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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

AP-99 / APA-54 Wayne

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippine Liberation Medal
Sumter Class Attack Transport
  • Laid down, 20 April 1942, as SS Afoundria, a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-E1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 476) at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp., Chickasaw, AL.
  • Redesignated a Naval Transport, and renamed Wayne (AP-99)
  • Launched, 6 December 1942
  • Reclassified Amphibious Attack Transport (APA-54), 1 February 1943
  • Acquired by the Navy, 30 April 1943
  • Placed in commission "in ordinary" the next day for transit to her conversion yard, Bethlehem Steel Corp., Key Highway Yard, Baltimore, MD.
  • Decommissioned, 11 May 1943
  • Recommissioned USS Wayne (APA-54), 27 August 1943, Comdr. T. V. Cooper in command
  • During WWII Wayne was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marshall Islands operation
    Kwajalein Atolls, 30 January to 1 February 1944     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October and 13 to 14 November 1944
    Bismarck Archipelago operation
    South Emirau, St. Matthias Island Group, 11 April 1944
    Cape Glouchester, New Britain, 23 to 25 April 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 to 10 January and 27 January 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 20 to 25 July 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and capture of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 9 April 1945
    Western Caroline Islands operation
    Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 15 to 21 September 1944     		.

  • Decommissioned, 16 March 1946, at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp, Chickasaw, AL.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 17 April 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal, name reverted to SS Afoundria
  • Sold to Waterman Steamship Corp, Mobile, AL. in 1947, renamed SS Beauregard, operated into the 1970s with a succession of shipping companies as a container ship, Beauregard Inc, Litton Industries Leasing Corp, Reynolds Leasing Corp. and Sea-Land Service
  • Final Disposition, SS Beauregard was scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in May 1977
  • Wayne received seven battle stars for her World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 13,910 t.(fl)
    Length 468' 8"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 23' 3"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    39 Officers
    410 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    91 Officers
    1,472 Enlisted
    Cargo Capacity 170,000 cu. ft., 1,300 t.
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared drive turbine
    two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers
    single propeller
    design shaft horsepower 6,000
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Wayne (APA-54)
    Wayne 155k Wayne (APA-54) at anchor with covered lighter alongside, date and place unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
    Wayne 88k Wayne (APA-54) getting underway, date and place unknown. >Russ Padden
    Wayne 44k Wayne (APA-54) underway, date and place unknown. Grady (Willie) Willmon
    Commercial Service
    Wayne 86k Ex-Wayne (APA-54) in commercial service as the Sea-Land container ship SS Beauregard.
    Photo courtesy Sea-Land Services Inc.     		Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    View the Wayne (APA-54)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Amphibious Forces WWII- APA 54 Wayne
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 20 October 2006