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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143)
ex
 USAT General H. B. Freeman (1946 - 1950)
 USS General H. B. Freeman (AP-143) (1945 - 1946)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - Echo - Juliet
 NJEJ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal (3) - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal

USS General H. B. Freeman was manned by the US Coast Guard during WWII
General G. O. Squier Class Transport:
  • Laid down, as a Maritime Commission type (C4-S-A1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 666), at Kaiser Co. Inc., Yard No. 3, Richmond, CA.
  • Launched, 11 December 1944
  • Converted for Naval service at Kaiser Shipyards, Vancouver, WA.
  • Delivered to the War Shipping Administration, 24 April 1945, at Portland, OR.
  • Acquired by the US Navy and Commissioned USS General H. B. Freeman (AP-143), 26 April 1945, CDR. Harley E. Grogan, USCG, in command
  • During World War II USS General H. B. Freeman was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operation
  • Following World War II USS General H. B. Freeman was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    19 to 27 October 1945
    28 November to 4 December 1945

  • Decommissioned, 4 March 1946, at Seattle, WA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 20 March 1946
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for service with the US Army Transportation Service
  • Commissioned USAT General H. B. Freeman
  • Reacquired by the Navy, 1 March 1950
  • Assigned to the Military Sea Transport Service (MSTS) and placed in service as USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143)
  • During the Korean War General H.B. Freeman (T-AP-143) participated in the following campaigns:

    Korean War Campaigns
    Campaigns and Dates Campaigns and Dates
    North Korean Aggression
    7 to 22 August 1950    		 First UN Counter Offensive
    24 to 25 February 1951
    Communist China Aggression
    5 to 29 December 1950    		  

  • Placed out of service and struck from the Naval Register, 24 July 1958
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Olympia, WA.
  • USNS General H.B. Freeman earned three battle stars for Korean War service
  • Merchant Service
    Transferred to Sea-Land Service Inc., under the MARAD Exchange Program, 6 November 1967
    Renamed SS Newark, 19 June 1968
    Sold, 17 October 1968, Madison Transportation Co.
    Sold, 4 January 1973, to Royal Coal Co.,
    Sold to Reynolds Leasing Corp., 2 July 1975
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in Taiwan, 27 October 1968 (MARAD order # 18735)
    Specifications:
    Displacement 9,950 t.(lt) 17,250 t.(fl)
    Length 522' 10"
    Beam 71' 6"
    Draft 26' 6"
    Speed 16.5 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 32
    Enlisted 324
    Troop Capacity
    Officers 228
    Enlisted 3,595
    Cargo Capacity 1,900 DWT
    non-refrigerated 70,000 Cu. ft.
    Armament
    four single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 1.1" AA gun mounts (replaced by two twin 40mm AA gun mounts)
    fifteen twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    Cargo Capacity 79,000 Cu. ft. non-refrigerated, 1,900 DWT
    Fuel Capacity NSFO 13,300 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one Westinghouse geared turbine
    two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers, 465psi 765°
    double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears
    three turbo-drive 300Kw 240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 9,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS General H. B. Freeman (AP-143)
    General H B Freeman 12k
    Namesake
    Henry Blanchard Freeman (January 17, 1837 – October 16, 1915) was an American soldier who received the Medal of Honor for valor during the American Civil War.    		 Tommy Trampp
    General H B Freeman 74k USS General H. B. Freeman (AP-143) in drydock probably just prior to commissioning at Kaiser Co. Inc., Yard No. 3, Richmond, CA. on 26 April 1945. Ron Muscarella
    General H B Freeman 94k USS General H. B. Freeman (AP-143) arriving in a US port bringing home GIs from the Pacific, circa 1946. Theresa Jackson
    USAT General H. B. Freeman
    General H B Freeman 891k Photo greetings sent from Cpl. W.H. Stansbury to Mrs. W.H. Stansbury, his mother at Kansas City MO. He writes about his trip from Seattle to Japan aboard USAT General W.B. Freeman, mentions hitting storms twice, and hope all feeling fine. Navsource believes that he was Cpl. William Henry Stansbury, Jr (Mar 3, 1931-Nov 2, 1950) military ID #17245840 from Kansas City MO. CPL. Stansbury captured July 5, 1950 in South Korea and died on the Tiger Death March on November 2, 1950. His remains were never recovered. Findagrave has 2 entries for him, one for the National Korean War Veterans and one for the Honolulu Memorial. Jerry Elarton
    USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143)
    General H B Freeman 51k USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143) at anchor, date and location unknown. Ron Muscarella
    General H B Freeman 69k USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143) at anchor in Chinese waters, date and location unknown. Ron Muscarella
    General H B Freeman 23k USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143) in San Francisco Bay approaching the docks at US Army Depot, Oakland, CA., date unknown. Military Sea Transportation Service Society
    General H B Freeman
    092214314    		 208k USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143) in San Francisco Bay approaching the docks at US Army Depot, Oakland, CA., date unknown.
    U.S. Navy Military Sea Transportation Service photo    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    General H B Freeman
    092214315    		 238k
    General H B Freeman 44k USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143) underway, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    General H B Freeman 108k USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143) arriving at Seattle, WA., fireboats welcome the transport as she returns from the Far East with 286 Korean War combat veterans among her passengers, 15 March 1951.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-427369, a US Navy photo, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Scott at LBS Products
    General H B Freeman 60k USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143) underway, mid-Pacific, circa 1954. Photos by LT.(MC) Leo R. Green submitted by his son Rich Green
    General H B Freeman 82k USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143) wardroom, circa 1954. Photos by LT.(MC) Leo R. Green submitted by his son Rich Green
    General H B Freeman 65k USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143) at anchor, location. while conducting an abandon ship drill, circa 1954. Photos by LT.(MC) Leo R. Green submitted by his son Rich Green
    Merchant Service Sealand Corp.
    General H B Freeman 205k SS Newark underway on the Weser River, Germany, August 1968. Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    USS General H. B. Freeman (AP-143) / USNS General H. B. Freeman (T-AP-143)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Grogan, Harley Evans, USCG26 April 1945 - 4 March 1946
    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
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    1st LT. Henry B. Freeman Medal of Honor Citation
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 11 November 2022