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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Askari (ARL-30)
ex
 USS LST-1131 (1945)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Golf - Papa - Uniform
 NGPU
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons




Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon - Presidential Unit Citation (2) - Navy Unit Commendation (4)
Third Row - American Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal - National Defense Service Medal
Fourth Row - Korean Service Medal (4) - Vietnam Service Medal (12) - 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)
Personnel Awards

Purple Hearts: (2 KIA MR1 John R. Ruoho, 3DEC67; DCFN Scott F. Wemette, 21JUL70)

USS Askari (ARL-30) was transferred to Indonesia and renamed Ri Djaja Widjaja
Achelous Class Landing Craft Repair Ship:
  • Laid down as LST-1131 at Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Seneca, IL.
  • Launched, 2 March 1945
  • Placed in reduced commission as USS LST-1131, 15 March 1945 for transit to her conversion yard, Merrill-Stevens Dry Dock and Repair Co., Jacksonville, FL., Lt. Charles L. Haslup, in command
  • Decommissioned at Jacksonville FL., 9 April 1945
  • Recommissioned USS Askari (ARL-30), 23 July 1945
  • During the Korean War USS Askari (ARL-30) was assigned to the Korean War zone from 15 September 1950 to 31 April 1951 and 15 September 1952 to 6 April 1953 and participated in the following campaigns:
    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    18 September to 2 November 1950     		Inchon Landing
    13 to 17 September 1950
    Communist China Aggression
    3 November to 29 December 1950     		First UN Counter Offensive
    9 February to 17 April 1951

  • Decommissioned, 21 March 1956 at Astoria, OR.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, Astoria
  • Towed to Pacific Reserve Fleet, Stockton, CA. Group in 1964
  • Moved to Pacific Reserve Fleet, Mare Island, CA.
  • Recommissioned, 13 August 1966 at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.
  • During the Vietnam War USS Askari (ARL-30) participated in the following campaigns:
    Vietnam War Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase II
    14 February to 31 March 1967     		Tet 69/Counteroffensive
    23 February to 8 June 1969
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase III
    1 June 1967 to 29 January 1968     		Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
    9 June to 2 September 1969 br>29 October to 31 October 1969
    Tet Counteroffensive
    30 January to 1 April 1968     		Vietnam Winter-Spring1970
    1 November 1969 to 30 April 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase IV
    2 April to 25 June 1968     		Sanctuary Counteroffensive
    1 May 1970 to 30 June 1970
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase V
    24 July to 23 October 1968     		Vietnamese Counteroffensive, Phase VII
    1 July 1970 to 31 March 1971
    1 May to 30 June 1971
    Vietnamese Counteroffensive-Phase VI
    1 January to 22 February 1969     		Consolidation I
    1 July to 10 August 1971

  • Decommissioned, 1 September 1971 at Naval Station Guam, M.I.
  • Loaned to Indonesia under terms of the Military Assistance Program, Renamed Ri Djaja Widjaja
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 February 1979
  • Sold to Indonesia 1 February 1979
  • USS Askari received four battle stars for Korean War service and twelve campaign stars for Vietnam War service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 2,220 t.(lt) 3,960 t.(fl) 4,100 t.(lim)
    Length 328'
    Beam 50'
    Draft 11' 2" (lim)
    Speed 11.6 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 19
    Enlisted 270
    Armament
    one single 3"/50 cal. dual purpose gun mount
    two quad 40mm AA gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts w/Mk. 51 directors
    six twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Largest Boom Capacity 50 t.
    Fuel Capacity 4,715Bbls
    Propulsion
    two General Motors 12-567A Diesel engines
    single Falk Main Reduction Gears
    Ships Service Generators
    three 100Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    two 60Kw 450V A.C.
    two propellers, 1,800shp
    twin rudders
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    Askari 23k USS Askari (ARL-30) underway on the St. Johns River, Jacksonville, FL, circa 1945. Tom Willoughby
    USS Askari (ARL30) Assoc.
    photo courtesy
    H. Fredericks
    Askari 41k USS Askari (ARL-30) underway on Lake Union, Seattle, WA., circa 1945. Tom Willoughby
    USS Askari (ARL30) Assoc.
    photo courtesy
    H. Fredericks
    Askari 33k USS Askari (ARL-30) underway circa 1950s, location unknown. Tom Willoughby
    USS Askari (ARL30) Assoc.
    Askari 57k USS Askari (ARL-30) underway, circa 1950s, location unknown. Tom Willoughby
    USS Askari (ARL30) Assoc.
    source Harold Neihart
    courtesy Cheryl Tesar
    Askari 74k USS Askari (ARL-30) underway, circa 1950s, location unknown. Tom Willoughby
    USS Askari (ARL30) Assoc.
    source Harold Neihart
    courtesy Cheryl Tesar
    Askari 1492k USS Askari (ARL-30) underway off Mare Island prior to recommissioning on 13 August 1966.
    File name: ARL 30 74137-8-66, Navy Photo, August 1966, US Navy photo August 1966.    		 Darryl Baker
    Askari 1803k USS Askari (ARL-30) recommissioning ceremony at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA., 13 August 1966. Note USS Harnett County (LST-821) moored forward of Askari. Harnett County was recommissioned 7 days later on 20 August 1966. File name: ARL 30 74217-8-66, Navy Photo, 8/13/66 Darryl Baker
    Askari 82k USS Askari (ARL-30) moored date and location unknown
    US Navy photo from "All Hand" magazine, November 1953.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    Askari 61k USS Askari (ARL-30) underway off Point Loma, San Diego, CA., date unknown. Albert Moore
    Mobile Riverine Force
    Association
    Askari 100k USS Askari (ARL-30) at anchor in Vietnam, date unknown. Albert Moore
    Mobile Riverine Force
    Association
    Askari 70k USS Askari (ARL-30) at anchor in Vietnam, date unknown. Albert Moore
    Mobile Riverine Force
    Association
    Askari 21k USS Askari (ARL-30) at anchor in Vietnam, date unknown. Tom Willoughby
    USS Askari (ARL30) Assoc.
    courtesy Bill Grammar
    Askari 48k USS Askari (ARL-30) as a member of the River Assault Flotilla, S. Vietnam, May 1967, servicing four armored troop carriers (ATCs) while a fifth ATC clears her side forward. Also moored to the pontoon alongside is one of her LCVPs. The ship is painted green, reflecting her assignment to the "Brown Water Navy."
    Note the boons forward and the A-frame amidships.
    Photo by PHC R. Veeder USN. US Navy photo 1123313.     		Tom Willoughby
    USS Askari (ARL30) Assoc.
    courtesy Dennis Miller
    Askari 163k USS Askari (ARL-30) operating in South Vietnam on 27 September 1967 as part of River Assault Flotilla ONE. She has used her "A" frame hoist to lift a 56-foot Armored Troop Carrier onto a pontoon for maintenance. Other riverine craft, including a monitor, await their turn. The full load displacement of an ATC was 69.2 tons and its hoisting weight was 55.8 tons, suggesting that Askari and its sisters had the improved 60-ton capacity "A" frame hoist.
    U.S. National Archives Photo # 19-N-6515, a US Navy Bureau of Ships photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Robert Hurst
    Askari 86k USS Askari (ARL-30), off Dong Tam, Mekong River, RVN, 24 May 1971 © Richard Leonhardt
    Askari 82k USS Askari (ARL-30) off Dong Tam, Mekong River, RVN, 24 May 1971 © Richard Leonhardt
    USS Askari (ARL-30)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Navy History and Heritage Command
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Haslup, Charles L.15 March 1945 - 9 April 1945
     Decommissioned9 April 1945 - 23 July 1945
     LCDR. Ruber, Jacob (Shaky Jake)1951
     LCDR. Hall, Harlan T.November 1952
     LCDR. Sokulksi, Stanislaus A.March 1954 - 1955
     Decommissioned21 March 1956 - 13 August 1966
     LCDR. Campbell, John Francis13 August 1966 - ?
     CDR. Onlea, George1967
     LCDR. Bartee, William J.1968
     CDR. Knight, Walter E.13 August 1969 - ?
     CDR. Festag Jr., Albert PeterSeptember 1970 - 1 September 1971
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    U.S.S. Askari (ARL-30) Association
    Mobile Riverine Force Association
    1966 Recommissioning Program
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Service Force Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Ship Tank (LST) Photo Index Back To The Landing Craft Repair Ship (ARL) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 17 October 2012