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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Beckham (APA-133)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - November - Tango
 NDNT
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
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Haskell Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 27 July 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 49) at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington, CA.
  • Launched, 14 October 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission, 9 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS Beckham (APA-133), at San Pedro, CA., 10 December 1944, CAPT. Albin Rufus Sodergren USN (23) in command
  • During World War II USS Beckham was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Twenty-One, COMO. J.R. Palmer USN (13);
    TransDiv Sixty-Three, CAPT. F. M. O'Leary USN (20) and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 6 to 16 March 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 24 to 27 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS Beckham 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 22 September 1945 
    11 to 30 October 194511 to 30 October 1945

  • Decommissioned, 25 April 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission , 29 April 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 8 May 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 16 July 1974, to Sparreboom Shipbrokers, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Delivered 5 September 1974
  • USS Beckham earned two battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Speed 17.7 kts.
    Draft 24'
    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 Westinghouse geared turbine
    two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 465 psi 750°
    double Westinghouse 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
    Beckham 105k USS Beckham (APA-133) at anchor, date and location unknown. Bill Madden for his father William C. Madden USS Beckham
    Beckham 136k USS Beckham (APA-133) at anchor in a fleet anchorage, date and location unknown. Bill Madden for his father William C. Madden USS Beckham
    Beckham 71k USS Beckham (APA-133) underway in San Francisco Bay, between November 1945 and February 1946.
    US Navy photo # NH 98706 donated to the US Naval Historical Center by Boatswain's Mate First Class Robert G. Tippins, USN (Retired), 2003.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    USS Beckham (APA-133)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Sodergren, Albin USN (23)10 December 1944 - 19 January 1945
    02CAPT. Stephens, Marvin Massey19 January 1945 - 3 April 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
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 15 February 2013