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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

AP-34 / APA-16 J. Franklin Bell

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Uniform - Lima - Juliet NULJ

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (retroactive) - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7) - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Liberation Medal

Harris Class Transport:

Laid down, 13 May 1919, for the Emergency Fleet Corp., as the passenger/cargo liner SS Keystone State under USSB contract # 2579 at New York Shipbuilding Corp, Camden, N.J.

Launched, 15 May 1920

Delivered, 28 May 1921, to the Pacific Steamship Co.

Renamed SS President McKinley, 9 June 1922

Turned over to the Admiral Orient LIne, 21 December 1922

Laid up at Seattle in 1938

Purchased by the War Department, 26 October 1940, for conversion to a troopship

Renamed USAT J. Franklin Bell

Transferred to the Navy, 26 December 1941

Converted to a Naval Transport

Commissioned USS J. Franklin Bell (AP-34), 2 April 1942, CAPT. H. J. Grassie in command

Reclassified an Attack Transport (APA-16), 1 February 1943

During WWII J. Franklin Bell was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns**
Campaign and Dates	Campaign and Dates
Aleutians operation Attu occupation,11 to 16 May 1943	Tinian capture and occupation 24 to 27 July 1944
Gilbert Islands operation Tarawa Atoll capture and occupation, 20 to 27 November 1943	Leyte operation Leyte landings (Dulag), 20 to 21 October 1944
Marshall Islands operation Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, 31 January to 8 February 1944	Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 17 to 22 June 1945
Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Saipan, 16 to 25 June 1944	.

Decommissioned, 20 March 1946, and returned to the US Army

Transferred to the Maritime Commission by the War Department, 12 February 1947, at Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.

Final Disposition, sold by the Maritime Commission 3 April 1948 to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore Md. for scrapping

J. Franklin Bell received seven battle stars for World War II service

Specifications:
Displacement 13,529 t.(lt), 21,900 t.(fl)
Length 535' 2"
Beam 72'
Draft 31' 6"
Speed 17 kts.
Complement

46 Officers

637 Enlisted
Troop Accommodations

103 Officers

1,740 Enlisted
Cargo Capacity 200,000 cu. ft., 2,300 t.
Armament

four single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

two twin 40mm AA gun mounts

sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts.
Propulsion

four Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers

one De Laval steam turbine, geared turbine drive

single propeller

designated shaft horsepower 9,500

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
81k	J. Franklin Bell (APA-16) at anchor, date and location unknown.	Russ Padden, courtesy Charles Fitch
69k	Broadside view of J. Franklin Bell (APA-16) at anchor, date and location unknown.	Russ Padden, courtesy Charles Fitch
62k	Stern view of J. Franklin Bell (APA-16) at anchor, date and location unknown.	Russ Padden, courtesy Charles Fitch
35k	J. Franklin Bell (APA-16) underway, date and location unknown. Her camouflage is Measure 32/4T.	.

View the J Franklin Bell (APA-16)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
No Information available

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 18 January 2008