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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Roper (APD-20)
ex
 USS Roper (DD-147) (1920 - 1943)
 USS Roper (Destroyer #147) (1919 - 1920)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Hotel - Oscar - Quebec
 NHOQ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive)
Second Row - American Defense Service Medal (with Destroyer clasp) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (2)
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Wickes Class Destroyer:
  • Laid down, 19 March 1918, at William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Launched, 17 August 1918
  • Commissioned USS Roper (Destroyer No. 147), 15 February 1919, CDR. Abram Claude USN in command
  • Designated (DD-147), 17 July 1920
  • Decommissioned, 14 December 1922, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, 18 March 1930
  • Converted to a High-speed Transport at Charleston Navy Yard, Charleston, S.C.
  • Redesignated (APD-20), 20 October 1943
  • During World War II USS Roper participated in the following campaigns:

    American Campaign
    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    ASW Assessment - (Sinking U-85) West Coast of Italy operations Okinawa Gunto operation
      Invasion of Southern France  

  • Decommissioned, 15 September 1945, at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 11 October 1945
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping to The Learner Co. Oakland, CA.
  • USS Roper earned four battle stars during World War II
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,060 t.(lt) 1,600 t.(fl)
    Length 314' 5"
    Beam 30' 6"
    Draft 8' 6"
    Speed 28.7 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 8
    Enlisted 98
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 3
    Enlisted 144
    Boats 4 LCP(L) landing craft
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mount
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    five single 20mm AA gun mounts
    one depth charge track
    four depth charge projectors
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 2,380 Bbls
    Diesel 55 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two New York Shipbuilding Parsons-type turbines
    two White Forester boilers, 250psi Sat°
    single De Laval Main Reduction Gears
    two 60Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    twin propellers, 26,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Roper 139k USS Roper (APD-20) is shown newly converted to a high speed transport on 21 November 1943 off the Charleston Navy Yard. Both forward stacks and their boilers have been removed for troop carrying capability. The landing craft are LCP(L)s and are used for personnel only, as her cargo carrying capacity is small.
    US Navy photo    		 .
    Roper 99k USS Roper (APD-20) at sea, 4 February 1944. Paul Rebold
    Greene 131k High-speed Transports (APD) at Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, in late 1944. The APDs present, in center, are: USS Greene (APD-36) -- closest to camera; USS Osmond Ingram (APD-35) -- next inboard; USS Barry (APD-29); USS Roper (APD-20); and USS Tattnall (APD 19). At the extreme right is Hilary P. Jones (DD 427). This photograph was dated January 1945, but was taken at least a month earlier. Note old fort in the background.
    US Navy photo # 80-G-302954, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    USS Roper (APD-20)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Abram, Claude15 February 1919 - October 1919DD-147
    02LCDR. McClain, John FranklinOctober 1919 - October 1919DD-147
     DecommissionedOctober 1922 - 18 March 1930DD-147
    04CDR. Esler, Jay, Knight1932 - ?DD-147
    06LCDR. Graf, Homer, William1 June 1934 - July 1935DD-147
    08LCDR. Hadley, Hugh William1937 - 1938DD-147
    09LT. Hines, John Fore (Firpo)1938 - 22 April 1938DD-147
    10LCDR. Hubbard, Harry, Enson22 April 1939 - 21 June 1940DD-147
    11LCDR. Richter, Henry Edward21 June 1940 - ?DD-147
    12LCDR. Howe, Hamilton Wilcox ;RADM1941 - ?DD-147
     LCDR. Carter, Ulysses B.1944 - ?APD-20
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    American APD Corporation
    Four Stack APD Veterans

    Contact: CWO3 Curtis G. Clark USN Ret.
    Address: 3080 Monarch St.,San Diego CA. 92123
    Phone:: 858 427-6696
    Email: apdsec@san.rr.com
    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 Destroyer (DD) Index Back To USS Roper DD-147 Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The High-speed Transport (APD) 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 12 April 3013