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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Gasconade (APA-85)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Sierra - Papa
 NZSP
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, 7 November 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (S4-SE2-BD1) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1878) at Consolidated Steel Corp, Wilmington, CA.
  • Launched, 23 January 1945
  • Acquired by the Navy 10 March 1945
  • Commissioned USS Gasconade (APA-85), 11 March 1945, LCDR. Allen Edward Stiff, in command
  • During World War II USS Gasconade was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater; TransRon Twenty-four, COMO E. L. Short; TransDiv Seventy-one, CAPT. W. P. Davis USN (17)
  • Following World War II USS Gasconade was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    2 to 4 September 1945
    28 September to 11 October 1945

  • Decommissioned, 28 August 1946, in the Marshall Islands
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Final Disposition, sunk by torpedoes off the California coast, 21 July 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-drive100kW 120/240V D.C.
    two propellers 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    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
    Gasconade 27k Ex-USS Gasconade (APA-85) being sunk as a target ship, 21 July 1948.
    US Navy photos from "Navy Naval Aviation News" November 1948.    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Gasconade (APA-85)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Attack Transport (APA) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 27 January 2012