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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Baxter (APA-94)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Uniform - Tango
NZUT

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 (4) - World War II Victory Medal
Bottom Row - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

Sumter Class Attack Transport:

Laid down, 18 March 1943, as SS Antinous, a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-E1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 483) at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp. Chickasaw, AL>.

Launched, 19 September 1943

Name changed to Baxter date unknown

Acquired by the Navy, 30 November 1943 and placed in commission "in ordinary" for transit to her conversion yard at Atlantic Basin Iron Works, Brooklyn, N.Y., CDR. Hans H. B. Olsen, USNR (APA Ferry Crew # 5) in command

Decommissioned at Brooklyn, date unknown

Recommissioned USS Baxter (APA-94), 15 May 1944, CAPT. Valvin R. Sinclair USN in command

During World War II USS Baxter 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:

Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
Leyte operation Leyte landings, Dulag, 20 October and 18 November 1944	Manila Bay-Bicol operation Zambales-Subic Bay, 29 to 30 January 1945
Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 6 April 1945

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

Navy Occupation Service Medal
5 to 13 November 1945
31 December 1945 to 7 January 1946

Decommissioned, 22 March 1946, at Mobile, AL. and returned to the Maritime Commission for disposal

Struck from the Naval Register, 12 April 1946

USS Baxter earned four battle stars for her World War II service

Merchant Service

Transferred to the Maritime Commission, 22 March 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, AL.

Withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet, 12 July 1946 under a General Agency Agreement for towing to Gulf Ship Building Corp., Chickasaw AL.

Towed, 22 October 1946, under a General Agency Agreement by Moran Towing Co from Chickasaw, AL. to Hoboken, N.J.

Arrived, 2 November 1946, at Todd Shipyard, Hoboken, N.J. for reconversion to merchant service

Bare Bottom charter, 10 November 1964, to Waterman Steamship Corp., Mobile. AL.

Sold for Merchant service, 24 March 1947 to Waterman Steamship Corp., Mobile, AL, renamed SS La Salle

Returned to the Maritime Administration National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, AL.(trade-in), 17 November 1966

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 19 March 1968, to Pinto Island Metals Co. (PD-X-794 dated 9 February 1968) for $48,000.00, withdrawn from the Mobile Reserve Fleet, 18 March 1968

Specifications:
Displacement 13,910 t.(fl)
Length 468' 8"
Beam 63'
Draft 23' 3"
Speed 16.5 kts.

Complement

Officers 56

Enlisted 498

Troop Accommodations

Officers 95

Enlisted 1,422

Cargo Capacity 1,400 DWT

non-refrigerated 170,000 Cu ft.

Armament

two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts

four twin 40mm AA gun mounts

ten single 20mm AA gun mounts

Fuel Capacities

NSFO 8,575 Bbls

Diesel 750 Bbls

Propulsion

one General Electric geared drive turbine

two Babcock and Wilcox D-type boilers, 450psi 750°

double General Electric Main Reduction Gears

three turbo-drive 300Kw, 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

single propeller, 6,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Baxter (APA-94)
	570k	*USS Baxter* (APA-94)** underway, date and location unknown.	Russ Padden from the material of Frank E. Kwascigroh SKG3 USS Baxter
	579k	*USS Baxter* (APA-94)** at anchor, date and location unknown.	Russ Padden from the material of Frank E. Kwascigroh SKG3 USS Baxter
	96k	*USS Baxter* (APA-94)** at San Diego, Calif., circa February 1946 with homeward-bound troops on deck. US Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # NH 83468 courtesy Shipscribe.com.	Robert Hurst
Merchant Service Waterman S.S. Corp.
	105k	Ex-*USS Baxter* (APA-94)** in merchant service as the Waterman Steamship. Corps SS La Salle being taken to her berth at Bremen, Germany, circa 1955.	Gerhard Mueller Debus
	112k	SS La Salle berthed at Bremen, Germany, circa 1955.	Gerhard Mueller Debus
	51k	SS La Salle departing Bremerhaven in February 1964.	Photo by Gerhard Mueller Debus
	370k	SS La Salle in Waterman Steam Ship Co. colors underway on the Mississippi River, date unknown. Original copyright by Alex Duncan.	Gerhard Mueller Debus

USS Baxter (APA-94)
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
	CDR. Olsen, Hans Bernard, USNR (Ferry Crew #5)	30 November 1943 - ?
	Decommissioned	? - 15 May 1944
01	CAPT. Sinclair, Valvin Robinson	15 May 1944 - 11 July 1945
02	CAPT. Brady, Jr., Upton Singluff	11 July 1945 - 22 March 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
USS Baxter (APA-94)
MARAD Vessel History Database

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 24 March 2017