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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Waters (APD-8)
ex
 USS Waters (DD-115) (1920 - 1940)
 USS Waters (Destroyer #115) (1918 - 1920)


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Whiskey - Kilo - Xray
 NWKX
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
Second Row - World War I Victory Medal (with bronze star in lieu of Destroyer clasp) - American Defense Service Medal (with bronze star in lieu of Fleet clasp) - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Wickes Class Destroyer:
  • Laid Down, 26 July 1917, at William Cramp and Sons, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Launched, 3 March 1918
  • Commissioned, 8 August 1918, as USS Waters (Destroyer No. 115), LCDR. Charles F. Russell in command
  • Redesignated (DD-115) 17 July 1920
  • Decommissioned, 28 December 1922
  • Recommissioned, 4 June 1930
  • Converted to a High-speed Transport and redesignated (APD-8), 19 December 1942
  • During World War II USS Waters (APD-8) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Consolidation of Solomons Islands
    Consolidation of southern Solomons, 16 June 1943     		Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 June to 1 August 1944
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 1 to 3 August 1944
    New Georgia Group operation
    New Georgia-Rendova-Vangunu occupation, 30 June, 4 to 5 July 1943
    Vella Lavell occupation, 15 August 1943     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and capture of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 19 may 1945
    Treasury - Bougainville operation
    Treasury Island landing, 27 October 1943
    Occupation and defense of Cape Torokina, 6, 11, and 17 November 1943     		Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and capture of Iwo Jima, 16 February to 7 March 1945
    Bismarck Archipelago operation
    Green Island landings, 13 to 19 February 1944     		 

  • While assigned to Commander South Pacific Force and South Pacific Area USS Waters came under the command of:
    TransDiv Twelve, CDR. Hugh W. Hadley, USN (22)
  • While assigned to Commander Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet USS Waters came under the command of:
    TransDiv One-Hundred, CDR. R.A. Wilhelm, USNR
  • Reverted to a Destroyer, redesignated (DD-115)
  • Decommissioned, 12 October 1945, at Terminal Island, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 24 October 1945
  • USS Waters earned seven battle stars for service during World War II
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping 10 May 1946
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,154 t. 1,600 t.(fl)
    Length 314' 5"
    Beam 30' 6"
    Draft 9' 10"
    Speed 35.2 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 8
    Enlisted 98
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 3
    Enlisted 144
    Boats 4 LCP(L) landing craft
    Armament
    three single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    five single 20mm AA gun mounts
    one depth charge rack
    four depth charge projectors
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 2,380 Bbls
    Diesel 55 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Fore River Curtis design geared turbines
    two Yarrow boilers, 250psi Sat.
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    two turbo-drive 60Kw, 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    two propellers, 27,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Waters 111k USS Waters (APD-8) at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, WA., 2 February 1943. Note the depth charge racks on her fantail, propeller guards, and landing craft (probably LCPR types) on her davits.
    US National Archives photo # 19-N-41230 from the Bureau of Ships Collection now in the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Waters 132k Starboard bow view of USS Waters (APD-8) under way at San Francisco, CA.,2 October 1944, wearing camouflage MS31/20L. The vertical colors probably are navy green, ocean green, brown and haze green.
    US National Archives Bureau of Ships, Photo No. BS 78868, courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, (usndazzle.com).    		 Mike Green
    Waters 69k USS Waters (APD-8) under way in 1944, place unknown.
    US Navy photo # NH 81392 from the collections of the US Naval Historical Center, courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1974.    		 CWO3 Curt Clark, USN Ret.
    Secretary/Treasurer American APD Corporation and the US Naval Historical Center
    USS Waters (DD-115 / APD-8)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Halfon, Sam, USNR21 July 1944 - 12 October 1945
    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
    "The Green Dragons" Four-stack APD destroyer-transports in World War Two
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The USS Waters (DD-115) Page Back To The High-speed Transport (APD) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 16 October 2020