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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Patch at left from (1958-1963) contributed by Darrell E Osborn, patch at right contributed Mike Smolinski

USS Cabildo (LSD-16)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Quebec - Lima
 NZQL
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons





Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (7)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 1-Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (7) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (11)
Fifth Row - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:
  • Laid down, date unknown, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, VA.
  • Launched, 22 December 1944
  • Commissioned USS Cabildo (LSD-16), 15 March 1945, CDR. E. B. Holdorff, USNR, in command
  • Decommissioned, 15 January 1947
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Recommissioned, 5 October 1950, at San Diego, CA.
  • During the Korean War USS Cabildo (LSD-16) participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Second Korean Winter
    28 to 30 December 1951
    11 January 1952
    22 to 23 January 1952
    3 to 4 February 1952
    31 March to 1 April 1952
    6 April to 30 May 1952    		 Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952
    1 to 5 May 1952
    13 to 27 May 1952
    17 to 18 June 1952
    5 to 10 July 1952
  • During the Vietnam War USS Cabildo (LSD-16) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    4 to 7 July 1965
    18 July 1965
    30 to 31 July 1965
    15 to 23 August 1965
    4 to 27 September 1965
    19 October 1965    		 Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    7 to 10 April 1967
    30 May to 7 June 1968
    19 to 25 June 1968
    28 to 30 June 1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    29 April to 8 June 1966
    13 to 14 June 1966    		 Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV 1 to 2 July 1968
    23 July to 6 August 1968
    13 to 20 August 1968
    3 to 11 September 1968
    5 to 10 October 1968
    29 October to 1 November1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
    17 to 24 January 1967    		 Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970
    2 to 3 November 1968
    Tet Counteroffensive
    3 to 5 February 1967
    12 to 15 February 1967
    27 February to 11 March 1967    		 .

  • Decommissioned, 31 March 1970, at Long Beach, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 15 October 1976
  • Final Disposition, utilized as a fleet target, sunk by grounding at San Nicholas Island CA. in September 1985
  • USS Cabildo received two battle stars for Korean War service and seven battle stars for Vietnam War 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
    Well Deck Capacity (with prefabricated "Super-Decks" installed)
    8 DUKWs or
    92 LVTs or any combination of tracked/wheeled vehicles up to capacity.
    (Note: Incapable of repairing larger landing craft and ships in this configuration)
    Aircraft LSDs 1 - 27 (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
    Babcock and Wilcox Boilers, D Type, 2 Drum, Single Furnace, Single Uptake,
    Skinner Engines - steam geared turbine (geared)
    Twin screws
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Casa Grande 34k USS Cabildo (LSD-16) underway, mid-1950s, location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 USS Cabildo Association
    Casa Grande 33k USS Cabildo (LSD-16) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 USS Cabildo Association
    Casa Grande 29k USS Cabildo (LSD-16) underway in 1954 location unknown. USS Cabildo Association
    Casa Grande 124k USS Cabildo (LSD-16) underway in San Francisco Bay, August 1957. Photo by Allied Photographers, San Francisco, CA. Robert M. Cieri
    Casa Grande 54k USS Cabildo (LSD-16) underway, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
    Casa Grande 75k USS Cabildo (LSD-16) underway and proceeding to berth M 7 (Indicated by flag hoist - "Desig M 7" inboard on starboard yardarm. Outboard hoist indicates she is proceeding at 08 knots. She is coming into her anchorage in Long Beach, CA., her homeport at the time. Note the Sea and Anchor Detail on the forecastle and the starboard anchor which is ready to be let go. summer, year unknown. Donald J. Wagner
    Casa Grande 76k USS Cabildo (LSD-16) at anchor while conducting Boat Operations off the coast of the Hawaiian Islands, 1964. Photo by LT Richard Dawson USNR USS Renville
    View the USS Cabildo (LSD-16)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Cabildo (LSD-16) Association
    The LSDs 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 7 November 2008