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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Whetstone (LSD-27)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Alpha - Foxtrot - Whiskey
 NAFW
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 - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal (2) - Korean Service Medal (4)
Fourth Row - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal - Vietnam Service Medal (8) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation
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, 7 April 1945, at Boston Naval Shipyard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 18 July 1945
  • Commissioned USS Whetstone (LSD-27), 12 February 1946, CDR. G. R. Keating in command
  • Decommissioned, 20 October 1948, at San Diego, CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Recommissioned, 25 June 1950
  • During the Korean War USS Whetstone (LSD-27) participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Communist China Spring Offensive
    12 June to 9 July 1951    		 Third Korean Winter
    2 to 10 January 1953
    22 to 29 January 1953
    5 to 13 February 1953
    13 to 29 March 1953
    2 April 1953
    UN Summer-Fall Offensive
    9 to 21 July 1951
    31 July to 4 August 1951
    15 August to 10 September 1951
    9 to 21 November 1951    		 Korea, Summer-Fall 1953
    14 to 20 May 1953
    1 to 11 June 1953
    19 to 20 June 1953
    22 to 27 July 1953

  • During the Vietnam War USS Whetstone (LSD-27) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    Vietnam Defense
    4 to 9 July 1965    		 Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 20 February 1968
    1 to 18 March 1968
    26 to 30 March 1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive
    27 March to 13 May 1966
    1 to 30 June 1966
    		Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase IV
    3 to 7 April 1968
    28 April to 8 May 1968
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase II
    1 July to 3 August 1966
    28 August 1966    		 Tet/69 Counteroffensive
    23 to 27 May 1969
    5 to 8 June 1969
    Vietnam Counteroffensive - Phase III
    1 to 4 December 1967
    12 to 16 December 1967
    24 December 1967 to 29 January 1968    		 Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    9 to 30 June 1969
    2 to 20 July 1969
    9 August to 30 September 1969

  • Decommissioned, 2 April 1970
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 September 1971
  • Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet
  • Custody transferred to the Maritime Administration, 17 February 1983
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping 17 February 1983
  • USS Whetstone earned four battle stars for Korean service and eight campaign 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)
  • 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
    Whetstone 17k USS Whetstone (LSD-27) at anchor, date and location unknown. .
    Whetstone 17k USS Whetstone (LSD-27) underway, date and location unknown. Frank Wood
    Whetstone 37k USS Whetstone (LSD-27) anchored, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Whetstone 19k USS Whetstone (LSD-27) underway, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Whetstone 63k USS Whetstone (LSD-27) during operations near the DMZ off Vietnam, 1969. Photo by William P. Jones, M.D., former Medical Officer USS Niagara Falls.
    Whetstone 142k USS Whetstone (LSD-27) anchored off the coast the Hawaiian Islands during boat operations, 1964. Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville.
    Whetstone 82k USS Whetstone (LSD-27) anchored off the coast the Hawaiian Islands, 1964. Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville.
    View the USS Whetstone (LSD-27)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    ,/tr>
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Keating, Gordon Ripley12 February 1946 - ?
    02CDR. Zimmerman, Milton A.1948 - ?
      Decommissioned, 20 October 1948 - 25 June 1950 
    07CDR. Beede, Albert J.no dates>/td>
    08CDR. Lavery, Richard John1953 - September 1954
    09CDR. Spruance, Edward DeanSeptember 1954 - August 1955
    10CDR. Ahern, Robert JosephAugust 1955 - 1 November 1957
    11CDR. Wiggins, Raymond1 November 1957 - 1958
    12CDR. Somerville, Henry Brooke1958 - 1959
    13CDR. Galing, Searcy G.1959 - April 1961
    14CDR. Debuhr, Claude NoelApril 1961 - 1963
    15CDR. Zinn, Franklyn K.no dates
    16CDR. French, D. M.1964 - ?
    17CDR. Webb, William Hubert1966 - ?
    18CDR. Seabaugh, Raymond Ray1967 - 1968
    19CDR. Rabun, Floyd Kelley1968 - 1969
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    USS Whetstone LSD-27 - The Rolling Stone "On-Line"
    The LSDs of the US Navy
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type 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 - 2009 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 30 November 2009