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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Reeves (APD-52)
ex
 USS Reeves (DE-156) (1944 - 1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Echo - November
 NZEN
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Buckley Class Destroyer Escort / Charles Lawrence Class High-speed Transport:
  • Laid down, 7 February 1943, as Reeves (DE-156), a Buckley Class Destroyer Escort at Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth VA.
  • Launched, 23 April 1943
  • Commissioned USS Reeves (DE-156), 9 June 1943, LCDR. Mathias S. Clark, USNR in command
  • Converted to a Charles Lawrence Class High-speed Transport at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia PA.
  • Redesignated High-speed Transport (APD-52), 24 September 1944
  • During World War II USS Reeves was assigned initially to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and later to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater TransDiv One Hundred Five, CAPT. J. M. Kennaday USN and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 15 June 1945

  • Following World War II USS Reeves (APD-52) was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 2 December 1945
  • Decommissioned, 30 July 1946, at Green Cove Springs FL.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs
  • Struck from the Naval Register 1 June 1966
  • USS Reeves (APD-52) earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Transferred to Ecuador in July 1961 for use as a electric power plant
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    APD Specifications:
    Displacement 1,400 t.(lt), 2,130 t.(fl)
    Length 306' ovl.
    Beam 37'
    Draft 12' 7" (limiting)
    Speed 23.6 kts. (trial)
    Range 6,000 nautical miles at 12 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 12
    Enlisted 192
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 12
    Enlisted 150
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Boats 4 LCVP landing craft
    Troop Accoutrements
    six 1/4 ton trucks
    two 1 ton trucks
    four ammunition carts
    four pack howitzers
    Storage
    Ammunition 6,000 cu. ft.
    General Cargo 3,500 cu. ft.
    Gasoline 1,000 cu. ft.
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    three twin 40 mm AA gun mounts
    six single 20 mm AA gun mounts
    two depth charge tracks
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 2,216 Bbls
    Diesel 93 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Combustion Engineering "D" Express boilers, 435psi 750°
    two General Electric turbines, (turbo-electric drive)
    Ship's Service Generators
    two 300Kw 450V A.C.
    two 40Kw 120V D.C.
    two propellers, 12,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Reeves
    100405205    		 181k USS Reeves (APD-52) underway off Navy Yard Philadelphia, 22 December 1944.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-1024335    		 Rick Davis
    Reeves
    100405206    		 355k USS Reeves (APD-52) underway on the Deleware River off Navy Yard Philadelphia, 22 December 1944. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 31, Design 20L.
    U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo BS 79917. From usndazzle.com    		 Robert Hurst
    Reeves 60k USS Reeves (APD-52) under way, date and location unknown. Alison Strehlow
    USS Reeves DE-156/APD-52 web site
    Reeves 115k USS Reeves (APD-52) under way, date and location unknown. Alison Strehlow
    USS Reeves DE-156/APD-52 web site
    Reeves 97k Former US Navy prisoners of war on board USS Reeves (APD-52) in Tokyo Bay, Japan, after being transferred from USS Benevolence (AH-13), 29 August 1945. They had just been liberated from the Nisson Mills Camp # 2, in the Tokyo Area.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-338187, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Bill Gonyo
    Reeves 22k USS Reeves (APD-52) commander (right) LCDR. Park A. Dallis Jr. USNR with recently liberated Major Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington USMC, Commanding Officer of "Black Sheep Squadron" Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF-214) (left) and CDR. Richard H. O'Kane USS Tang (SS-306) (center), 30 August 1945, the day after the two men were liberated from the Omori POW camp in Tokyo. Mike Smolinski
    USS Reeves (APD-52)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Clark, Mathias Stanley, USNR9 June 1943 - 2 December 1943DE-156
    02LCDR. Durney, James John, USNR2 December 1943 - 13 August 1945DE-156 / APD-52
    03LCDR. Dallis Jr., Park Aloysius, USNR13 August 1945 - 18 December 1945APD-52
    04LTjg. Gibbons, Earl F., USNR18 December 1945 - 30 July 1946APD-52
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Destroyer Escort Index
    		Back To The USS Reeves (DE-156)
    		Back To the Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The High-speed Transport Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 10 November 2023