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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

DD-147 / APD-20 Roper


Flag Hoist/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 (3)
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 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.
  • Roper earned four battle stars during World War II
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,060 t.
    Length 314' 5"
    Beam 31' 8"
    Draft 8' 6"
    Speed 36 kts.
    Complement 101
    Boats 4 LCP(L) landing craft
    Armament
    three single 5"/50 gun mounts
    two single 40mm AA gun mounts
    five single 20mm AA gun mounts
    one depth charge track
    four depth charge projectors
    Propulsion geared turbines, two propellers, 24,200shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Roper 139k 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 96k Roper (APD-20) at sea, 4 February 1944 photo of the Roper. .
    Greene 131k High-speed Transports (APD) at Mers-el-Kebir, Algeria, in late 1944. The APDs present, in center, are: Greene (APD-36) -- closest to camera; Osmond Ingram (APD-35) -- next inboard; Barry (APD-29); Roper (APD-20); and 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
    View the Roper (APD-20)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    American APD Corporation
    Four Stack APD Veterans

    Contact: CWO3 Curt Clark Secretary/Treasurer
    Address: 3384 Grim Ave., San Diego, CA 92104
    Phone: 619-282-0971
    E-mail: apdsec@cox.net
    Reunion Schedule
    2008 Reno, Nevada. Site and date to be determined
    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
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 21 December 2007