Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # 19-N-52775:  USS Schley off the Mare Island Navy Yard, 2 October 1943

Online Library of Selected Images:
U.S. NAVY SHIPS -- Listed by Hull Number

APD -- High Speed Transports, and
LPR -- Amphibious Transports, Small.

In late November 1938 the Navy redesignated the "four-piper" destroyer Manley (DD-74) AG-28, in preparation for conversion to the prototype of a small, fast troop transport. Following completion of this work, she served as an AG ("Miscellaneous Auxiliary") until early August 1940, when she was again redesignated (and further modified) to become the pioneer APD. At the same time, five more old destroyers were redesignated as APDs 2-6, with their conversions taking place during the remainder of 1940. Another twenty-nine similar ships received APD designations between October 1942 and February 1944, though three of these did not actually become transports. One more APD number (APD-30) was never assigned to a ship. As modified, all these former destroyers lost half of their boilers (and smokestacks), leaving them with a maximum speed of about twenty-four knots. This was still quite fast when compared with other ships of the contemporary amphibious force.

The high-speed transport concept having proven very useful, in mid-1944 the Navy began converting steam-powered escort ships (DEs) to APDs. With speed approximating that of the older conversions, these newer ships had more capacity for passengers and equipment, and were in much better physical condition. DE conversion hull numbers began with APD-37 and ultimately reached APD-139. Initially, the new transports had seen prior service as escorts, but many later ones were redesignated while building or even before construction began. In all, 103 DE conversions were planned, though nine were cancelled, all but one before the beginning of work. In some cases, cancellations happened so early that the ships remained DEs and never formally received an APD designation.

After the end of World War II, the surviving old destroyer conversions were swiftly disposed of, as was one damaged DE conversion (another had been lost). Several APDs continued in active service well into the post-war era, and others were recommissioned during the Korean War. Many more were sold or transferred to foreign nations, either for naval service or for employment as floating electrical generating plants. The U.S. Navy kept some APDs in the active fleet during the 1960s. Those remaining on the Naval Vessel Register (whether active or not) were redesignated LPR ("Amphibious Transport, Small" at the beginning of 1969, at which time one had been in foreign service (though still under U.S. ownership) for about a decade. The LPRs retained the hull numbers they held as APDs. By the mid-1970s, all U.S. Navy APD/LPRs had been disposed of, and it now appears that the designations are extinct.

This page provides the hull numbers of all U.S. Navy High Speed Transports numbered in the APD series and the LPR (Amphibious Transports, Small) series, with links to those ships with photos available in the Online Library.


See the list below to locate photographs of individual APDs and LPRs.

If the APD/LPR you want does not have an active link on this page, contact the Photographic Section concerning other research options.


Left Column --
High Speed Transports numbered
APD-1 through APD-69:

Right Column --
High Speed Transports numbered
APD-70 through APD-139:

  • APD-70: Pavlic (1944-1968).
    Begun as DE-669
  • APD-71: Odum (1945-1966).
    Begun as DE-670
  • APD-72: Jack C. Robinson (1945-1966). Begun as DE-671
  • APD-73: Bassett (1945-1968).
    Begun as DE-672
  • APD-74: John P. Gray (1945-1968).
    Begun as DE-673
  • APD-75: Weber (1943-1962).
    Previously DE-675
  • APD-76: Schmitt (1943-1969).
    Previously DE-676
  • APD-77: Frament (1943-1961).
    Previously DE-677
  • APD-78: Bull (1943-1966).
    Previously DE-693
  • APD-79: Bunch (1943-1965).
    Previously DE-694

  • APD-80: Hayter (1944-1967).
    Previously DE-212
  • APD-81: Tatum (1943-1961).
    Previously DE-789
  • APD-82: Borum (1943-1966).
    Planned conversion from DE-790 cancelled
  • APD-83: Maloy (1943-1966).
    Planned conversion from DE-791 cancelled
  • APD-84: Haines (1943-1961).
    Previously DE-792
  • APD-85: Runels (1944-1961).
    Previously DE-793
  • APD-86: Hollis (1944-1975).
    Previously DE-794. Later LPR-86
  • APD-87: Crosley (1944-1961).
    Begun as DE-226
  • APD-88: Cread (1945-1961).
    Begun as DE-227
  • APD-89: Ruchamkin (1944-1969).
    Begun as DE-228. Later LPR-89

  • APD-90: Kirwin (1945-1975).
    Begun as DE-229. Later LPR-90
  • APD-91: Kinzer (1944-1962).
    Begun as DE-232
  • APD-92: Register (1945-1966).
    Begun as DE-233
  • APD-93: Brock (1945-1962).
    Begun as DE-234
  • APD-94: John Q. Roberts (1945-1960). Begun as DE-235
  • APD-95: William H. Hobby (1945-1967). Begun as DE-236
  • APD-96: Ray K. Edwards (1945-1961). Begun as DE-237
  • APD-97: Arthur L. Bristol (1945-1965). Begun as DE-281
  • APD-98: Truxtun (1945-1966).
    Begun as DE-282.
  • APD-99: Upham (1945-1962).
    Begun as DE-283

  • APD-100: Ringness (1944-1975).
    Begun as DE-590. Later LPR-100
  • APD-101: Knudson (1944-1975).
    Begun as DE-591. Later LPR-101
  • APD-102: Rednour (1944-1969).
    Begun as DE-592
  • APD-103: Tollberg (1945-1965).
    Begun as DE-593
  • APD-104: William J. Pattison (1945-1962). Begun as DE-594
  • APD-105: Myers (1945-1962).
    Begun as DE-595
  • APD-106: Walter B. Cobb (1945-1966). Begun as DE-596
  • APD-107: Earle B. Hall (1945-1966).
    Begun as DE-597
  • APD-108: Harry L. Corl (1945-1966).
    Begun as DE-598
  • APD-109: Belet (1945-1963).
    Begun as DE-599

  • APD-110: Julius A. Raven (1945-1966). Begun as DE-600
  • APD-111: Walsh (1945-1968).
    Authorized as DE-601
  • APD-112: Hunter Marshall (1945-1961). Authorized as DE-602
  • APD-113: Earhart (1945-1963).
    Authorized as DE-603
  • APD-114: Walter S. Gorka (1945-1961). Authorized as DE-604
  • APD-115: Rogers Blood (1945-1962).
    Authorized as DE-605
  • APD-116: Frankovich (1945-1965).
    Authorized as DE-606
  • APD-117: Joseph M. Auman (1945-1963). Begun as DE-674
  • APD-118: Don O. Woods (1945-1963).
    Authorized as DE-721
  • APD-119: Beverly W. Reid (1945-1975). Authorized as DE-722. Later LPR-119

  • APD-120: Klein (1944-1966).
    Begun as DE-687
  • APD-121: Raymon W. Herndon (1944-1966). Begun as DE-688
  • APD-122: Scribner (1944-1967).
    Begun as DE-689
  • APD-123: Diachenko (1944-1975).
    Begun as DE-690. Later LPR-123. Originally named Alex Diachenko
  • APD-124: Horace A. Bass (1944-1975). Authorized as DE-691. Later LPR-124
  • APD-125: Wantuck (1944-1958). Authorized as DE-692
  • APD-126: Gosselin (1944-1965). Begun as DE-710
  • APD-127: Begor (1945-1976).
    Begun as DE-711. Later LPR-127
  • APD-128: Cavallaro (1945-1959). Begun as DE-712. Later LPR-128
  • APD-129: Donald W. Wolf (1945-1965). Begun as DE-713

  • APD-130: Cook (1945-1970).
    Begun as DE-714. Later LPR-130
  • APD-131: Walter X. Young (1945-1967). Begun as DE-715
  • APD-132: Balduck (1945-1976).
    Begun as DE-716. Later LPR-132
  • APD-133: Burdo (1945-1967).
    Authorized as DE-717
  • APD-134: Kleinsmith (1945-1960).
    Authorized as DE-718
  • APD-135: Weiss (1945-1975).
    Authorized as DE-719. Later LPR-135
  • APD-136: Carpellotti (1945-1960).
    Authorized as DE-720
  • APD-137: DeLong (1943-1970).
    Conversion from DE-684 cancelled
  • APD-138: Coates (1944-1971).
    Conversion from DE-685 cancelled
  • APD-139: Bray (1944-1963).
    Previously DE-709


NOTES:

  • To the best of our knowledge, the Online Library's pictures are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

  • Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the Online Library's digital images, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.

    Page posted 14 November 2010
    New ships added 15 December 2010