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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

LSD-27 Whetstone

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 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 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
  • 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 Whetstone (LSD-27) at anchor, date and place unknown. .
    Whetstone 17k Whetstone (LSD-27) underway, date and place unknown. Frank Wood
    Whetstone 37k Whetstone (LSD-27) anchored, date and place unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Whetstone 19k Whetstone (LSD-27) underway, date and place unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    Whetstone 63k 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 Whetstone (LSD-27) anchored off the coast the Hawaiian Islands during boat operations, 1964. Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville.
    Whetstone 82k Whetstone (LSD-27) anchored off the coast the Hawaiian Islands, 1964. Photo by LT. Richard Dawson USS Renville.
    View the Whetstone (LSD-27)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center web site
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation
    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 - 2008 NavSource Naval History. All Rights Reserved.
    Last Updated 11 November 2005