Please report any broken links or trouble you might come across to the Webmaster. Please take a moment to let us know so that we can correct any problems and make your visit as enjoyable and as informative as possible.

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS St. Mary's (APA-126)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Lima - India
 NDLI
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippine Liberation Medal
Haskell Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 27 June 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 40), at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA.
  • Launched, 4 September 1944
  • Completed and delivered to the Maritime Commission, 14 November 1944, and turned over to the US Navy
  • Commissioned USS St. Mary's (APA-126), 15 November 1944, CAPT. Edward R. Glosten, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS St. Mary's was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Seventeen; COMO. T.B. Brittan USN (20);
    TransDiv Forty-Nine and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 26 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS St Mary's was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 to 12 September 19452 to September 1945 to 6 January 1946
    23 September to 15 October 1945 
    11 to 19 December 1945 

  • Decommissioned, 15 February 1946, at San Francisco, CA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 15 February 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register. 26 February 1946
  • USS St Mary's earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Withdrawn from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, 13 October 1955, to Pacific Far East Lines (Repair Program) General Agency Agreement
  • Returned to the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, 12 January 1956, by Pacific Far East Lines
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 18 April 1975, to Nicolai Joffe Corp. (PD-X-995 dated 11 March 1975) for $219,489.78, withdrawn from the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, 3 June 1975, to NASSCO Terminal Island, CA.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Draft 24'
    Speed 17.7 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 56
    Enlisted 480
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 86
    Enlisted 1,475
    Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.
    Cargo Capacity 2,900 DWT
    non-refrigerated 150,000 Cu ft
    Boats
    two LCMs
    one open LCPL
    one covered LCPL (Captain's Gig)
    two LCPRs
    eighteen LCVPs
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual-purpose gun mount
    one quad 40mm AA gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 7,780 Bbls
    Diesel 970 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one Joshua Hendy geared turbine
    two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 465 psi 750°
    double Joshua Hendy Main Reduction Gears
    three 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    one propeller, 8,500 shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    St. Mary's 15k USS St. Mary's (APA-126) under way, date and location unknown. Kevin Kelleher, on behalf of James J. Salvato USS St. Mary's
    St. Mary's 3170k USS St. Mary's (APA-126) at anchor at Yokohama, Japan September 1945. Russ Padden
    St. Mary's 77k USS St. Mary's (APA-126) in San Francisco Bay, in early 1946. She is returning troops from the Western Pacific to the United States as part of Operation "Magic Carpet".; Note the long homeward bound pennant trailing from her after mast, and the sign on shore (in the right distance) stating "Welcome Home, Well Done"
    US Navy photo # NH 98747 Donated by Boatswain's Mate First Class Robert G. Tippins, USN (Retired), 2003 to the US Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    St. Mary's 234k USS St. Mary's (APA-126) underway, date and location unknown. Kirk Bacon
    St. Mary's
    100312610    		 133k View from the bow looking aft toward superstructure of USS St. Mary's (APA-126), circa 1944-45, location unknown. Ken Jordan
    St. Mary's
    100312611    		 60k View from USS St. Mary's (APA-126) superstructure looking forward, circa 1945-46, location unknown. Ken Jordan
    St. Mary's
    100312612    		 136k Ten of USS St. Mary's (APA-126) crew on deck, circa 1945-46, location unknown. Ken Jordan
    St. Mary's
    100312613    		 131k Church Call aboard USS St. Mary's (APA-126), circa 1945-46, location unknown. Ken Jordan
    St. Mary's 285k Neptunus Rex and Davey Jones pays a visit to USS St. Mary's (APA-126) while the ship is enroute to New Guinea, January 1945. Russ Padden
    St. Mary's 276k
    St. Mary's 346k
    St. Mary's 297k
    St. Mary's 274k
    USS St Mary's (APA-126)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Glosten, Edward Robert USNR15 November 1944 - 1 May 1945
    02CDR. Baillie, Roland Victor USNR 1 May 1945 -1 November 1945
    03CAPT. Goulett, Wilfred Bradley, USN (USNA 1925)1 November 1945 - 15 February 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Attack Transport Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 22 November 2024