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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
Second Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia or Europe clasp)
Third Row - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation 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. Francis 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, 20 November to 7 December 1943     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 October, 31 October to 9 November, 13 to 21 November 1944
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944
    Occupation of Eniwetok Atoll, 17 to 25 February 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 9 January 1945
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Saipan, 15 June to 28 July 1944     		Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 19 February to 16 March 1945
    Tinian operation
    Capture and occupation of Tinian, 24 to 28 July 1944     		 

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

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    2 September to 3 October 1945
    31 December 1945 to 5 January 1946
    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
  • USS Ashland was assigned to Occupation service in Europe from 21 September 1954 to 16 January 1955
  • 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 kts (design speed)
    Endurance 8,000 miles @ 15 knots
    Complement
    Officers 17
    Enlisted 237
    Landing Craft
    Officers 6
    Enlisted 30
    Troop Accommodations
    Officers 22
    Enlisted 218
    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 single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mount in open tub (w/director)
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts (w/directors)
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts (local control)
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 11,720 Bbls
    Diesel 160 Bbls
    Gasoline 5,085 Gals
    Propulsion
    two Skinner Uniflow 5-cylinder reciprocating steam engines
    two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi
    Ship's Service Generators
     two trubo-drive 150Kw 120V D.C.
     one Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    twin propellers, 7,400shp
    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 a joining 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 well deck, 21 July 1943.
    US Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5292-43, 7/21/43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Ashland 178k USS Ashland (LSD-1) moored pierside at Mare Island Navy Yard. Overhead view of Ashland's well deck, 21 July 1943.
    US Navy photo San Francisco NAPA, Mare Island Navy Yard Ship Files    		 Tracy White
    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 96k Bow on view of USS Ashland (LSD-1) underway off Mare Island Navy Yard, 21 July 1943.
    US Navy photo San Francisco NAPA, Mare Island Navy Yard Ship Files    		 Tracy White
    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 (Z P 31), NAS Santa Ana, CA.    		 David Mueller
    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 105k USS Ashland (LSD-1) underway, date and location unknown. Tommy Tramp p
    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 Jetted 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 41k USS Ashland (LSD-1) underway, date and location unknown. Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    Ashland 132k
    Ashland 78k 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 Regarding, whose father, as a P5M pilot, took part in the Navy's experiment to determine if LSD s could be adapted as seaplane tenders in the late 1950s. These photo were taken 18 February 1957 near Baltimore.

    Ashland submerged her stern 14 ½ ft. to accommodate the P5M. Once the plane was aboard Ashland closed her well gate and pumped the well deck dry. This demonstration was conducted by the Navy in conjunction with the Martin Co. of Baltimore. The experiment was conducted to help develop a suitable technique and equipment to handle P6M Sea master, 600 mph jet seaplane bomber being built by the Martin Co. (Photo #6 is an AP Wirephoto)

    		Paul Regarding and Ron Reeves
    Ashland 90k
    Ashland 74k
    Ashland 118k
    Ashland 90k
    Ashland 72k
    Ashland 188k USS Ashland (LSD-1) bell and memorial plaque at "The Ashland", Senator Henry Clay's Estate, in Lexington, Facetted, Kentucky. Photos by Hugh Hudson
    Ashland 868k

    For more photos and information about USS Ashland, see;
  • Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
  • USS Ashland Association
  • Commanding Officers
    • Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 5 April 2013