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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Clemson (APD-31)
ex
USS Clemson (AVD-4) (1940 - 1943)
USS Clemson (AVP-17) (1939 - 1940)
USS Clemson (DD-186) (1920 - 1939) (1943-1944) (1945)
USS Clemson (Destroyer No. 186) (1918 - 1920)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Echo - Zulu - Tango
NEZT

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Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Combat Action Ribbon (5 January 1945) - Presidential Unit Citation - American Defense Service Medal (with bronze star in lieu of Fleet clasp)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal (1) - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal (3) - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (5)
Third Row - World War II Victory Medal - Philippines Presidential Unit Citation - Philippines Liberation Medal (2)

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During World War II USS Clemson (AVD-4 / DD-186) was assigned to the American and Europe-Africa-Middle East Theaters, as APD-31 the ship was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
TransDiv One Hundred One, CDR. J. S. Horner USN, and participating in the following campaigns:

(DD-186) American Campaign	(DD-186) Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign	(APD-31) Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Task Group 21.13 Hunter-Killer Group ASW Operations 12 July to 23 August 1943	Task Group 21.12 Hunter-Killer Group ASW Operations 20 April to 20 June 1943	Marianas operation Capture and occupation of Saipan, 14 June to 2 July 1944 Capture and occupation of Guam, 17 to 29 July 1944
	Task Group 21.13 Hunter-Killer Group ASW Operations 11 November t o29 December 1943	Western Caroline Islands operation Capture and occupation of southern Palau Islands, 6 September to 14 October 1944
	Sinking of U-172, 13 December 1943	Leyte operation Leyte landings, 10 October to 29 November 1944
		Luzon operation 3rd Fleet supporting operations, 4 to 18 January 1945
		Okinawa Gunto operation Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 9 April to 6 June 1945

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping, 21 November 1946

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Specifications:
Displacement; 1,215 t.(lt) 1,600 t.(fl)
Length; 314' 4"
Beam; 30' 8"
Draft; 9' 10"
Speed; 27.6 kts.

Complement;

Officers 8

Enlisted 98

APD Troop Accommodations

Officers 3

Enlisted 144

APD Boats; 4 LCP(L) landing craft

APD Armament

three single 3"/50 cal. dual purpose gun mounts

two single 40mm AA gun mounts

five single 20mm AA gun mounts

one depth charge track

four depth charge projectors

APD Fuel Capacities

NSFO 3,215 Bbls

Diesel 50 Bbls

Propulsion

two Westinghouse turbines

two White-Forester boilers, 250psi Sat°

single Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears

two 60Kw 120V D.C. Ship's Service Generators

two propellers

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Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
USS Clemson (AVD-4)
100403105	104k	Namesake Clemson Henry A. Clemson (1820 – 8 December 1846) was an officer in the United States Navy in the early 19th century. Born in New Jersey, Clemson was appointed a midshipman in 1836. He served in USS St. Mary's and the brig USS Somers during the Mexican–American War. Passed midshipman Clemson drowned on 8 December 1846 when Somers capsized off Vera Cruz in a squall while chasing a blockade runner. USS Clemson (DD-186) was named in his honor. The Mexican War Midshipmen's Monument was erected at the United States Naval Academy in 1948. It is in the memory of Clemson and three other midshipmen who died at Vera Cruz. The monument was at one time known as the Clemson Monument. (Wikipedia) Photo - Sketch Mexican War Midshipmen's Monument erected at Annapolis on the grounds of the United States Naval Academy in memory of Thomas Branford Shubrick (1825-1847), killed while in the act of pointing this gun during the bombardment of Vera Cruz; and Passed Midshipmen Henry A. Clemson, John R. Hynson, and Midshipman Wingate Pillsbury. (Wikipedia)		Tommy Trampp
	152k	USS Clemson (AVD-4) underway in November 1942, date and location unknown.		Robert Hurst
USS Clemson (APD-31)
	108k	USS Clemson (APD-31) off the Charleston Navy Yard, South Carolina on 21 April 1944, following conversion from a destroyer (DD-186, ex-AVD-4). Circles mark recent alterations. US Naval History and Heritage Command, Photo # NH 91794, courtesy of Arthur D. Baker III, 1981.		Mike Green
	91k	USS Clemson (APD-31) underway off Charleston Navy Yard, 21 April 1944. Note the depth charge throwers aft, which gave her a significant ASW capability. Circles indicate changes made during previous refits, which converted her into an APD. US Navy photo from "US Amphibious Ships and Craft", by Norman Friedman.		Robert Hurst

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USS Clemson (DD-186 / AVD-4 / APD-31)
Dictionary of American Navy Fighting Ships (DANFS)

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AVP-17 Commanding Officers
01	LCDR. Dichman, Grattan Cooley	28 December 1919 - 1920	Destroyer No. 186
02	LCDR. Jordan, Leslie LaFayette	9 April 1921 - 30 June 1922	DD-186
	Decommissioned	30 June 1922 - 12 July 1940
03	LCDR. Whitney, John Perry :VADM	12 July 1940 - May 1942	AVP-17 / AVD-4
04	LCDR. Yancey, Evan White	May 1942 - 1 September 1943	AVD-4
05	LCDR. Moran, William Francis	1 September 1943 - 1944	AVD-4
06	LCDR. Hardy Jr., Arthur H.	1944 - 21 September 1945	APD-31
07	LT. Robertson, J. H.	21 September 1945 - 12 October 1945	APD-31

Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

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Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log

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Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
"The Green Dragons" Four-stack APD destroyer-transports in World War Two

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This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo

Last Updated 10 September 2021