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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Sheridan (APA-51)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Papa - Whiskey
 NKPW
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 (6)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Personnel Awards

Purple Heart (2-KIA, 6-WIA at Saipan - PhM1c Patrick W. Ryan, and S1/c Robert A. Wilder, buried at sea, 18 June, 1944
Ormsby Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 5 August 1942, as SS Messenger, a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 290) at Moore Dry Dock Co., Oakland, CA.
  • Assigned to the Navy, 5 October 1942, as the Naval Transport, Sheridan (AP-96)
  • Launched, 10 October 1942
  • Reclassified Attack Transport (APA-51), 1 February 1943
  • Commissioned USS Sheridan (APA-51), 31 July 1943, CDR. John J. Mockrish, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Sheridan 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
    Tarawa, 20 to 24 November 1943     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 to 22 October 1944
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, Roi Island, 31 January to 5 February 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 to 20 June 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 23 to 28 July 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 5 April 1945

  • Decommissioned, 5 March 1946, at Mobile, AL.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 7 April 1946, for disposal
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 12 April 1946
  • Sold by the Maritime Commission for commercial service, 24 October 1947, to the United States Lines, renamed SS Pioneer Sun, subsequently renamed SS American Scientist
  • Final Disposition, damaged by explosion and scrapped in 1969
  • USS Sheridan received six battle stars for her World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 13,910 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 3"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 24'
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    42 Officers
    478 Enlisted
    Troop Capacity
    91 Officers
    1,474 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
    twelve single 20mm SS 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
    Sheridan 59k Stern view of USS Sheridan (APA-51) off San Francisco, 1 September 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6223-43    		 Darryl Baker
    Sheridan 75k Broadside view of USS Sheridan (APA-51) off San Francisco, 1 September 1943. Notice that her boat davits are empty.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6225-43    		 Darryl Baker
    Sheridan 68k Bow on view of USS Sheridan (APA-51) off San Francisco, 1 September 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6227-43    		 Darryl Baker
    Sheridan 94k Amidships looking forward plan view of USS Sheridan (APA-51) at San Francisco, 3 September 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6286-43    		 Darryl Baker
    Sheridan 74k Aft plan view of USS Sheridan (APA-51) at San Francisco, 3 September 1943.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 6288-43    		 Darryl Baker
    William P Biddle 106k USS William P. Biddle (APA-8), USS Harris (APA-2) and USS Sheridan (APA-51) and two unidentified destroyers at Wellington, New Zealand in October 1943 prior to departure for the invasion of Tarawa.
    US Navy photo.     		David C. Hoover
    Sheridan 51k USS Sheridan (APA-51), date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo, US Naval Institute Proceedings, December 2001 issue    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Sheridan 54k USS Sheridan (APA-51) pierside, date and location unknown. Louis R. Perez
    View the USS Sheridan (APA-51)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Sheridan APA-51
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 15 August 2008