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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Bunch (APD-79)
ex
 USS Bunch (DE-694) (1943 - 1944)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Alpha - Lima
 NTAL
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom,left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Charles Lawrence Class High-speed Transport:
  • Laid down, 22 February 1943, as a Buckley Class Destroyer Escort at Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, MI.
  • Launched, 29 May 1943
  • Commissioned USS Bunch (DE-694), 21 August 1943, LCDR. Alfred A. Campbell, USNR, in command
  • Converted to a High-speed Transport, 28 July to 12 October 1944, at Naval Frontier Base Tompkinsville, N.Y.
  • Redesignated (APD-79), 31 July 1944
  • During World War II USS Bunch was assigned initially to the American Theater and the Europe-Africa0Middle East Theaters before being assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participating in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 26 March to 22 April and
    22 May to 1 July 1945     		Minesweeping Operations Pacific
    13 September 1945 to January 1946
  • Decommissioned, 31 May 1946, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet at San Diego
  • Struck form the Naval Register, 1 April 1964
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 1965
  • USS Bunch received two battle stars for her World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,400 t.(lt) 2,130 t.(fl)
    Length 306' (ovl)
    Beam 37'
    Draft 13' 6" (max)
    Speed 23.6 kt (trial)
    Range 6,000 nautical miles at 12 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 15
    Enlisted 186
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 12
    Enlisted 150
    Largest Boom Capacity 10 t.
    Boats 4 LCVP landing craft
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount
    three twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eight single 20mm AA gun mounts
    one depth charge projector
    two depth charge tracks
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 2,216 Bbls
    Diesel 93 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Electric turbines, (turbo-electric drive)
    two D-type Express boilers, 435psi 750°
    Ship's Service Generators
    two turbo-drive 300Kw 450V A.C.
    two turbo-drive 40Kw 120V D.C.
    two propellers, 12,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Bunch 52k USS Bunch (APD-79) underway, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
    Bunch 39k USS Bunch (APD-79) underway on the Whangpoo River, Shanghai, China, 3 December 1945. Chad Kuiper for his grandfather DeWayne Larsen USS Bunch
    USS Bunch (APD-79)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Campbell, Alan Alfred21 August 1943 - ?
    02LCDR. Hile, William K.1944 - ?
    03LCDR. Hyde, Benjamin Dwight29 June 1944 - ?
    04LCDR. Stanton, Gideon T.1945 - ?
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    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 Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The High-speed Transport (APD) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 5 December 2010