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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Ashland (LSD-1)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Zulu - Foxtrot
 NUZF
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (2-Cuba) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2)
Ashland Class Dock Landing Ship:
  • Authorized as Mechanized Artillery Transport APM-1
  • Reclassified Landing Ship Dock (LSD-1), 1 July1941
  • Laid down, 22 June 1942, at Moore Drydock Co. Oakland CA.
  • Launched, 21 December 1942
  • Commissioned USS Ashland (LSD-1), 5 June 1943, LCDR. F. J. Harris in command
  • During World War II USS Ashland (LSD-1) was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Gilbert Islands operation
    Assault and capture of Tarawa, 13 November to 8 December 1943     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 10 October to 29 November 1944
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 29 January to 8 February 1944     		Luzon operation Lingayen Gulf landings, 4 to 18 January 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 11 June to 10 August 1944     		Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 15 February to 26 March 1945
    Tinian operation
    Capture and occupation of Tinian, 24 July to 1 August 1944

  • Following World War II USS Ashland (LSD-1) performed occupation duty in the Far East for the periods of 2 September to 3 October 1945 and 31 December 1945 to 5 January 1946
  • Decommissioning in March, 1946 and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Recommissioned, 27 December 1950
  • Decommissioned, 1 September 1957, at San Diego CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Recommissioned, 29 November 1961
  • Decommissioned, 22 November 1969
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 25 November 1969
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping 15 May 1970, to N. W. Kennedy Ltd, Vancouver, B.C.
  • USS Ashland earned seven battle stars for World War II service
    Specifications: (as reported by Office of Naval Intelligence, 7 April 1944)
    Displacement 4,032 (light draft), 7,930 (seagoing - loaded)
    Length 457' 9" o.a.
    Beam 72"
    Draft 8' 2 ½" fwd, 10' ½" aft (light draft); 15' 5 ½" fwd, 16' 2" aft (seagoing loaded)
    Speed 17 knots maximum (design speed)
    Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
    Crew Complement 17 officers, 237 men; Landing Craft: 6 officers, 30 men
    Troop Complement 22 officers, 218 men
    Well Deck Capacity (varies with mission)
    three LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or
    two LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or
    fourteen LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or
    forty-seven DUKW or
    forty-one LVT or
    Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity
    Aircraft (still in commission in late 40's or early 50's) were fitted/retro-fitted with a prefabricated steel grated "Portable Deck" suspended between the wing walls and supported by removable I-beam girders. The aft end of the portable deck contained a wooden helicopter platform, enabling the ship to land and launch 1 helicopter at a time. Stowage of helicopters was limited to capacity of the portable deck installed for the mission. Aircraft servicing was limited to re-fueling. With portable deck and aircraft platform installed, the Landing ship, dock was still capable of transporting, launching and repairing smaller amphibious craft and vehicles up to the size of a Landing craft, utility (LCU) in their well decks.
    Armament
    one 5"/.38 caliber Dual Purpose single barrel mount in open tub (w/director)
    two 40MM quad barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (w/directors)
    two 40MM twin barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (w/directors)
    sixteen 20MM single barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (local control)
    Propulsion
    2 - Babcock and Wilcox Boilers, D Type, 2 Drum, Single Furnace, Single Uptake,
    Oil Fired
    2 - Skinner Uni-Flow reciprocating engines
    Twin screws
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Ashland 23k USS Ashland (LSD-1) underway, date and location unknown. USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 105k USS Ashland (LSD-1) (plan view - forward) moored pierside at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, CA., 21 July 1943. Ashland was under repair at the shipyard from 23 June to 21 July 1943. She was dry docked in dock 2 from 10 July to 12 July 1943. The cruisers on the ajoining piers are USS Minneapolis (CA-36) and USS Nashville (CL-43).
    US Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5291-43, dated 21 July 1943.    		 Darryl Baker
    Ashland 147k USS Ashland (LSD-1) moored pierside at Mare Island Navy Yard. Overhead view of Ashland's welldeck, 21 July 1943..
    US Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5292-43, 7/21/43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Ashland 96k USS Ashland (LSD-1) (stern view) departing Mare Island, 21 July 1943.
    US Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5294-43, 7/21/43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Ashland 93k USSAshland (LSD-1) off Mare Island, 21 July 1943.
    US Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5295-43, 7/21/43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Ashland 97k USS Ashland (LSD-1) off Mare Island, 21 July 1943.
    US Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5296-43, 7/21/43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Ashland 107k USS Ashland (LSD-1) off Mare Island, 21 July 1943.
    US Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5297-43, 7/21/43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Ashland 854k USS Ashland (LSD-1) underway off the coast of northern California,
    US Navy photo taken from an airship from Lighter-than-Air Airship Squadron (ZP 31), NAS Santa Ana, CA.    		 David Buell
    Ashland 10k USS Ashland (LSD-1), steaming in the Pacific during World War II. The dark lines on the aft portion of the hull were made by dirty water when the ship was ballasted down to load or unload cargo. USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 69k USS Ashland (LSD-1) underway, mid 1950s USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 210k USS Ashland (LSD-1)underway, date and location unknown. USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 51k USS Ashland (LSD-1) underway off Cape Henry, Virginia, 20 May 1953. She has been virtually unmodified since her commissioning 10 years before.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-628067    		 USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 101k USS Ashland (LSD-1), aerial view, circa 1965-66. Steve Jette PN3, 1966-69
    USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 40k USS Ashland (LSD-1) with LCMs loaded in her well deck USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 37k USS Ashland (LSD-1), in a 1967 photo near the end of her career. .
    This series of photos shows USS Ashland docking a P5M Marlin seaplane in her well-deck as well as alongside. The photos were provided by Paul Heberling, whose father, as a P5M pilot, took part in the Navy's experiment to determine if LSDs could be adapted as seaplane tenders in the late 1950s. These photo were taken in February 1957 near Baltimore.
    Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland Ashland
    View the USS Ashland (LSD-1)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LCDR. Harris, Francis J.5 June 1943 - 13 June 1943
    02CDR. Atkeson Jr., Clarence Lee Conner :RADM13 June 1943 - 30 June 1944
    03LCDR. Caughey, William A.30 June 1944 - 21 May 1945
    04LCDR. Hatch, Thomas E.21 Nay 1945 - 30 August.1946
    . Decommissioned30 August 1946 - 27 December 1950
    05CDR. Scott, Edward Francis 27 December 1950 - 20 November 1952
    06CDR. Phaler, Walter Louis20 November 1952 - 10 December 1953
    07CDR. Barrows, Frank Lloyd10December 1953 - 3 February 1955
    08CDR. Brice, F. O.3 February 1955 - 7 April 1956
    09CDR. Lasell, Harvey Lee7 April 1956 - 15 November 1956
    10CDR. Brown, Frederick William, Jr.15 November 1956 - 25 January 1958
    . Decommissioned25 January - 1958 - 29 November 1961
    11CDR. Price, Arthur Whyte, Jr. :RADM 29 November 1961 - 26 June 1963
    12CDR. King Jr., Ernest Joseph26 June - 1963 - 15 January 1965
    13CDR. Morrison, Joseph B.15 January 1965 - 8 July 1966
    14CDR. Rueff, Eugene C.8 July 1966 - 6 April 1968
    15CDR. Ridge, James J.6 April 1968 - 22 November 1969
    16CDR. Robinson, William Arthur22 November 1969 - 25 November 1969
    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
    USS Ashland Association
    The LSD's of the US Navy
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 18 September 2009