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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Kittson (APA-123)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Zulu - Sierra - November
 NZSN
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - China Service Medal (extended) - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1)
Bottom Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - Philippines Liberation Medal
Haskell Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 25 June 1944, as a Maritime Commission type, (VC2-S-AP5) hull under Maritime Commission contract (MCV hull 36) at California Shipbuilding Corp., Wilmington. CA.
  • Launched, 28 August 1944
  • Completed and delivered to the Maritime Commission, 31 October 1944
  • Acquired by the Navy from the Maritime Commission, 4 November 1944
  • Commissioned USS Kittson (APA-123), 5 November 1944, CAPT. Guy Benton Helmick in command
  • During WWII USS Kittson was assigned to Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Nineteen, COMO C.D. Edgar USN (12);
     TransDiv Fifty-Six, CAPT. G.F. Galpin USN (21) and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 1 to 2 April 1945


  • Following World War II USS Kittson was assigned to Occupation and China service in the Far East for the following periods:

    Navy Occupation Service Medal
    China Service Medal (extended)
    6 to 14 September 194530 October to 3 November 1945
    9 to 29 October 1945 
    26 to 30 December 1945 

  • Decommissioned, 11 March 1946, at Norfolk, VA.
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 13 March 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 20 March 1946
  • Withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet, to A. L. Burbank & Co. Ltd., 26 September 1955, (Repair Program) General Agency Agreement
  • Returned to the James River Reserve Fleet, 17 November 1955, by A. L. Burbank & Co. Ltd.
  • USS Kittson earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 9 April 1973, to Union Minerals & Alloys Corp., New York, (PD-X-956 dated 5 March 1973) for $111,560.00, withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet, 4 June 1973
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,873 t.(lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Speed 19 kts.
    Complement
    56 Officers
    480 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    86 Officers
    1,475 Enlisted
    Cargo Capacity 2,900 DWT
    non-refrigerated 150,000 cu. ft
    Boats
    two LCMs
    one open LCPL
    one covered LCPL (Captain's Gig)
    two LCPRs
    eighteen LCVPs
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 dual-purpose gun mount
    one quad 40mm AA gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Propulsion
    one Joshua Hendy geared turbine
    two Babcock and Wilcox header-type boilers
    three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ships' Service Generators
    one propeller, Design shaft horsepower 8,500
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    USS Kittson (APA-123)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Helmick, Guy Benton, USNR :RADM5 November 1944 - 19 July 1945
    02CAPT. Martin, William Alexander Parsons USN (USNA 1920)19 July 1945 - 11 March 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Data Base
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Attack Transport (APA) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 7 March 2014