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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

APM-1 / LSD-1 Ashland


Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Zulu - Foxtrot
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 (6)
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
  • 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.
  • Ashland earned six 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)
  • 3 LCT (Mk V or VI) each w/ 5 medium tanks or
  • 2 LCT (Mk III or IV) each w/ 12 medium tanks or
  • 14 LCM (Mk III) each w/ 1 medium tank or 1, 500 long tons cargo or
  • 47 DUKW or
  • 41 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
  • 1 - 5"/.38 caliber Dual Purpose single barrel mount in open tub (w/director)
  • 2 - 40MM quad barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (w/directors)
  • 2 - 40MM twin barrel Anti-Aircraft mounts (w/directors)
  • 16- 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 Ashland (LSD-1) underway, date and place unknown. USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 105k 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 Minneapolis (CA-36) and Nashville (CL-43).
    US Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5291-43, dated 21 July 1943.    		 Darryl Baker
    Ashland 147k 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 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 Ashland (LSD-1) off Mare Island, 21 July 1943.
    US Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5295-43, 7/21/43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Ashland 97k Ashland (LSD-1) off Mare Island, 21 July 1943.
    US Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5296-43, 7/21/43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Ashland 107k Ashland (LSD-1) off Mare Island, 21 July 1943.
    US Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 5297-43, 7/21/43.    		 Darryl Baker
    Ashland 10k 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 Ashland (LSD-1) underway, mid 1950s USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 210k Ashland (LSD-1)underway, date and place unknown. USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 51k 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 Ashland (LSD-1), aerial view, circa 1965-66. Steve Jette PN3, 1966-69
    USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 40k Ashland (LSD-1) with LCMs loaded in her well deck USS Ashland Association. Inc.
    Ashland 37k Ashland (LSD-1), in a 1967 photo near the end of her career. .
    This series of photos shows 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 Ashland (LSD-1)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Ashland Association
    The LSD's of the US Navy
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Mechanized Artillery Transport (APM) Photo Index Back To The Dock Landing Ship (LSD) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    © 2005 Gary P. Priolo © 1996 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 10 August 2007