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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Alpine (APA-92)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Uniform - Kilo
 NZUK
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (2) - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (4)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Personnel Awards

Purple Hearts (18 November 1944, Leyte Gulf, 5 KIA, 18 WIA, 1 April 1945, Okinawa, 16 KIA 19 WIA)
Alpine Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 12 April 1943, as SS Sea Arrow a Maritime Commission type (C3-S-A2) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 281) at Western Pipe and Steel Co., San Francisco, CA.
  • Launched, 10 July 1943
  • Acquired by the Navy, 30 September 1943
  • Commissioned USS Alpine (APA-92), 22 April 1944, CAPT. W. L. Taylor, in command, relieved the same day by CDR Roger E. Perry
  • Decommissioned, 4 October 1943, at her conversion yard, Commercial Iron Works, Portland, OR.
  • Recommissioned, 22 April 1944, CDR. G. K. Reilly, in command
  • During World War II USS Alpine (APA-92) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Marianas operation
    Capture and Occupation of Guam, 21 to 27 July 1943     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 to 11 January 1945
    Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 to 21 October and 18 November 1944     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS Alpine (AP-82) performed occupation duty in the Far East
  • Decommissioned, 5 April 1946
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 10 April 1946 for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1946
  • Sold for commercial service in 1947 renamed SS India Mail
  • Resold in 1965, renamed SS Transwestern
  • Resold in 1969, renamed SS Buckeye Pacific
  • Resold in 1971, renamed SS Empire Pacific
  • Final Disposition, scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, October 1971
  • USS Alpine received five battle stars and a Navy Unit Commendation for World War II operations
    Specifications:
    Displacement 8,591 t.(lt), 16,100 t.(fl)
    Length 492'
    Beam 69' 6"
    Draft 26' 6"
    Speed 18.4 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 41
    Enlisted 437
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 91
    Enlisted 1,420
    Staff Accommodations
    Officers 43
    Enlisted 108
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Cargo Capacity non-refrigerated 180,500 Cu ft, 4,500 DWT
    Boats
    12 LCVP
    4 LCM (Mk-6)
    3 LCP(L) (MK-IV)
    Armament
    2 single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    18 single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 8,510 Bbls
    Diesel 750 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared drive turbine
    two Combustion Engineering D-type boilers, 465psi 765°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ships Service Generators
    single propeller, 8,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Alpine (APA-92)
    Alpine 69k USS Alpine (APA-92) underway while a part of the Guam amphibious invasion force, July 1944. Photo taken from Ringgold (DD-500), Dwight Spayth collection. John Chiquoine
    Alpine 52k USS Alpine (APA-92) at anchor off Okinawa, 3 April 1945
    undergoing repairs after being hit by a kamikaze two days earlier.
    Note USS Grasp (ARS-24) lies alongside
    US National Archives photo # (80-G-311835), a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives     		Robert Hurst
    Alpine 45k USS Alpine (APA-92) anchored off Nagoya, Japan in 1945 just after surrender. Jeffrey P.Costello for his father, Philip J. Costello, MoMM3 USS Alpine 1945-46
    Alpine 45k USS Alpine (APA-92) anchored at Manila Bay, PI, circa 1945. Jeffrey P.Costello for his father, Philip J. Costello, MoMM3 USS Alpine 1945-46
    Alpine 51k USS Alpine (APA-92) moored pierside, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    Alpine 55k USS Alpine (APA-92) ship's officers, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    Alpine 50k USS Alpine (APA-92) officers, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    Alpine 25k USS Alpine (APA-92) commanding officer, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    Alpine 64k USS Alpine (APA-92) ship's officers, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    Alpine 70k USS Alpine (APA-92) engineroom watch standers, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    Commercial Service
    Alpine 99k Ex-USS Alpine (APA-92) in commercial service as the Pack & Kahn Inc. SS Transwestern working heavy cargo in the port of Bremerhaven, Germany, April 1968. Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Alpine 114k SS Transwestern working heavy cargo in the port of Bremerhaven, Germany, April 1968. Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    View the USS Alpine (APA-92)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Alpine (APA-92)
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 8 January 2010