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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Patch at left contributed by Mike Smolinski, patch at right by Don McGrogan, BMCS, USN Ret. - Popular Patch

Contributed by Al Grazevich

APL-40
ex
 IX-503 (1975 - 2001)
 USS Nueces (APB-40) (1945 - 1975)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - India - Romeo
 NUIR
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (2 March 1969)
Second Row - Presidential Unit Citation - Navy Unit Commendation (2) - American Campaign Medal
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (3-Dominican Republic)
Fourth Row - Vietnam Service Medal (4) - Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (2) - Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Benewah Class Self-propelled Barracks Ship:
  • Authorized, 17 December 1943, as Barracks Ship (non-self propelled) APL-40
  • Reclassified Barracks Ship (self-propelled) APB-40, 8 August 1944
  • Laid down, 2 January 1945, at Boston Naval Shipyard, Boston, MA.
  • Launched, 6 May 1945
  • Commissioned USS Nueces (APB-40), 30 November 1945, LT. Leonard I. Berkowitz in command
  • Inactive-in-Commission at Green Cove Springs, FL., March 1946
  • Decommissioned, 30 September 1955
  • Laid up in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Texas Group, Orange, TX.
  • Recommissioned, 3 May 1968
  • During the Vietnam War USS Nueces participated in the following campaigns:

    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
    30 July to 1 November 1968     		Tet 69/Counteroffensive
    23 February 30 April 1969
    1 to 8 June 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
    2 November 1968 to 22 February 1969     		Vietnam Summer-Fall
    9 June to 24 August 1969

  • Decommissioned, 13 March 1970, at US Naval Station Long Beach, CA.
  • Assigned to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, San Diego CA., 16 April 1970
  • Assigned to Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Seattle, berthed at WISCO Portland OR., 19 August 1974
  • Reclassified Miscellaneous Auxiliary (IX-503), a messing and berthing barge, 1 November 1975, assigned to US Naval Ship Repair Facility, Sasebo, Japan
  • Reclassified Barracks Ship (non-self propelled) APL-40, 3 July 2001
  • APL-40 is part of the CincPacFlt Berthing and Messing Program and is berthed at SRF Yokosuka, Japan
  • USS Nueces (APB-40) earned four campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    APB Specifications:
    Displacement 2,189 t., 4,080 t.(fl)
    Length 328'
    Beam 50'
    Draft 11' 2"
    Speed 12 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 12
    Enlisted 129
    Berthing Capacity
    Officers 26
    Enlisted 1,200
    Armament
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts
    eight 50 cal. machine guns (4 fwd, 4 aft)
    ten 30 cal. machine guns
    Fuel Capacity Diesel 2,975 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A Diesel engines
    double Falk Main Reduction Gears
    five Diesel-drive 100Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    two propellers, 1,800shp
    twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS Nueces (APB-40)
    Nueces 31k USS Nueces (APB-40) at anchor at Green Cove Springs, FL., circa 1946-47 Wesley E. Reed QM2/c USS Nueces
    Nueces 47k USS Nueces (APB-40) pierside at Green Cove Springs, FL., circa 1946-47 Wesley E. Reed QM2/c USS Nueces
    Nueces 84k USS Nueces (APB-40) as flagship for the Florida Group Decommissioning Activity at Green Cove Springs, FL., circa 1946-47 Wesley E. Reed QM2/c USS Nueces
    Nueces 80k USS Nueces (APB-40) C Division (Control Division), part of the flagship staff for the Florida Group Decommissioning Activity at Green Cove Springs, FL., circa 1946-47. Wesley Reed is in the back row immediately to the left of Lt. Brooks, the Division Officer. Wesley E. Reed QM2/c USS Nueces
    Nueces 141k USS Nueces (APB-40) Re-commissioning ceremony, 3 May 1968, at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
    US National Archives photo # USN 1132322, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Nueces 120k USS Nueces (APB-40) arriving at Pearl Harbor, 26 June 1968. Nueces and USS Mercer (APB-39 sailed together from San Diego to Vietnam via Pearl Harbor and Subic Bay.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 83843. Courtesy of D.M. McPherson, 1975.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Nueces 33k USS Nueces (APB-40) circa late 1960s, moored pierside, location unknown. Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    Nueces 22k USS Nueces (APB-40) in South Vietnamese waters, circa 1969. Photo Courtesy Richard Kane, 4th-47th Riverine Infantry
    Source MRFA
    Nueces 76k USS Nueces (APB-40) in South Vietnamese waters, circa 1969. Dan Ninedorf
    IX-503
    Nueces 111k IX-503 moored at Naval Station San Diego, CA. in 1986. Note USS Duluth (LPD-6) moored astern of IX-503 Ed Zajkowski
    Nueces 56k IX-503 at the Naval Ship Repair Facility, Yokosuka, Japan, 1995 Shigeru Motosugi
    Nueces 13k IX-503 at the Naval Ship Repair Facility, Yokosuka Japan, 1999 Photo Courtesy Ray Prospero
    Source MRFA
    Nueces 37k IX-503 at the Naval Ship Repair Facility, Yokosuka, Japan Photo by Ray Prospero
    Source MRFA
    APL-40
    Nueces 45k APL-40 at the Naval Ship Repair Facility, Yokosuka, Japan. Port view showing addition of a third deck berthing module added to the superstructure. Bob Gregory COMPACFLT N43 Berthing & Messing Program Manager OPN/IPE Functional Manager
    Nueces 65k APL-40 at the Naval Ship Repair Facility, Yokosuka, Japan. Starboard view showing addition of a third deck berthing module added to the superstructure. Bob Gregory COMPACFLT N43 Berthing & Messing Program Manager OPN/IPE Functional Manager
    Nueces 86k View of the stern of APL-40 while drydocked at Ship Repair Facility (SRF) Yokosuka, Japan in 2005
    US Navy photo    		 Bob Gregory, YA-03, N432, COMPACFLT Fleet Berthing & Messing PMgr
    Nueces 111k View of APL-40's mess deck after renovations in 2007.
    US Navy photo    		 Bob Gregory, YA-03, N432, COMPACFLT Fleet Berthing & Messing PMgr
    Nueces 197k CS3 John Beeson stirs the kettle in preparation for the lunch meal on berthing barge APL-40, at Yokosuka, Japan, 29 March 2008.
    US Navy photo # 060329-N-9389D-050 by PHAN Benjamin Dennis, USN.    		 Bill Gonyo
    Nueces 55k APL-40 moored pierside, at Ship Repair Facility Yokosuka, Japan, date unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret.
    USS Nueces (APB-40 / IX-503 / APL-40)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Vietnam War History
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Berkowitz, Leonard Irving, USNR30 November 1945 - 3 January 1946
    02LT. Ryan Jr., Wynne, USNR, USN3 January 1946 - 15 January 1946
    03LCDR. Oakes Jr., Henry L. USNR15 January 1946 - 7 July 1946
    04CHBOSN. Donnellan Jr., James Francis, USN 7 July 1946 - 15 December 1946 (In-Active-In-Commission)
    05LCDR. Clay, Thomas Carolin, USN 15 December 1946 - 15 May 1947 (In-Active-In-Commission)
     Decommissioned30 September 1955 - 3 May 1968
    04LCDR. Turner, Lewis Duane, USN3 May 1968 - 10 June 1969
    05LCDR. Stegall, Woodie Clayton, USN10 June 1969 - 13 March 1970
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    Command History for 1969/1970
    Nueces 1946 Crew List
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 24 December 2020