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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

USNS General H. F. Hodges (T-AP-144)
ex
 USAT General H. F. Hodges (1946 - 1950)
 USS General H. F. Hodges (AP-144) (1944 - 1946)


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


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal

USS General H. F. Hodges (AP-144) was manned by the US Coast Guard during WWII, transferred to the US Army after the war and later re-acquired by the Navy's Military Sea Transportation Service
General G. O. Squier Class Transport
  • Laid down in 1944 as a Maritime Commission type (C4-S-A1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 711) at Kaiser Co. Inc., Yard No. 3, Richmond, CA.
  • Launched, 3 January 1945
  • Commissioned USS General H. F. Hodges (AP-144) 6 April 1945, CDR. Charles H. Hilton, USCG, in command
  • During World War II USS General H. F. Hodges transported passengers in both the Asiatic-Pacific and Europe-Africa-Middle East Theaters of Operation
  • Decommissioned, 13 May 1946
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for service with the US Army Transportation Service
  • Placed in commissioned as USAT General H. F. Hodges
  • Reacquired by the Navy, 1 March 1950
  • Assigned to the Military Sea Transport Service (MSTS) and placed in service as USNS General H. F. Hodges (T-AP-144)
  • While assigned to the Military Sea Transport Service (MSTS) USNS General H. F. Hodges was assigned to Occupation service in Europe for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    26 to 28 July 1953
    23 to 25 August 1953
    19 to 21 September 1953
    18 October to 5 November1953
    1 to 4 December 1953
    19 to 21 August 1954

  • Placed Out of service, 10 June 1958
  • Transferred to the Maritime Administration for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Hudson River Group, 16 June 1958
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • Merchant Service
    Withdrawn from reserve, 3 August 1967, under the Maritime trade-in exchange program, (MARAD contract MA 4350) delivered to Merrimac Transportation Inc. / James River Transportation Inc.in exchange for SS Lebanon
    Renamed SS James
    Sold to Ogden SS. Co. Inc., date unknown
    Final Disposition, sold for scrapping at Taiwan, 20 June 1979, to Kuen Hwa Iron and Steel Works Enterprise Ltd., Taiwan
    Specifications:
    Displacement 9,950 t(lt) 17,250 t.(fl)
    Length 522' 10"
    Beam 71' 6"
    Draft 26' 6"
    Speed 16.5 kts (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 32
    Enlisted 324
    Troop Accommodations
    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" gun mounts (replaced by four twin 40mm AA gun mounts)
    fifteen twin 20mm AA gun mounts
    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 400Kw 240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 9,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USAT General H. F. Hodges
    General H F Hodges 86k
    Namesake
     Harry Foote Hodges, born at Boston, 25 February 1860, graduated from the Military Academy in 1881. Between 1881 and 1901 he served as an engineer at various posts, including a tour of duty as instructor in engineering at the Military Academy. In 1901, Hodges became Chief Engineer, Department of Cuba, and later assisted in building the Panama Canal. In 1917, after the United States entered World War I, he was appointed a division commander and sailed with the American Expeditionary Force in 1918. After serving with distinction in the Ypres and Avocourt Defensive Sectors, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. Following the war, General Hodges commanded divisions at several American posts before retiring in 1921. Major General Hodges died 24 September 1929 at Lake Forest, Ill.
    Photo source Library of Congress    		 Bill Gonyo
    General H F Hodges 53k USAT General H. F. Hodges, date and location unknown. Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    General H F Hodges 104k USAT General H. F. Hodges during or after her austere 1946 Army conversion this ship received a single kingpost amidships to enhance her cargo handling capability. Most ships did not receive this or its equivalent, a goalpost mast aft of the bridge, until their subsequent safety at sea conversions
    US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo No. Unknown (Army Signal Corps Photo), courtesy Shipscribe.com.    		 Mike Green
    USNS General H. F. Hodges (T-AP-144)
    General H F Hodges 96k Post card image of USNS General H. F. Hodges (T-AP-144) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Tommy Tramp
    General H F Hodges 29k USNS General H. F. Hodges (T-AP-144) underway date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 Hyperwar US Navy in WWII
    General H F Hodges 80k USNS General H. F. Hodges (T-AP-144) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo    		 William Zarkas, Retired MSC Boatswain
    President, MSC Retiree Association
    General H F Hodges
    092214410    		 190k Overhead view of USNS General H. F. Hodges (T-AP-144) underway, date and location unknown.
    U.S. Navy Military Sea Transportation Service photo    		 Nicholas Tiberio
    General H F Hodges 943k Cover page for USNS General H. F. Hodges (T-AP-144) onboard newspaper Dave Pearson
    Merchant Service
    General H F Hodges 328k Ex-USNS General H. F. Hodges (T-AP-144) in merchant service as the Ogden SS. Co.'s SS James at anchor, date and location unknown.
    Photo originally ©William Schell.    		 Gerhard Mueller-Debus
    General H F Hodges 212k SS James moored pierside at Los Angeles, 20 March 1973.
    A Keith Wood owned negative used with permission.    		 Chris Howell, Southland Ship Stores Limited, Port of Bluff, N.Z.
    USS / USNS General H. F. Hodges (AP-144 / T-AP-144)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Hilton, Carl Hoever, USCG6 April 1945 - 13 May 1946
    02LCDR. Ogilvy, Lester Edwin, USNR1952 MSTS
    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
    Leonard Rudoff USCGR USS General H. F. Hodges (AP-144) Photo Collection Courtesy of his sons Doug and Matt Rudoff
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    Last Updated 11 November 2022