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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

Contributed by Al Grazevich

USS Colonial (LSD-18)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Sierra - Juliet
NZSJ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
Second Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (7)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Cuba, Vietnam) - Vietnam Service Medal (6) - 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, 1 August 1944, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA.

Launched, 28 February 1945

Commissioned USS Colonial (LSD-18), 15 May 1945, LCDR. J. A. Paterson, USNR, in command

During World War II USS Colonial (LSD-18) was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater

During the Korean War USS Colonial (LSD-18) participated in the following campaigns:

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Korean War Campaigns
North Korean Aggression 21 September to 2 November 1950	Communist China Spring Offensive 24 July to 1 August 1951
Communist China Aggression 3 November 1950 to 22 January 1951	Second Korean Winter 25 February to 25 March 1952
First UN Counter Offensive 16 February to 16 March 1951	Korean Defense Summer-Fall 1952 6 to 13 and 18 to 26 June 1952 2 to 14 July 1952 19 to 24 August 1952 13 September to 3 October 1952
Communist China Spring Offensive 1 to 12 May 1951 11 to 20 June 1951

USS Colonial (LSD-18) was assigned to China Service from 6 to 18 February 1955

During the Vietnam War USS Colonial (LSD-18) participated in the following campaigns:
1 to 4 May 1968

Campaigns and Dates	Campaigns and Dates
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal Vietnam Service Medal
Vietnam Advisory Campaign 12 August to 8 October 1964 6 to 25 November 1964	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase III 3 to 8 and 23 to 31 December 1967 14 to 29 January 1968
Vietnam Defense 4 to 11 July 1965	Tet Counteroffensive 30 to 31 January 1968 22 February to 17 March 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive 22 to 26 March 1966 12 to 18 and 26 to 29 April 1966 12 to 18 May 1966 1 to 4 June 1966	Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV 3 to 9 and 17 to 23 April 1968 1 to 4 May 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II 2 to 5 July 1966 3 to 5 and 9 to 16 August 1966

Decommissioned in 1970 at the Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Vallejo, CA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Mare Island, Vallejo, CA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 15 October 1976

USS Colonial earned seven battle stars for Korean war service, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with six campaign stars for Vietnam War service

Transferred to the Maritime Administration (MARAD), 29 July 1992, for disposal

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 8 September 1993, for $353,725, to California Imports and Exports and towed Shanghai, China for scrapping

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

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 Newport News Shipbuilding steam turbines

two Babcock and Wilcox oil fired D-type boilers, two drum, single furnace, single uptake, 250psi

single Newport New Main Reduction Gears

two turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship' Service Generators

twin propellers, 7,000shp

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
	123k	Mrs. Learned L. Dean sponsor of Colonial (LSD-18) Christens the ship, 25 February 1945, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. Photo from the shipyard in house publication "Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. Bulletin".	S. Dale Hargrave
	163k	Colonial (LSD-18) slides down the ways into the James River, 25 February 1945 at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, VA. Photo from the shipyard in house publication "Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. Bulletin".	S. Dale Hargrave
	35k	*USS Colonial* (LSD-18)** under way, date and location unknown.	USS Colonial Association web site
	143k	*USS Colonial* (LSD-18)** underway in San Francisco Bay, 1958. Photo by Allied Photographers.	Robert M. Cieri
10121815	331k	*USS Colonial* (LSD-18)** underway at sea, circa the early 1950s. Photo was received by Naval Photographic Center, December 1959, but was taken several years previously. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command photo NH 107629.	Robert Hurst
	84k	From left to right; unknown LSD, *USS Colonial* (LSD-18), USS Gunston Hall (LSD-5) and USS Catamount (LSD-17)** rendezvous at a Japanese port, date unknown. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine November 1954.	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
	21k	*USS Colonial* (LSD-18)** underway, date and location unknown.	.
	37k	*USS Colonial* (LSD-18)** at Subic Bay, P.I. circa April-May 1966.	© Richard Leonhardt
	23k	*USS Colonial* (LSD-18)** at Subic Bay, P.I. circa April-May 1966.	© Richard Leonhardt
	76k	*USS Colonial* (LSD-18)**, at anchor in Subic Bay. P.I., circa April May 1966.	© Richard Leonhardt
	443k	*USS Colonial* (LSD-18)** under way, date and location unknown.	USS Colonial Association web site
	91k	*USS Colonial* (LSD-18)** under way, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
	152k	*USS Colonial* (LSD-18)** emblem, adopted in 1969, represents the rich heritage of the Navy and the amphibious forces. The large letter "C" in the center stands for the COLONIAL, and the stars above it symbolize the thirteen original colonies. The old sailing ship, oared boat, and revolutionary war sailor on the left are contrasted with their twentieth century counterparts on the right. The old rifle and olive branch below these figures represent the Navy motto: "Ready power for peace." The entire emblem is enclosed in a ship's wheel. US Naval History and Heritage Command Photo # NH 69688	US Naval History and Heritage Command
	228k	*USS Colonial* (LSD-18)** under way, circa 1970 near Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Photo LSD 18 98250-5-70 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.	Darryl Baker
	256k	CDR Donald F. Hart, USN, Commanding Officer, *USS Colonial* (LSD-18)** accepts the ship's colors as the ship is decommissioned during ceremonies, 30 June 1970, at Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, Mare Island. Photo LSD 18 98886-6-70, 6/30/70 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.	Darryl Baker

For more photos and information about USS Colonial, see;
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)

Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Paterson, John A.	15 May 1945 - 5 July 1947
02	CDR. Fahle, Robert Peter	5 July 1948 - 16 July 1948
03	CDR. Sotos, George Peter	16 July 1948 - 28 October 1948
04	CDR. Lucas, Albert Davis	28 October 1948 - 28 January 1950
05	CDR. Greene, Thomas Jethro	28 January 1950 - 4 October 1951
06	CDR. Schutt, Edward Brown	4 October 1951 - 13 June
07	CDR. McFadden, James Francis	13 June 1953 - 10 May 1954
08	LCDR. Harvey, Bruce Allan	10 May 1954 - 1 November 1954
09	CDR. Forrest, Blake Samuel	1 November 1954 - 10 August 1956
10	CDR. Lamka, Raymond Walter	10 August 1956 - 13 January 1958
11	CDR. Coningham, Seward Burton, USN	13 January 1958 - 6 August 1959
12	CDR. Durham, Harold Dean	6 August 1959 - 14 October 1960
13	CDR. Perry, John Raymond	14 October 1960 - 7 August 1962
14	CDR. Morris, Lloyd Charles	7 August 1962 - 11 March 1964
15	CDR. Perez, Raul B.	11 March 1964 - 2 June 1965
16	CDR. Burton, James Brooke, USN (USNA 1946)	2 June 1965 - 8 December 1966
17	CDR. Agnew, Richard Scott	8 December 1966 - 10 October 1968
18	CDR. Hart, Donald F.	10 October 1968 - 30 June 1970


Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information Web Sites
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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Last Updated 3 November 2023