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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Dawson (APA-79)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Oscar - November
NKON

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
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal

Gilliam Class Attack Transport:

Laid down, 29 August 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BD1) hull under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1872) at Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, CA.

Launched, 27 November 1944

Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission 3 February 1945

Commissioned USS Dawson (APA-79), 4 February 1945, LCDR. Richard S. Cass, DE-V(G) USNR, in command

During World War II USS Dawson was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater

Following World War II USS Dawson was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

Navy Occupation Service Medal
2 to 27 September 1945
19 to 24 October 1945

USS Dawson (APA-79) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.2.6 (Target Vessel Group - Merchant Type Units - Transport Division 92 (TRANSDIV 92) for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946

Decommissioned, 28 August 1946, at Kwajalein Atoll

Struck from the Naval Register, 30 April 1948

Final Disposition, sunk by gunfire from USS Helena (CA-75) off Kwajalein Atoll, 18 April 1948

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 293

Troop Capacity

Officers 47

Enlisted 802

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

Armament

one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount

four twin 40mm AA radar-directed gun mounts

ten single 20mm AA gun mounts

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 9,695 Bbls

Diesel 375 Bbls

Propulsion

two Westinghouse turbo-electric drive

two Babcock & Wilcox 450psi 750° boilers

Ships Service Generators

one turbo-drive 250kW 450V A.C.

one turbo-drive 150kW 450V A.C

one turbo-drive100kW 120/240V D.C.

two propellers 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	60k	*USS Dawson* (APA-79)** underway in San Francisco Bay in late 1945 or early 1946. US Navy photo # NH 98716 donated to the US Naval Historical Center by Boatswain's Mate First Class Robert G. Tippins, USN (Retired), 2003.	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	93k	LTjg Jean M. Jenkins USNR, CIC officer *USS Dawson* (APA-79)** commissioning crew.	Neal Jenkins
100307903	67k	*USS Dawson* (APA-79)** arriving at Bikini Atoll to serve as a target ship during Operation Crossroads, between 28 May 1946 and 1 June 1946. U.S. Department of Defense. Department of the Navy. Naval Photographic Center film 428-NPC-18132 "Target Ships arriving at Bikini and Camera Towers at Aomoen Island, Bikini Atoll", U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Identifier (NAID) 80890.	Robert Hurst

USS Dawson (APA-79)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Cass, Richard Stanley, USNR	4 February 1945 - 2 April 1946
02	CAPT. Humphreys, Denis Donald	2 April 1946 - July 1946
03	LT. Roy, Samuel, USN	July 1946 - 20 September 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

Last Updated 19 May 2023