MK-IV)s
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts, one fore and one aft
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 8,310 bbls
    Diesel 750 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared turbine
    two Foster-Wheeler D-type boilers, 465psi 765°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    three turbo-drive 250Kw 240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    one propeller, 8500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Henrico 32k USS Henrico (APA-45) at anchor, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
    Henrico 65k USS Henrico (APA-45) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Robert Hurst
    Henrico 70k USS Henrico (APA-45) underway, circa 1943-45, location unknown.
    U.S. Naval Institute photo    		  
    Henrico 69k USS Henrico (APA-45) at anchor circa Korean War - Cold War era (1950s)
    U.S. Naval Institute photo    		  
    Henrico 341k USS Henrico (APA-45) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    Photo by Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret.    		 Scott Nelson for his Grandfather Ronald Roy SMC USN Ret. USS Atlas  
    Henrico 65k USS Henrico (APA-45) underway, circa Vietnam era (1960s)
    U.S. Naval Institute photo    		 Archie Mustard
    Henrico 48k USS Henrico (APA-45) at anchor, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Stanley C. Svec

    For more photos and information about USS Henrico, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • USS Henrico APA-45
  • Commanding Officers
    • Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Transport (AP) Photo Index Back To The Attack Transport (APA) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 7 March 2013