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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive
Contributed by Michael Guerin in memory of my father, Daniel Guerin USS Rockingham

USS Rockingham (LPA-229)
ex
 USS Rockingham (APA-229) (1944 - 1969)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Papa - Sierra - Echo
 NPSE
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon- American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
Haskell Class Attack Transport:
  • Laid down, 11 September 1944, as a Maritime Commission type (VC2-S-AP5) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 675) at Kaiser Shipbuilding Corp. Vancouver WA.
  • Launched, 1 November 1944
  • Acquired by the US Navy from the Maritime Commission on loan-charter
  • Commissioned USS Rockingham (APA-229), 22 November 1944, at Astoria OR. CDR. Hans Hanley, USNR, in command
  • During World War II USS Rockingham was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    TransRon Twenty, COMO. H. W. Graf USN (15);
     TransDiv Sixty, CAPT. A. T. Moen USN (18) and participated in the following campaign;

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 25 April to 5 May 1945

  • Following World War II USS Rockingham was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 3 to 16 October 1945
  • USS Rockingham (APA-229) was assigned to Joint Task Force 1, Task Unit 1.3.1 Transportation Group (Transportation Division (TRANSDIV 31) for Operation Crossroads the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946
  • Decommissioned, 17 March 1947 at San Francisco CA.
  • Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Francisco Group
  • Transferred to the Pacific Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, 18 June 1953
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 October 1958
  • USS Rockingham earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Custody returned to the Maritime Administration, 26 September 1958, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Columbia River Group, Astoria OR
  • Reassigned, 29 August 1967, to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Redesignated Amphibious Transport (LPA-229), 1 January 1969
  • Final Disposition, disposed of by MARAD, sold, 2 October 1979, as trade-in for SS Santa Rita. Scrapped by Dong KUK Steel Corp, South Korea. Removed 19 November 1979
    Specifications:
    Displacement 6,873 t. (lt) 14,837 t (fl)
    Length 455'
    Beam 62'
    Draft 24' (lim)
    Speed 17.7 kts. (Trial speed)
    Complement
    56 Officers
    593 Enlisted
    Troop Accommodations
    87 Officers
    1,475 Enlisted
    Largest Boom Capacity 35 t.
    Cargo Capacity 2,900 DWTs
    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
    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 765°
    Double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gear
    three Ships' Service Generators 300Kw 120/240V D.C.
    single propeller, design shaft horsepower 8,500
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Rockingham 45k USS Rockingham (APA-229) at Pearl Harbor, circa 1945. Michael Guerin for his father Daniel Guerin, Upland CA.
    Rockingham 69k USS Rockingham (APA-229) under way, probably at or soon after the end of World War II, date and location unknown.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 43521    		 Mike Green
    Rockingham 82k USS Rockingham (APA-229) at anchor, circa 1945-1946.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 83416. Courtesy of Donald M. McPherson, 1975.    		 US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Rockingham 541k USS Rockingham (APA-229) at Mare Island on May 7, 1946. Stern of the cruiser USS Vincennes (CL-64) is in the background.
    US Navy photo File name: APA 229 1745-46, Navy Photo, 5/7/46 from the collections of the Vallejo Naval and History Museum    		 Darryl Baker
    USS Rockingham (APA-229)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CDR. Hanley, Hans, USNR22 November 1944 - 17 March 1947
    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 26 May 2017