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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Appling (APA-58)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Oscar - Whiskey
 KNOW
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 (3)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
Gilliam Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, date unknown, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BD1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1851) at Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, CA.
  • Launched, 9 April 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission and commissioned USS Appling (APA-58), 22 August 1944, LCDR. Alexander Lunde Stuart in command
  • During World War II USS Appling was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; TransRon Thirteen, COMO M.O. Carlson USN (16); TransDiv Thirty-Nine, CAPT. G.E. Maynard and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 11 to 12 January 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 14 April 1945
    Manila Bay-Bicol operation
    Zambales-Subic Bay, Lingayen Gulf landings, 29 to 30 January 1945     		 

  • Following World War II USS Appling was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 31 October to 3 November 1945
  • Decommissioned, 20 December 1946, at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 4 April 1947
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 31 March 1948, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Consigned to Arrow Steamship Co. under a GAA agreement, 9 September 1954
  • Returned to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Lee Hall, VA., 12 December 1954
  • Final disposition, sold for scrapping, 15 July 1968, to Northern Metal Co., delivered 3 September 1968
  • USS Appling earned three battle stars for her World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 4,247 t.(lt), 7,080 t.(fl)
    Length 426'
    Beam 58'
    Draft 16'
    Speed 16.9 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 261
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 47
    Enlisted 724
    Largest Boom Capacity 15 t.
    Cargo Capacity 600 DWT
    non-refrigerated 85,000 cu. ft.,
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 9,695 Bbls
    Diesel 375 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Westinghouse steam turbines
    two Babcock & Wilcox D-type boilers, 450psi 750°
    Ships Service Generators
    two turbo-drive 250Kw, 450V A.C.
    one turbo-drive 150Kw, 450V A.C.
    two turbo-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    two propellers, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Appling 1430k Movie star Cluadette Colbert christens USS Appling (APA-58) Sunday 9 April 1944. Holding the bouquet of flowers is Maid of Honor, 13 year old, Miss Judith Goetz, daughter of William Goetz, President of International Pictures. Tommy Tramp
    Appling 352k
    Appling 113k V-Mail from USS Appling (APA-58), November 1944 Tom Kermen for his father Clarence E. Kermen Chief Pharmacist Mate USNR, USS Appling
    Appling 431k USS Appling (APA-58) underway, date and location unknown. Tom Kermen for his father Clarence E. Kermen Chief Pharmacist Mate USNR, USS Appling
    Mazapeta 67k USS Appling (APA-58) in San Francisco Bay, circa 29 July 1945 with Mazapeta (YTB-181) alongside. Jason Loger, SF Tugs
    Appling 69k USS Appling (APA-58) pierside at Saipan, 1945. Tom Kermen for his father Clarence E Kermen Chief Pharmacist Mate USNR, USS Appling
    Appling 102k USS Appling (APA-58)church services on the main deck Tom Kermen for his father Clarence E. Kermen Chief Pharmacist Mate USNR, USS Appling
    Appling 37k USS Appling (APA-58), Clarence Kermen, Chief Pharmacists Mate, on the right and Ross Eberle Burke in the center along with another member of the crew taking a smoke break on the fantail, at sea 1945. Tom Kermen for his father Clarence E. Kermen Chief Pharmacist Mate USNR, USS Appling
    Appling 93k USS Appling (APA-58) loading elements of 2nd Marine Division scheduled for occupation duty in Japan, Saipan, 1945
    USMC Photo    		 Tom Kermen for his father Clarence E. Kermen Chief Pharmacist Mate USNR, USS Appling
    Appling 100k USS Appling (APA-58) loading elements of 2nd Marine Division scheduled for occupation duty in Japan, Saipan, 1945 Possibly, Saipan, 1945, Photo marked "C. Rogers - 2nd MAR. DIV. PHOTO" Tom Kermen for his father Clarence E. Kermen Chief Pharmacist Mate USNR, USS Appling
    Appling 65k USS Appling (APA-58) crew photo, circa 1945-46 Pat Koetz for his father, Paul R. "Dick" Koetz, USS Appling 1945-46
    Appling 102k USS Appling (APA-58) arriving at San Francisco, CA., circa 1946.
    US Navy photo.    		 Tom Kermen
    Appling 34k USS Appling (APA-58) docking at Portland, OR. with returning GI's., circa 1946. Photo was taken by a photographer for the "Portland Journal." Pat Koetz for his father, Paul R. "Dick" Koetz, USS Appling 1945-46
    Appling 122k USS Appling (APA-58) docking at Portland, OR. with returning GI's., circa 1946. Pat Koetz for his father, Paul R. "Dick" Koetz, USS Appling 1945-46
    Appling 103k
    Appling 47k Four Gilliam-class attack transports at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, Oahu, Hawaii, 27 February 1946, as they are readied for Operation "Crossroads": USS Appling (APA-58) lies outboard (top) of sister ships USS Barrow (APA-61), USS Brule (APA-66) and USS Gasconade (APA-85).
    US Navy photo from the Naval History and Heritage Command    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Appling (APA-58)
    DANFS     history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Stuart, Alexander Lunde22 August 1944 - ?
    02LCDR. Conlon, Edward T.? - 1945
    03LCDR. Keeler, Frederic Seward1945 - 20 December 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 10 February 2012