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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Donner (LSD-20)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Papa - Lima NJPL

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Congo, 1-Dominican Republic)

Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:

Launched, 6 April 1945, at Boston Naval Shipyard, Boston, MA.

Commissioned USS Donner (LSD-20), 31 July 1945, LCDR. P. V. McPeake, USNR, in command

Decommissioned, 12 August 1949

Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet

Recommissioned, 15 September 1950

Decommissioned (date unknown).

Struck from the Naval Register, 1 November 1976

Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.

Removed for the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River by towing, 10 June 2005

Final Disposition, scrapped at All Star Medals, Brownsville, TX.

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)

108 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

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 Engines - steam geared turbine (geared)

Twin screws

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
81k	*USS Donner* (LSD-20)** underway, 5 January 1951, location unknown. Photo from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.	Robert Hurst
429k	*USS Donner* (LSD-20)** underway, circa 1957, location unknown.	Larry L. Legge
26k	*USS Donner* (LSD-20)** underway, date and location unknown.	.
130k	*USS Donner* (LSD-20) underway in the Atlantic Ocean, about 200 miles east of Jacksonville and Cape Canaveral FL. as an HS-34** helicopter brings the Mercury space capsule aboard with "Space Chimp Ham" aboard after a successful NASA sub-orbital flight of the Mercury-Redstone MR2 and Mercury capsule, 31 January 1961. This picture is respectfully submitted in the name of relieving CO, CDR. Martin V. Cornetta USN Ret. 1961-1963 (now deceased). CO at the date of recovery, CDR. Ralph Brackett USN Ret.	Ronald D. Luxon, Secretary USS Donner Memorial Association, Inc
97k	*USS Donner* (LSD-20) and USS San Marcos LSD-25)** at anchor in Grand Harbor, Valletta, Malta, circa 1966-67.	Warren Polensky USS San Marcos
87k	*USS Donner* (LSD-20)** underway in the Mediterranean Sea, circa 1966-67.	Warren Polensky USS San Marcos
96k	*USS Donner* (LSD-20)** little changed from her World war II appearance, underway in December 1968, location unknown. The most visible modifications are the extension of the deckhouse under her bridge (the 5"/38 gun forward has been removed) and the addition of another, enclosed, bridge level (the old bridge windows have been plated in).. Test and photo from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman.	Robert Hurst

View the USS Donner (LSD-20)
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 Donner Memorial Association, Inc.
The LSDs of the US Navy

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Last Updated 29 May 2009