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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Bladen (APA-63)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Mike - Papa
NKMP

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)

Gilliam Class Attack Transport

Laid down, 8 March 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BD1) hull under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1856) at Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, CA.

Launched, 31 May 1944

Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission, 17 October 1944

Commissioned USS Bladen (APA-63), 18 October 1944, LCDR. Walter P. Hartung USNR in command

During World War II USS Bladen was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
TransRon Fifteen, CAPT. W.S. Popham USN (14);
TransDiv Forty-Four, CAPT. J. H. Seyfried USN and participated in the following campaigns:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Iwo Jima operation Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 to 28 February 1945	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 10 April 1945

Following World War II USS Bladen was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 14 to 26 October 1945

USS Bladen (APA-63) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.2.6 (Target Vessel Group - Merchant Type Units - Transport Division 93 (TRANSDIV 93) for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946

Decommissioned, 26 December 1946, at Norfolk, VA

Berthed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until August 1953

USS Bladen earned two battle stars for her World War II service

Returned the Maritime Administration, 3 August 1953, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 20 October 1953

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 15 July 1955, to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, MD. (PD-X-521 dated 14 June 1955) for $161,166.00. Withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet and delivered to Boston Metals Co., 3 August 1955

Specifications:
Displacement 4,247 t.(lt), 7,080 t.(fl)
Length 426'
Beam 58'
Draft 16.9'
Speed 16.9 kts.

Complement

Officers 27

Enlisted 295

Troop Capacity

Officers 47

Enlisted 802

Cargo Capacity 85,000 cu. ft., 2,600 t.

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 9,695 Bbls

Diesel 375 Bbls

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four twin 40mm AA radar-directed gun mounts

ten single 20mm AA gun mounts

Propulsion

two Westinghouse turbo-electric drive

two Babcock & Wilcox 450psi 750° boilers
Ship's Service Generators
one turbo-drive 250Kw 450V A.C.
one turbo-drive 150Kw 450V A.C.
one turbo-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.

two propellers 6,000shp

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
50k	*USS Bladen* (APA-63)** under way, date and location unknown.	Norman Hinga in honor of his father Edward C. Hinga USS Bladen 1943-45.
125k	*USS Bladen* (APA-63)** under way, date and location unknown.	Bradley J. Cate for his father, Merle P. Cate USNR USS Bladen.
254k	View of the wharf area Pearl Harbor Navy Yard from over the submarine base, 27 February 1946. Among ships present are: *USS Barrow* (APA-61), USS Brule (APA-66), USS Gasconade (APA-85), and USS Appling (APA-58)*; USS LST 219, USS LST 285, USS LST 388* and USS LST 52 with *LCT 812* and *LCT 414* embarked; *USS Briscoe* (APA-65) and USS Bladen (APA-63)*. US National Archives photo # 80-G-361747*, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives	US Navy History and Heritage Command
182k	Pearl Harbor Navy Yard amphibious ships alongside the wharf, 27 February 1946. Some are being prepared for target service at Bikini. Ships are (1st group): *USS Briscoe* (APA-65) and USS Bladen (APA-63)** (second group): USS LST 52 with *LCT 812* and *LCT 414* embarked; USS LST 388 and USS LST 285, USS LST 219, third group): *USS Appling* (APA-58), USS Gasconade (APA-85), USS Barrow (APA-61), and USS Brule (APA-66)*. US National Archives photo # 80-G-361731*, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives	US Navy History and Heritage Command
250k	Aerial view of Pearl Harbor Navy Yard looking toward the drydock area from over the submarine base, 27 February 1946. Among the ships present are: seven Sims, McCall, Gridley, and Mahan class destroyers; *USS Barrow* (APA-61), USS Brule (APA-66), USS Gasconade (APA-85), and USS Appling (APA-58)*; USS LST 219, USS LST 285, USS LST 388* and USS LST 52 with *LCT 812* and *LCT 414* embarked; *USS Briscoe* (APA-65) and USS Bladen (APA-63)*. US National Archives photo # 80-G-361740*, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives	US Navy History and Heritage Command

USS Bladen (APA-63)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	Hartung, Walter Paul, USNR	18 October 1944 - 2 January 1946
02	CAPT. Mewhinney, Leonard Sparks, USN (USNA 1927)	2 January 1946 - 26 December 1946


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
MARAD Vessel History Database
An Informal Biography of USS Bladen

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 24 March 2017