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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Overton (APD-23)
ex
 USS Overton (DD-239) (1920-1943, 1943-1944)
 USS Overton (Destroyer #239) (1920)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Juliet - India - Tango
 NJIT
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Defense Service Medal (with bronze "A" clasp)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (1) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (7)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)
Clemson Class Destroyer:
  • Laid Down, 30 October 1918, at New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.
  • Launched, 10 July 1919
  • Commissioned USS Overton (Destroyer No. 239), 30 June 1920, CDR. Archibald D. Turnbull in command
  • Designated (DD-239), 17 July 1920
  • Decommissioned in May 1931
  • Recommissioned and assigned to Rotating Reserve in 1932
  • Decommissioned, 20 November 1937
  • Recommissioned, 26 September 1939
  • Converted to a High-speed Transport at Norfolk, VA.
  • Redesignated (APD-23), 21 August 1943
  • During World War II USS Overton was assigned to the American Theater, the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and lastly to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaigns:

    Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Task Group 21.11 Marshall Islands operation
      Marianas operation
      Tinian capture and occupation
      Leyte operation
      Luzon operation
      Manila Bay - Bicol operations
      Okinawa Gunto operation

  • While assigned to Commander South Pacific Force and South Pacific Area USS Overton came under the command of TransDiv Sixteen
  • While assigned to Commander Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet USS Overton came under the command of TransDiv One Hundred-One, CDR. J.S. Horner USNR
  • Decommissioned, 28 July 1945
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 13 August 1945
  • USS Overton earned 8 battle stars for World War II service
  • Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 30 November 1945, to Boston Metals Co., Baltimore, MD.
    Specifications:
    Displacement 1,780 t.(fl)
    Length 314' 4"
    Beam 30' 8"
    Draft 12' 3"
    Speed 28.7 kts.
    Complement
    Officers 8
    Enlisted 98
    Troop Accommodations Enlisted 144
    Boats 4 LCP(L) landing craft
    Armament
    three single 3"/50 cal dual purpose gun mounts
    two twin 40mm AA gun mounts
    five single 20mm AA gun mounts
    one depth charge track
    four depth charge projectors
    Fuel Capacity
    NSFO 3,025 Bbls
    Diesel 50 Bbls
    Propulsion
    two Westinghouse turbines
    two Wheeler-Foster boilers, 250psi Sat°
    single Parsons Main Reduction Gears
    two turbo-drive 60Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators
    two propellers, 26,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    Overton 52k USS Overton (APD-23) underway, date and location unknown. CWO3 Curt Clark, USN Ret.
    Secretary/Treasurer American APD Corporation
    Overton 102k USS Overton (APD-23) underway off the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, VA., 19 September 1943.
    US Naval History and Heritage Command photo # NH 91791. Courtesy of Arthur D. Baker III, 1981    		 Robert Hurst
    USS Overton (DD-239 / APD-23)
    Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Riley Jr., William James, USNR10 August 1943 - 9 January 1944
    02LCDR. O'Connor, Desmond Kiernan, USNR9 January 1944 - 18 January 1945
    03LCDR. Bracken, John Paul, USNR18 January 1945 - 23 May 1945
    04LT. Sullivan Jr., Walter Sean, USNR23 May 1945 - 28 July 1945
    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
    "The Green Dragons" Four-stack APD destroyer-transports in World War Two
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Destroyer (DD) Index Back To The Overton (DD-239) Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The High-speed Transport (APD) Photo Index
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 16 October 2020