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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

LSD-25 San Marcos

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Kilo - Yankee

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (Cuba) - China Service Medal (extended)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Lebanon)

USS San Marcos (LSD-25) was sold to Spain, renamed Galicia (TA-31)(L-31)

Casa Grande Class Dock Landing Ship:

Laid down, 1 September 1944, at Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, PA.

Launched, 10 January 1945

Commissioned USS San Marcos (LSD-25), 15 April 1945, CDR. L, E. Ellis in command

Decommissioned, 19 December 1947, at San Diego, CA.

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group

Recommissioned, 26 January 1951

Decommissioned, 1 July 1971, at US Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, VA. and simultaneously turned over to Spain, renamed Galicia (TA 31), renumbered (L 31) circa 1980

Sold outright to Spain and struck from the Naval Register, 1 August 1974

Struck from the Spanish Navy list in early 1988

Final Disposition, scrapped in 1989

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

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS San Marcos (LSD-25)
	841k	San Marcos (LSD-25) underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	David Buell in honor of his father CWO4 Benton E. Buell, USN (Ret), Main Propulsion Assistant USS Oak Hill
	47k	San Marcos (LSD-25) underway, 24 April 1945, place unknown. US Navy photo.	Robert Hurst
	81k	Oak Hill (LSD-7), San Marcos (LSD-25), and Carter Hall (LSD-3) all recommissioned, 26 January 1951, at the Destroyer Repair Base (Naval Station) San Diego, CA.	Photo by Bob Allport, RD2 USNUSS Carter Hall, 26 January 1951
	70k	San Marcos (LSD-25) during Arctic resupply operations, under MSTS, to bases in Canada and Greenland to re-supply DEW Line stations, summer 1957	Ron Roller USS San Marcos
	65k	San Marcos (LSD-25) during Arctic resupply operations, to bases in Canada and Greenland, summer 1957	Ron Roller USS San Marcos
	65k	San Marcos (LSD-25) crew members returning to the ship during Arctic resupply operations, summer 1957	Ron Roller USS San Marcos
	41k	An Arctic sunset photo taken from San Marcos (LSD-25) during Arctic resupply operations, summer 1957.	Ron Roller USS San Marcos
	97k	San Marcos (LSD-25) underway in the Chesapeake Bay, August 1964.	© Richard Leonhardt
	97k	San Marcos (LSD-25) and Donner LSD-20) at anchor in Grand Harbor, Valletta, Malta, circa 1966-67.	Warren Polensky USS San Marcos
Galicia (L-31)
	48k	On May 30, 1981 ("Dia de las Fuerzas Armadas", Armed Forces Day) the Spanish Navy performed a simulated amphibious assault for the citizens of Barcelona. This view shows the Tank Landing Ship Velasco (L 11), center and the Dock Landing Ship Galicia (L 31), left background --ex-Terrebonne Parish (LST 1156) and ex-San Marcos (LSD 25), respectively--; landing craft are headed to the beach and a support helicopter overflies the ships.	Photo by Fabio Peña
	100k	The Spanish LSD Galicia (L 31), ex-San Marcos (LSD 25), at Barcelona, Spain, 31 May 1981. The amphibious transport Castilla (L 21), ex-Paul Revere (LPA 248) is partially visible in the background.	Photo by Fabio Peña
	88k	San Marcos (LSD-25), in Spanish service as Galicia (L 31), at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, 25 May 1986	Photo by Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola
	51k	San Marcos (LSD-25), in Spanish service as Galicia (L 31), at Cadiz, Spain, 1984	Photo by Ignacio Lopez ex member Armada Espanola