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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Darke (APA-159)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - Sierra - Kilo
 NDSK
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Haskell Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 14 June 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MCV 125) at Oregon Shipbuilding Group, Portland OR.
  • Launched, 29 August 1944
  • Acquired by the US Navy from the Maritime Commission and Commissioned USS Darke (APA-159), 10 October 1944, CAPT. McFarland W. Wood USN (23) in command
  • During World War II USS Darke was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Sixteen, COMO J. R. McGovern USN;
    TransDiv Forty-Six and participated in the following campaigns:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates Campaign and Dates
    Iwo Jima operation
    Assault and occupation of Iwo Jima, 16 February to 7 March 1945     		Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 9 to 14 April 1945

  • Following World War II USS Darke was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 20 October 1945
  • Decommissioned, 21 April 1946
  • USS Darke earned two battle stars for World War II service
  • Returned to the Maritime Commission, 22 April 1946, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River Group, Lee Hall, VA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 May 1946
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 11 July 1974, to Sparreboon Shipbrokers B. V., Rotterdam, Netherlands, Delivered 5 September 1974
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,873 t. (lt) 14,837 t.(fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Draft 24' (lim)
    Speed 17.7 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    Officers 56
    Enlisted 480
    Troop Accommodations
    Enlisted 1,475
    Officers 86
    Cargo Capacity 2,900 DWT
    non-refrigerated 150,000 Cu ft.
    Largest Boom Capacity 30 t.
    Boats
    two LCMs
    one open LCPL
    one covered LCPL (Captain's Gig)
    two LCPRs
    eighteen LCVPs
    Armament
    one single 5"/38 cal dual-purpose gun mount
    four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    one quad 40mm AA gun mount
    ten single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacities
    NSFO 7,780 Bbls
    Diesel 970 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one Westinghouse geared turbine
    two Combustion Engineering header-type boilers, 465psi 750°
    double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears
    three turbo-drive 300Kw 120V/240V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    single propeller, 8,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Darke 68k USS Darke (APA-159), at anchor, date and location unknown.
    Russ Padden webmaster
    Amphibious Forces WWII Web Site
    Darke 161k During the Iwo Jima Operation LCVPs and LCMs circle in the transport area, while waiting to go in to the beach,19 February 1945, the day of the initial landings on Iwo Jima. The near ship in the center appears to be USS Darke (APA-159). Photographed from USS Hansford (APA-106).
    US National Archives Photo # 80-G-303899, a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives
    US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Darke 95k USS Darke (APA-159)'s, LCVP 18, possibly with Army troops as reinforcements at Okinawa, circa 9 to 14 April 1945.
    US Navy photo    		 Scott at LBS Products
    Darke 33k USS Darke (APA-159), at anchor in Tokyo Bay, circa 2-4 September 1945.
    US National Archives # 80-G-345761 a US Navy photo now in the collections of the US National Archives.
    Mike Green
    USS Darke (APA-159)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Wood, McFarland Walker, USN (USNA 1923)10 October 1944 - 5 July 1945
    02CAPT. Persons, Henry Stanford, USN (USNA 1929) :RADM5 July 1945 - 21 April 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
    Amphibious Forces WWII- APA 159 Darke
    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
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 28 April 2017