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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Montrose (LPA-212)
ex
 USS Montrose (APA-212) (1944 - 1968)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Papa - Papa
NPPP
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is top to bottom, from left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (25 May 67) - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)- World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (3) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Taiwan Straits)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - Philippine Liberation Medal - United Nations Service Medal
Fifth Row - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (9) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Haskell Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 17 June 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull under a Maritime Commission contract at Permanente Metals Corp. Richmond, CA.
  • Launched, 13 September 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission on loan-charter
  • Commissioned USS Montrose (APA-212), 2 November 1944, CDR. H. G. Davis in command
  • During World War II USS Montrose was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Seventeen, COMO. T.B. Brittan USN (20);
    TransDiv Fifty-One, CAPT. J. L. Allen USNR 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

  • USS Montrose was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    10 to 24 October 19457 to 14 March 1951

  • Decommissioned, 26 October 1946, at Stockton, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Stockton Group
  • Recommissioned, 12 September 1950
  • During the Korean War USS Montrose participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    First UN Counter Offensive
    9 to 11 February 1951
    12 March to 12 April 1951     		UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    12 July1951
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    23 to 25 Apr 1951
    13 to 14 May 1951
    5 to 6 June 1951     		 

  • During the Vietnam War USS Montrose participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    8 to 18 November 1965
    20 November to 4 December 1965
    10 to 24 December 1965     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III
    6 to 7 June 1967
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive
    25 December 1965
    28 January to 1 March 1966     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    30 August to 1 September 1968
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
    23 March to 28 April 1967
    25 to 27 May 1967     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    28 November to 11 December 1968
    8 to 9 January 1969

  • Redesignated Amphibious Transport (LPA-212), 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned, 2 November 1969, Bremerton, WA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 2 November 1969
  • USS Montrose earned one battle star for World War II service, three battle stars for Korean War service, and six campaign stars for Vietnam War service
  • Returned to the Maritime Administration (MARAD) custody, remaining in place at Bremerton, WA.
  • Final Disposition, sold by MARAD for scrapping, 4 June 1970, to Zidell Corporation, Portland, OR., PD-X-870, for $100,343.43, removed 10 June 1970
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,873 t. (lt) 14,837 t (fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Speed 17.7 kts.
    Complement
    Officer 99
    Enlisted 503 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 86
    Enlisted 1,475
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 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 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 Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 465psi 750°
    double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears
    three 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 8,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Source
    Montrose 26k Line drawings, port and starboard views of USS Montrose (AP-212).
    US Navy Bureau of Ships photo.    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Montrose
    100321219    		 379k USS Montrose (LPA-212) getting underway, circa 1945, location unknown. Scott Silas
    Montrose
    100321220    		 2,841k USS Montrose (LPA-212) officers, circa 1945, location unknown. Scott Silas
    Montrose
    100321221    		 91k USS Montrose (LPA-212) VJ day celebration, September 1945, location unknown. Scott Silas
    Montrose
    100321222    		 830k USS Montrose (LPA-212) VJ day Plan of the Day Scott Silas
    Montrose
    100321218    		 668k USS Montrose (LPA-212) Homecoming-Christmas Dinner Menu, 25 December 1945. James Shreve
    LSM-451 394k Ships berth at Mare Island, 12 February 1946, are from left to right;
    USS LSM-451,
    USS Montrose (APA-212),
    USS Uvalde (AKA-88),
    USS Arneb (AKA-56) and
    USS Haven (AH-12).
    Additional LSMs that can be identified include;
    USS LSM-428,
    USS LSM-350, and
    USS LSM-426,
    US Navy photo courtesy Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum photo.    		 Darryl Baker
    Bryce Canyon 200k USS Bryce Canyon (AD-36) with USS Montrose (APA-212) and USS Henry W. Tucker (DD-875) alongside at Sasebo, Japan in September 1952. Bruce Campbell courtesy Military Locators
    Montrose 651k USS Montrose (APA-212) arriving in port, location unknown.
    US Navy photo dated 14 September 1953    		 David Buell
    Montrose
    80-G-652312    		 146k During Operation Passage to Freedom Vietnamese refugees aboard USS Montrose (APA-212) are shown the way of the U.S. Navy chow line while en route to Saigon from Haiphong, North Vietnam. 18 August 1954.
    US National Archives photo #'s 80-G-652312 and 80-G-652313/i> US Navy photos now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Montrose
    80-G-652313    		 176k
    Montrose 160k LCDR. H.B. Somerville, USN, hands an orange to a Vietnamese child refugee as they are en route from Haiphong to Saigon, South Vietnam aboard USS Montrose (APA-212) during Operation Passport to Freedom in August 1954.
    US National Archives photo 80-G-652343 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Montrose 113k USS Montrose (APA-212) underway, date and location unknown. ©George B Barber, Marine Photo and Publishing Co. San Diego CA.
    Copies of this photo are available from Marine Photo and Publishing Co.
    Contributed by Tom Gonzales
    Montrose 114k USS Montrose (APA-212) under way, date and location unknown. David Buell
    Montrose 107k USS Montrose (APA-212) anchored at Vung Tau, South Vietnam, alongside the accommodation ship USS Benewah (APB-35), in May 1967. Among the craft alongside the pontoon are an LCM(6) and a riverine troop carrier adopted from an LCM(6).
    US Navy photo from "US Amphibious Ships and Craft", by Norman Friedman.    		 Robert Hurst
    Montrose 90k USS Montrose (APA-212) at anchor with River Flotilla One boats alongside, South Vietnam, circa 1960s. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Sacramento
    095901192    		 166k USS Sacramento (AOE-1) refuels the amphibious assault ship USS Valley Forge (LPH-8) and the attack transport USS Montrose (APA-212), circa 1966.
    U.S. Navy photo from the USS Valley Forge (LPH-8) 1965-1966 cruise book.    		 Robert Hurst
    Montrose 33k USS Montrose (APA-212) prepares to lower her boats, date and location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Montrose 207k USS Montrose (LPA-212) under way in March 1969, location unknown.
    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    USS Montrose (APA-212
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Davis, Hallock Gillilan2 November 1944 - 26 October 1946
     Decommissioned26 October 1946 - 12 September 1950
    02CAPT. McCready Jr., George Thomas.12 September 1950 - October 1951
    03CAPT. Anderson, Samuel ClayOctober 1951 - August 1952
    04CAPT. Antrim, Richard Nott, USN (USNA 1931) :RADMAugust 1952 - June 1953
    05CAPT. Andrew, John Douglas, USN (USNA 1932)June 1953 - 2 October 1954
    06CAPT. Billingsley, Edward Baxter, USN (USNA 1932) :RADM2 October 1954 - 8 November 1955
    07CAPT. Van Leunen Jr., Paul, USN (USNA 1934)8 November 1955 - 31 October 1956
    08CAPT. Manning, Arthur Reberg31 October 1956 - February 1958
    09CAPT. Brown, James Harvey, USN (USNA 1935)February 1958 - February 1959
    10CAPT. Bogley, John Albert, USN (USNA 1938)February 1959 - April 1960
    11CAPT. McKinney, William Russell, USN (USNA 1940) :RADMApril 1960 - April 1961
    12CAPT. Bowdey, George William, USNApril 1961 - 28 March 1962
    13CAPT. Coleman, James Pagaud, USN (USNA 1939)28 March 1962 - 9 July 1963
    14CAPT. Weschler, Thomas Robert, USN (USNA 1939) :VADM9 July 1963 - 28 April 1964
    15CAPT. Flanagan, William Robert, USN (USNA 1943) :RADM28 April 1964 - 7 April 1965
    16CAPT. Juarez, Robert7 April 1965 - 3 June 1966
    17CAPT. Davis, Donald Cooke (Red Dog), USN (USNA 1943) :ADM3 June 1966 - 24 June 1967
    18CAPT. Gautier, Robert Henry, USN (USNA 1946)24 June 1967 - 11 December 1968
    19CAPT. Davis, Jack Edward, USNR (USNA 1945)11 December 1968 - 2 November 1969
    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
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    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 22 December 2023