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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Appalachian (AGC-1)

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Tango - Zulu - Quebec
 NTZQ
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 (4)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal (1)
Appalachian Class Amphibious Force Command Ship:
  • Laid down, 4 November 1942, as a Maritime Commission type (C2-S-B1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC Hull 200), at Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Kearny, N.J.
  • Launched, 29 January 1943
  • Acquired by the Navy, 27 February 1943
  • Converted for naval service at Todd Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Brooklyn, N.Y.
  • Commissioned USS Appalachian (AGC-1), 2 October 1943, CAPT. James M. Fernald in command
  • During World War II USS Appalachian was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaigns
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Marshall Islands operation
    Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls,
    Roi and Namur, 31 January to 6 February 1944     		Leyte operation
    Leyte landings, 20 to 23 October 1944
    Marianas operation
    Capture and occupation of Guam, 14 July to 10 August 1944     		Luzon operation
    Lingayen Gulf landings, 11 to 12 January 1945

  • USS Appalachian (AGC-1) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.3.3 Transportation Group (Observation Units) for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946
  • Decommissioned, 21 May 1947, at San Diego CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Diego Group
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 March 1959
  • Transferred to the Maritime Commission for disposal
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in 1960
  • USS Appalachian earned four battle stars for her World War II service
    Specifications:
    Displacement 7,431 t.(lt) 13,910 t.(fl)
    Length 459' 3"
    Beam 63'
    Draft 24'
    Speed 16.4 kts.
    Armament
    two single 5"/38 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    eighteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Complement
    36 Officers
    442 Enlisted
    Staff Accommodations
    Officers 128
    Enlisted 334
    Largest Boom Capacity 15 t.
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 23,499 Bbls
    Diesel 665 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Electric geared steam turbine
    two Combustion Engineering boilers, 465psi 765°
    double General Electric Main Reduction Gears
    Ship's Service Generators
    four turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C.
    one Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
    single propeller, 6,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Appalachian
    10010117    		 449k
    Namesake
    Appalachian Mountains - A system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachian chain is a barrier to east–west travel, as it forms a series of alternating ridgelines and valleys oriented in opposition to most highways and railroads running east–west.(Wikipedia)    		 Tommy Trampp
    Appalachian 154k USS Appalachian (AGC-1) underway off the New York coast, 18 October 1943. Photographed from a Naval Air Station New York City aircraft.
    US Navy photo # NH 97722 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Appalachian 134k USS Appalachian (AGC-1) underway off the New York coast, 18 October 1943. Photographed from a Naval Air Station New York City aircraft.
    US Navy photo # NH 97723 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Appalachian 80k USS Appalachian (AGC-1) circa February 1944, at the time of the Marshalls operation.
    US Navy photo # NH 82932 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Appalachian 136k USS Appalachian (AGC-1) during the pre-invasion bombardment of Guam, as seen from USS New Mexico (BB-40), 14 July 1944. USS Appalachian (AGC-1), Task Force 53 flagship, is at left. Other ships present include a DD-348 class destroyer (right center), an old fast transport (APD) and two landing craft, infantry (LCI).
    US Navy photo # 80-G-K-1870 (Color) by S. C. Rotman, now in the collections of the US National Archives.    		 Robert Hurst
    Appalachian 117k Aft plan view of USS Appalachian (AGC-1) at Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 25 March 1945. USS Chester (CA-27) is in the background.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2129-45.    		 Darryl Baker
    Appalachian 123k Forward plan view of USS Appalachian (AGC-1) at Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 25 March 1945. Appalachian was in overhaul at Mare Island from 13 February until 6 April 1945.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2130-45.    		 Darryl Baker
    Appalachian 156k Aft plan view of USS Appalachian (AGC-1) at Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 5 April 1945. White circles indicate the areas added or modified by Mare Island during the overhaul.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2444-45.    		 Darryl Baker
    Appalachian 189k Forward plan view of USS Appalachian (AGC-1) at Navy Yard Mare Island, Vallejo, CA., 5 April 1945. White circles indicate the areas added or modified by Mare Island during the overhaul.
    Navy Yard Mare Island photo # 2445-45.    		 Darryl Baker
    Audrain
    100305903    		 296k USS Audrain (APA-59) in port with many other ships, circa 1945. Alongside is USS San Saba (APA-232). The amphibious command ship USS Appalachian (AGC-1) is moored on the opposite side of the quai. The bow of USS Monrovia (APA-31) is visible in the upper left. Tugs push a Rudderow or John C. Butler-class destroyer escort opposite of Appalachian. Docked alongside the destroyer escort are a tanker and a cruiser.
    U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-NN-APA-59-113946.    		 Robert Hurst
    Appalachian 85k USS Appalachian (AGC-1) circa 1945-46.
    US Navy photo # NH 94692 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Appalachian 77k USS Appalachian (AGC-1) circa 1946. This view was released on 17 May 1946, in connection with the ship's role as "floating press headquarters" for the Bikini atomic bomb tests.
    US Navy photo # NH 97724 from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.    		 US Naval Historical Center
    Appalachian 144k USS Appalachian (AGC-1) bearing members of the press accredited to Operation "Crossroads," gets underway from alongside a pier at San Francisco, 12 June 1946, bound for Bikini Atoll.
    US National Archives photo # 80-G-173112, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives    		 Hyperwar US Navy in World War II
    Appalachian 157k USS Appalachian (AGC-1) 1946 cachets. Ron Reeves
    USS Appalachian (AGC-1)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Fernald, James Merrill :RADM (NG)2 October 1943 - 30 July 1944
    02CAPT. Jeffs, Charles Richardson30 July 1944 - June 1945
    03CAPT. Renn, Joseph Bryan :RADM9 July 1945 - 2 July 1946
    04CDR. Lemar, Howell A., USNR2 July 1946 - 21 May 1947
    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
    USS Appalachian Ships' Newspaper "Riptide"
    23 June 1945
    Division Queens Edition
     Victory Edition - 2 September 1945
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 24 March 2023