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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Pierce (APA-50)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Mike - Tango
 NKMT
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Individual Awards

Purple Hearts (2 KIA - Lingayen Gulf, 9 January 1945)
Ormsby Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 22 July 1942, as SS Northern Lights a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 289), at Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, CA.
  • Assigned to the Navy as Naval Transport as Pierce (AP-95)
  • Launched, 10 October 1942
  • Reclassified and redesignated Attack Transport (APA-50), 1 February 1943
  • Commissioned USS Pierce (APA-50), 30 June 1943, CDR. A. R. Ponto in command
  • During World War II Pierce was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Gilbert Islands operation
    Makin Island, 20 November 1943     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October and 24 November 1944
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 22 January to 8 February 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 to 20 June 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 5 April 1945
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, Anguar, 17 September 1944     		.

  • Decommissioned, 11 March 1946, at Mobile, AL.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 17 April 1946
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 2 May 1946, for disposal
  • Commercial Service
    Title transfer for commercial service, 24 October 1947, to the United States Lines, renamed SS American Planter
    Returned to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA., 13 June 1965
    Withdrawn from reserve and chartered to States Marine Lines for MSTS operation, 26 August 1965
    Returned to the MARAD for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA., 17 November 1967
    Final Disposition, purchased for scrapping, 3 March 1969, by National Metal and Steel Corp., Terminal Island, CA. Physically withdrawn from the reserve fleet, 25 March 1969 and scrapped in May 1969 at Terminal Island, CA.
  • USS Pierce received seven battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 13,910 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 3"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 24'
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    46 Officers
    478 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    83 Officers
    1,465 Enlisted
    Cargo Capacity 150,000 cu. ft., 2,700 t.
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    four twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    1 General Electric geared drive turbine
    2 Foster-Wheeler D-type boilers
    1 propeller, design shaft horsepower 6,000
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Pierce 97k Amidships looking forward plan view of Pierce (APA-50) at San Francisco, 1 September 1943
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6220-43    		 Darryl Baker
    Pierce 84k Aft plan view of Pierce (APA-50) at San Francisco, 1 September 1943
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6222-43    		 Darryl Baker
    Pierce 62k Stern view of Pierce (APA-50) off San Francisco, 3 September 1943
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6237-43    		 Darryl Baker
    Pierce 62k Broadside view of Pierce (APA-50) off San Francisco, 3 September 1943. Notice that she has no landing craft in her boat davits.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6239-43    		 Darryl Baker
    Pierce 82k Pierce (APA-50) at anchor, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Phil Kettmann
    Pierce 49k Pierce (APA-50) at anchor, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Phil Kettmann
    Pierce 55k Pierce (APA-50) at anchor, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Phil Kettmann
    Pierce 62k Pierce (APA-50) underway, date and place unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Commercial Service
    Pierce 291k Watercolor/print of ex-Pierce (APA-50) in commercial service as the United States Line's SS American Planter underway by M. Lenne. Ellene Emborn
    Pierce 61k SS American Planter berthed in Bremen, Germany, February 1963. Photo by Gerhard L. Mueller-Debus
    View the Pierce (APA-50)
    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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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 11 April 2008