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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Weiss (LPR-135)
ex
 USS Weiss (APD-135) (1945 - 1969)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Echo - India
 NUEI
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon
Second Row - Navy Unit Commendation - American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (3) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2-Vietnam)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Crosley Class High-speed Transport:
  • Laid down, 4 October 1944, as DE-(719), a Rudderow Class Destroyer Escort, at DeFoe Shipbuilding Bay City, MI.
  • Redesignated a Crosley Class High-speed Transport, APD-135, while under construction
  • Launched, 17 February 1945
  • Commissioned USS Weiss (APD-135), 7 July 1945, LCDR. Thomas D. Morris in command
  • Decommissioned, 2 May 1949, at Charleston S.C.
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Florida Group, Green Cove Springs
  • Recommissioned, 14 October 1950, LCDR. W. H. Bargeloh in command
  • During the Korean War USS Weiss (APD-135) participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    18 July to 1 August 1951
    9 to 11 August 1951
    27 August to 5 September 1951
    8 to 9 October 1951    		 Third Korean Winter
    15 December 1952
    5 to 7 January 1953
    25 February to 5 March 1953
    13 to 18 March 1953
    Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    31 July to 1 August 1952
    1 to 2 September 1952
    17 to 29 September 1952
    16 October 1952    		 .

  • Decommissioned, 2 March 1958, at San Francisco CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Francisco Group, Treasure Island Naval Station
  • Recommissioned, 20 November 1961, at San Diego, CA., CDR. Merritt D. Tuel in command
  • During the Vietnam War USS Weiss (APD-135 / LPR-135) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    25 November to 11 December 1965    		 Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
    1 to 11 June 1967
    23 June to 3 July 1967
    15 July to 1 August 1967
    9 August 1967
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    5 to 19 January 1966
    26 to 30 January 1966
    5 to 18 March 1966
    25 March to 6 April 1966    		 Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase V
    10 September to 1 November 1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    30 to 31 May 1967    		 Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 November 1968 to 4 February 1969
    10 to 12 February 1969

  • Designation changed to Amphibious Transport, Small (LPR-135), 1 January 1969
  • Decommissioned in January 1970, at San Diego, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 September 1974
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 24 June 1976, to R Steel Inc
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,400 t.
    Length 306'
    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
    2 Officers
    150 Enlisted
    Boats 4 LCVP landing craft
    Troop Accoutrements
    6 1/4-ton trucks
    2 1-ton trucks
    4 ammunition carts
    4 pack howitzers
    Storage
    Ammunition 6,000 cu. ft.
    General Cargo 3,500 cu. ft.
    Gasoline 1,000 cu. ft.
    Armament
    1 5"/38 dual purpose gun mount
    3 twin 40 mm gun mounts
    6 single 20 mm gun mounts
    2 depth charge tracks
    Propulsion
    2 Combustion Engineering "D" Express type boilers
    2 GE Turbines, (turbo-electric drive)
    2 shafts, Shaft horsepower 12,000
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Weiss 97k First day of launch cover for USS Weiss (APD-135) postmarked at Bay City, MI February 17, 1945. Paul Petosky
    Weiss 1377k USS Weiss (APD-135) underway, circa 1946, location unknown. Peter Bensen for his father Andrew (Andy) M. Bensen USS Weiss 1946.
    Weiss 188k North Korean refugees aboard USS Weiss (APD-135) after they were rescued by Underwater Demolition Team members, during operations intended to reduce Communist Forces' food supplies by destroying North Korean fishing nets, 16 September 1952. Note UDT rubber boats in the left background.US Navy photo #: 80-G-K-14209 now in the collections of the US National Archives. Robert Hurst
    Weiss 193k USS Weiss (APD-135) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Paul Rebold
    Weiss 81k USS Weiss (APD-135) underway, circa 1963, location unknown. George Mason
    Weiss 28k USS Weiss (APD-135) underway, date and location unknown. USS Weiss
    web site
    Weiss 23k USS Weiss (APD-135) moored pierside, date and location unknown. USS Weiss
    web site
    Weiss 31k USS Weiss (APD-135) nested at Yokosuka in 1954.
    US Navy photo from DANFS.    		 US Naval Historical Center web site
    Weiss 18k USS Weiss (APD-135) arrives at Sattahip, Thailand, in 1963 and was the first ship to visit there in more than a year.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, May 1963.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Weiss 100k US Weiss (APD-135) at anchor during Boat Operations off the Hawaiian Islands, in 1964. Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville.
    Weiss 66k USS Weiss (APD-135) at anchor during Boat Operations off the Hawaiian Islands, in 1964. Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville.
    Weiss 64k USS Weiss (APD-135) underway at Pearl Harbor, HI., October 1968. © Richard Leonhardt
    USS Weiss (APD-135 / LPR-135)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Morris, Thomas D.7 July 1945 - ?
    02LCDR. Nelson, Charles E.1946
     Decommissioned2 May 1949 - 14 October 1950
    03LCDR. Bargeloh, W. H.14 October 1950 - ?
    04LCDR. Prada, Gerald Warren24 December 1954 - ?
    05LCDR. Viera, John J.1967
    06LCDR. Donlan, William J.1968
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    USS Weiss APD 135 Association
    Contact: Bill Barton
    Address: 934 N. Center St., Corry, Pa 16407-1229
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Weiss (APD-135)
    Destroyer Escort Sailors Association
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main 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 14 June 2013