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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Patch at left contributed by Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret. - Patch at right by Mike Smolinski

USS Diachenko (LPR-123)
ex
 USS Diachenko (APD-123) (1944 - 1969)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Alpha - Victor
 NUAV
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons






Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (18 March 1968) - Navy Unit Commendation
Second Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Fourth Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (6) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3-Vietnam, 1-Taiwan)
Fifth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (4) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation - Philippine Liberation Medal
Sixth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Crosley Class High-speed Transport:
  • Laid down, 18 July 1944, as (DE-690), a Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort at Bethlehem Steel Co. Quincy, MA.
  • Redesignated a Crosley Class High-speed Transport while under construction
  • Launched, 15 August 1944
  • Commissioned USS Diachenko (APD-123), 8 December 1944, LCDR. S. R. Jackson, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Diachenko was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Consolidation and capture of Southern Philippines
    Police Harbor, Mindanao Island, 17 to 23 April 1945     		Borneo operations
    Balikpapan operation, 26 June to 4 July 1945

  • Following World War II USS Diachenko was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    2 to 11 September 194512 December 1945 to 26 March 1946
    26 September to 4 October 194526 March to 26 May 1949
    23 October to 6 November 1945 
    4 to 9 December 1945 
    28 May to 2 June 1949 

  • During the Korean War USS Diachenko participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    19 July to 12 September 1950
    18 September to 2 November 1950     		First UN Counter Offensive
    25 January to 29 March 1951
    Communist China Aggression
    3 November 1950 to 24 January 1951     		Second Korean Winter
    10 to 19 April 1952
    Inchon Landing
    13 to 17 September 1950     		Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    21 to 22 May 1952
    22 July to 1 August 1952
    17 October 1952
    8 November 1952

  • Decommissioned, 30 July 1959
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned in 1961 at San Diego, CA.
  • During the Vietnam War USS Diachenko participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    18 to 23 July 1965
    3 to 6 August 1965
    18 August to 9 September 1965
    22 September to 2 October 1965
    27 October to 18 November 1965     		Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    4 to 21 April 1968
    12 May to 1 June 1968
    26 to 30 June 1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    30 August to 1 September 1966
    8 to 9 and 13 to 25 September 1966     		Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V
    1 to 13 July 1968
    2 to 12 August 1968
    Tet Counteroffensive
    5 to 21 March 1968     		 

  • Redesignated Amphibious Transport, Small (LPR-123) 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned, 30 July 1969
  • Laid up in the Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, 1 November 1971
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 September 1974
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping 1 June 1975
  • USS Diachenko received two battle stars for World War II service, six battle stars for Korean War service and five campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,400 t.
    Length 306' ovl.
    Beam 37"
    Draft 12' 7" (limiting)
    Speed 23.6 kts. (trial)
    Range 6,000 nautical miles at 12 kts.
    Complement 12-15 Officers, 189-192 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations 12 Officers, 150 Enlisted
    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 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    three twin 40 mm gun mounts
    six single 20 mm gun mounts
    two depth charge tracks
    Propulsion
    two Combustion Engineering "D" Express type boilers
    two GE Turbines, (turbo-electric drive)
    two propellers, 12,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Diachenko 106k The Diachenko family at the launching and Christening of USS Diachenko (APD-123) at Bethlehem Steel Co. Quincy, MA., 15 August 1944. Ashleigh Walsh
    Diachenko 65k USS Diachenko (APD-123) sponsor, Miss Mary Diachenko, holding flowers and the traditional champagne bottle to Christen the ship at Bethlehem Steel Co. Quincy, MA., 15 August 1944. Ashleigh Walsh
    Diachenko 73k USS Diachenko (APD-123) sliding down the builders way after being Christened by Miss Mary Diachenko at Bethlehem Steel Co. Quincy, MA., 15 August 1944. Ashleigh Walsh
    Diachenko 105k Seaman Robert H. Larking helps Seaman Raymond A. Margozswitz into a rubber suit on board USS Diachenko (APD-123). The Underwater Demolition Team "Frogmen" were preparing to destroy a North Korean minefield in Wonsan Harbor.
    US Navy photo # 80-G-421436 by C.K. Rose, Combat Photo Unit Two    		 Robert Hurst
    Diachenko 46k USS Diachenko (APD-123) moored at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, February 1968. Astern of Diachenko is USS Phillip (DD-498) © Richard Leonhardt
    Diachenko 65k USS Diachenko (APD-123) nested with USS Stoddard (DD-566) during WESTPAC deployment circa 1964-66, possibly at Kaohsiung, Taiwan or Sasebo, Japan. Photo by Ed Sinclair
    Diachenko 83k USS Diachenko (APD-123) "E" Div. 1966. Jim McGrath
    Diachenko 71k USS Diachenko (APD-123) nested with USS Stoddard (DD-566) during WESTPAC deployment circa 1964-66, possibly at Kaohsiung, Taiwan or Sasebo, Japan. Photo by Ed Sinclair
    Diachenko 94k USS Diachenko (APD-123) underway, location unknown, circa 1966-67 Al Cataneo EN3 USS Diachenko
    Diachenko 91k USS Diachenko (APD-123) entering San Diego harbor after completing her second Vietnam tour, 8 April 1967.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, August 1967. Photo by Al Cataneo EN3 USS Diachenko    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Diachenko 27k USS Diachenko (APD-123) underway in August 1968, while returning to CONUS from Vietnam. Photo by MMCM B. J. Boyd USN Ret USS Diachenko
    USS Diachenko (APD/LPR-123)
    DANFS history entry located at Navsource with Addendum by Clarence Kessler EN3, USN USS Diachenko 4 December 1954 to 13 May 1956
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Jackson, S. R. USNR8 December 1944 - ?
    02LCDR. Haffey Jr., John James1945
    05LCDR. Wilson, JamesRussell1950
     Decomissioned30 July 1959 - 1961
     Decomissioned30 July 1969 - 1 November 1971
    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
    WestPac 1965 Cruisebook
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Destroyer Escort 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 15 February 2013