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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Paul Revere (LPA-248)
ex
USS Paul Revere (APA-248) (1958 - 1969)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Tango - Mike
NVTM

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (5-Vietnam, 2-Quemoy-Matsu)
Bottom Row - Vietnam Service Medal (7) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (5) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

USS Paul Revere (LPA-248) was transferred to Spain and renamed SPS Castillia (L-21)

Paul Revere Class Amphibious Transport:

Laid down, 15 May 1952, as SS Diamond Mariner, a Maritime Administration type (C4-S-1A) hull, under Maritime Administration contract (MA hull 27), at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.

Launched, 11 April 1953

Delivered to the Maritime Administration, 22 December 1953, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet

Acquired by the US Navy, 14 September 1956

Converted to an Attack Transport at Todd Shipbuilding Corp, San Pedro, CA.

Commissioned USS Paul Revere (APA-248), 3 September 1958, at Long Beach, CA., CAPT. Robert B. Erly in command

During Vietnam War USS Paul Revere participated in the following campaigns:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Vietnam Defense 31 October to 21 November 1965	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969 9 to 14 June 1969 6 to 16 July 1969 30 July to 3 August 1969 12 to 15 August 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 26 January to 20 February 1966 17 to 26 March 1966	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VII 1 to 9 September 1970 17 September to 1 October 1970 4 to 9-October 1970 10 to 17 December 1970 11 to 24 January 1971 4 February to 8 March 1971
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 26 to 28 June 1967 22 August to 28 September 1967 7 October to 11 November 1967	Vietnam Ceasefire 14 August to 9 September 1972 30 September to 18 October 1972 27 October to 5 November 1972 15 to 19 December 1972 15 January to 6 February 1973
Tet 69/Counteroffensive 3 March to 20 April 1969 3 May to 8 June 1969

Redesignated Amphibious Transport (LPA-248), 1 January 1969

Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register 1 January 1980

Sold through the Security Assistance Program to Spain, 17 January 1980, commissioned SPS Castillia (L-21)

Retired by the Spanish Navy, 6 June 1998

Final Disposition, fate unknown

USS Paul Revere earned seven campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Specifications:
Displacement 16,828 t.(fl)
Length 563' 6"
Beam 76'
Draft 27'
Speed 20 kts.
Complement 414
Troop Accommodations 1500
Armament 4 3"/50 guns
Propulsion

one geared turbine single propeller, 19,250shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Paul Revere (APA-248)
	41k	Namesake Paul Revere, born in Boston 1 January 1735, became a skillful goldsmith under his father’s guidance. Strongly attached to the patriotic cause in Massachusetts and an instigator of the Boston Tea Party, he subsequently gathered information on British movements and Tory activities, and reported the intelligence to Patriot leaders. On the evening of 18 April 1775, after learning that the king’s troops were about to march, Revere crossed to Charleston by boat and raced on horseback through Medford spreading “...the alarm through every Middlesex village and farm...” along his path to Lexington. There he warned Hancock and Adams that “redcoats” were approaching to arrest them. The next morning minutemen were on hand to challenge the British advance. “The shot heard round the world” was fired launching the Revolution and the American Ship of State. Subsequently helping to win the struggle he had done so much to start, Revere established a powder mill in Massachusetts, served on the Committee of Correspondence, rose in the Massachusetts Militia to Lieutenant Colonel, and fought in the Penobscot Expedition. After the war he returned to business as a gold and silver smith and introduced new techniques in copper metallurgy. His foundry fashioned the bolts, spikes, pumps, and other copper hardware used in building Frigate Constitution. Remaining actively interested in civic affairs, he energetically worked for ratification of the United States Constitution. Paul Revere died in Boston 10 May 1818. Portrait: Portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley, c.1768–70 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston	Bill Gonyo
	99k	Ex-SS Diamond Mariner at the Todd Shipyard, San Pedro in September 1956 prior to beginning conversion to the attack transport Paul Revere (APA-248). US Navy photo from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.	Robert Hurst
	62k	*PCU Paul Revere* (APA-248)** at Todd Shipyard, San Pedro, CA., 30 August 1958. The conversion of the ex-Mariner class cargo ship is nearly completed in these photos. This class was unique among US attack transports because it had AKA-style quadrupod masts for handling LCM(6)s. Note the enclosed control station around the funnel. US Navy photo and text from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.	Robert Hurst
	94k		Robert Hurst
	98k	*USS Paul Revere* (APA-248)**, underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo
	76k	9th Marine Regiment Marines board *USS Paul Revere* (APA-248)**, 14 July 1969, at Danang, South Vietnam for redployment to Okinawa. UPI Telephoto by K. Sawada	Tommy Trampp
	157k	*USS Paul Revere* (APA-248)** outbound to sea from San Diego, date unknown. US Navy photo	Mike Smolinski
	122k	*USS Paul Revere* (APA-248)** underway in the harbor at San Diego, date unknown. US Navy photo	Ed Zajkowski
	981k	*USS Paul Revere* (LPA-248)** moored pierside at New Westminster, BC, Canada in August 1975.	Photo by Jon Paul Henry
	139k	*USS Paul Revere* (LPA-248)** tied up at Long Beach Naval Shipyard in 1977. Photo by Karsten Petersen	Robert Hurst
SPS Castilla (L-21)
	98k	The Spanish amphibious transport *SPS Castilla* (L 21), ex-USS Paul Revere (LPA 248), at Barcelona, Spain, 31 May 1981. Note she was fitted with an SPS-6 air-search radar, whereas her sister SPS Aragón (L 22), ex-USS Francis Marion (LPA 249)**, had an SPS-40	Photo by Fabio Peña
	53k	*SPS Castilla* (L 21)** underway in the Gulf of Cadiz, January 1986	Photo by Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola
	98k	*SPS Castilla* (L 21)** at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 25 May 1986	Photo by Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola
	70k	*SPS Castilla* (L 21)** location unknown, January 1986	Photo by Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola
	71k	*SPS Castilla* (L-21)** off Huelva (Exercise Crisex-83), November 1983	Photo by Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola
	1816k	*SPS Castilla* (L-21)** arriving at La Spezia, Italy, 26 April 1996.	Photo by Carlo Martinelli