World War 2 In Review

USS Ashland (LSD-1): American Dock Landing Ship

U.S. Navy Landing Ships, Dock (LSD) and other amphibious shipping off Iwo Jima, circa late February 1945. USS Ashland (LSD-1) is at left, with Mount Suribachi beyond. USS Belle Grove (LSD-2) is in the right center foreground.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) was the lead ship of her class—indeed, the first dock landing ship of the United States Navy. She was the first Navy ship to be named for Ashland, the estate of Henry Clay, in Lexington, Kentucky.

Ashland was laid down on 22 June 1942 at Oakland, California, by the Moore Dry Dock Company; launched on 21 December 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Jabez Lowell, the wife of Captain Lowell who was then the inspector of naval material at San Francisco; and commissioned on 5 June 1943, Lieutenant Commander Francis J. Harris in command.

Following two months of trials, the dock landing ship loaded amphibious craft and personnel at San Diego, stood out to sea on 11 August, and headed west. After arriving at Pearl Harbor on 19 August, the ship paused to take on more cargo and sailed on 25 August for Baker Island. Ashland reached that destination on 1 September, unloaded her equipment, and returned to Hawaii on 27 September. Following voyage repairs, and the embarkation of Army troops, she sailed on 19 October for New Caledonia. At Nouméa, the ship loaded tanks and marines and proceeded to Efate where she joined Task Force 53 (TF 53) to take part in amphibious assault exercises in the Gilbert Islands area which she completed on 28 November and set a course for Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on 7 December and then commenced an availability period for voyage repairs and alterations.

On 11 January 1944, the vessel got underway for amphibious exercises off Maui. She sortied with TF 52 on 23 January for the assault on the Marshall Islands. From 1 February to 5 February, Ashland was involved in assaults on Kwajalein Island and on several of the other small islands in the atoll that bears the same name. On 15 February, the ship embarked marines and equipment at Roi-Namur and proceeded to the assault on Eniwetok. The ship entered Eniwetok Atoll on 17 February and served as a repair ship through 29 February. On that day, she got underway for Pearl Harbor.

After a period of availability and operations in Hawaiian waters, the ship headed for the West Coast of the United States. She reached San Francisco on 1 April, began loading landing craft, and was back in Pearl Harbor on 17 April. Ashland then conducted training exercises off Maui before leaving Hawaii on 29 May for the initial assault on the Marianas. She launched boats for the invasion on Saipan on 15 June and then assumed duties as a repair ship. On 8 July, Ashland sailed to Eniwetok for fuel and supplies.

The ship's next assignment was the invasion of Tinian on 24 July. She left the Marianas on 28 July and returned via Eniwetok to Pearl Harbor. Ashland underwent repairs and held amphibious landing exercises before sailing with Task Group 33.1 (TG 33.1) for the assault on Yap and Ulithi. Ashland was diverted to Manus Island where she was assigned to TF 79 and prepared for the invasion of the Philippines. The ship sailed on 14 October and launched her boats on the 20th for the first assault against Leyte. Ashland left the combat area on 22 October and proceeded to Hollandia, New Guinea. There, she embarked troops for transportation to the Philippines; and, after delivering them to Leyte, she returned to Hollandia on 21 November.

Ashland headed for Cape Gloucester on 28 November for training exercises. Three days later, she got underway for Lingayen Gulf and the occupation of Luzon. All her equipment was unloaded by 12 January 1945, and Ashland retired toward Leyte. She continued on to Ulithi where she was reassigned to the 5th Fleet. The ship proceeded to Guam on 7 February, loaded 18 amphibious craft, and sailed to Saipan. There, she took on spare parts and more troops. On 12 February and 13 February, Ashland participated in landing rehearsals at Tinian. She sailed for Iwo Jima on 16 February and began launching her boats on the 19th. Despite continuing air attacks, Ashland's crew carried out repair work on schedule until she finally withdrew to Eniwetok on 31 March.

Ashland entered Pearl Harbor on 13 April and underwent an availability. She took on amphibious craft late in May and got underway for the Philippines on 3 June. She touched at Samar on 1 July to embark PT boats and their crews for transportation to Kerama Retto. The ship sailed on 3 July, unloaded her charges, and returned to Leyte on 10 July. She shuttled a similar cargo to Okinawa soon thereafter and arrived at Eniwetok on 7 August to refuel. The war ended on 15 August while Ashland was steaming independently to Espiritu Santo. After mooring there on 17 August, she proceeded with a load of PT boats to Okinawa.

Then she next sailed for Jinsen, Korea, and arrived there on 29 September. She remained at that port two days before getting underway for Leyte for a three-week availability before returning to Okinawa in late October. Ashland continued her duty of carrying and tending landing craft in the Far East until January 1946. Shortly thereafter she returned to the United States and was placed out of commission, in reserve, in March 1946 at San Diego.

Ashland was recommissioned on 27 December 1950 and completed her shakedown training at San Diego in February 1951. She sailed for the East Coast in April and reported to the Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Baltimore, Maryland, on 2 May for additional alterations. The ship's first assignment upon leaving the yard was Operation Bluejay, held in conjunction with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS). From June to September, she was deployed to Thule, Greenland. In September, Ashland left Greenland and sailed to the Caribbean for two months of operations before returning to Norfolk in November for the remainder of the year.

The ship headed back toward the Caribbean in January 1953 for a month-long cruise. She arrived back in the Virginia Capes area in February and remained there until mid-June. On 14 June, Ashland commenced a trip to the North Atlantic and operated in those waters through mid-August. In September, she took on board two French submarines and seven French naval personnel for transportation to the West Coast. The vessel transited the Panama Canal on 10 October and touched at San Diego on the 14th. She returned to Norfolk in October and resumed service along the East Coast.

From April to June 1955, the ship underwent repairs at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and then proceeded to Newport, Rhode Island, for underway training. On 20 September, she got underway for Operation Sunec, which took her to Thule, Greenland, and ports in Labrador and Newfoundland. After returning in December, Ashland entered an upkeep period lasting through February 1956. She then received further repairs at Baltimore. In April, the ship took part in amphibious exercises at Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. Following this evolution, she made a reserve training cruise to Bermuda. In July, the vessel embarked Army personnel and equipment at NS Argentia, Newfoundland, and sailed on 19 July as part of the DEW line resupply mission. This operation lasted through 8 October.

On 1 November, Ashland was transferred to the control of Commander, Naval Air Forces, Atlantic, for alterations enabling the ship to tend aircraft. By July 1957, she was configured to handle six P5M-2 aircraft. The ship deployed to the Caribbean from 1 August to mid-September. At the conclusion of this assignment, the dock landing ship was decommissioned on 14 September 1957 and placed in the Norfolk Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.

Ashland was recommissioned on 29 November 1961. Assigned to Amphibious Squadron 4, she began a routine alternating operations off the East Coast with 6th Fleet deployments to the Mediterranean and to the Caribbean. In October 1964, she participated in Operation Steel Pike I, during which the ship served as a primary control vessel and boat repair ship. Upon completion of Steel Pike, the dock landing ship visited ports in Spain and Portugal before returning to Little Creek, Virginia, her home port, on 19 November.

Early in February 1965, Ashland took part in Operation FirEx, a joint Navy-Marine Corps exercise off the Puerto Rican coast and returned to Little Creek on 6 March. She got underway for the Mediterranean in June along with five other ships of Amphibious Squadron 4 and there served in six amphibious landing exercises. During this deployment, she visited nine European ports of call before returning to her home port on 3 November.

The ship was deployed to the Caribbean on 3 March 1966 as part of the Caribbean Ready Group and conducted numerous amphibious landings, including Operation Beachtime which involved over 40 ships of the 2nd Fleet. Upon her return to Little Creek on 27 June, Ashland conducted upkeep until sailing for Narragansett Bay on 18 July for a series of training exercises. She was back in Little Creek later that month and went alongside Amphion for an availability. Ashland spent the next few months in training exercises and then entered Norfolk Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company on 18 November for overhaul.

The yard work ended on 3 March 1967, but Ashland remained in the Norfolk area until 10 April, when she left for underway training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. She returned to Norfolk on 11 May but, four days later, reversed her course and proceeded back to Guantanamo Bay. Ashland touched back at home port in early June and engaged in local operations until 3 October, when the dock landing ship sailed for Vieques. She returned to Little Creek on 20 October and ended the year in an upkeep status.

Ashland was deployed to the Mediterranean on 3 January 1968. She relieved Donner at Almería, Spain, on 24 January and then held landing exercises at Aranci Bay, Sardinia, and Lovo Santo, Corsica. She visited Gibraltar; Valencia, Spain; Marseilles, France; and Naples and La Spezia, Italy. From 29 April to 10 May, Ashland took part in NATO Exercise Dawn Patrol which also involved French and Greek naval forces. She returned to Little Creek on 30 May.

During July and August, the amphibious warship made visits to several East Coast ports and embarked American and Australian midshipmen for a training cruise. She spent September and October undergoing extensive repairs alongside Vulcan. On 12 November, Ashland weighed anchor for another Mediterranean tour. During the deployment, she repeated her routine of amphibious landing exercises and port visits before returning to the United States in late April 1969.

After 2 months at Little Creek, Virginia, the Ashland embarked on its final Mediterranean Cruise, sailing in early July for Rota, Spain. Then, on to Sardinia for exercises and a ship's party on the beach. From there, the ship travelled to Cannes, France, and then on to Valletta, Malta. After that, the ship travelled to Timbakion, Crete. It received orders to return to Little Creek while in Crete, cutting short its cruise, and the ship made its way back, encountering along the way a hurricane in roughly the area soon to be called the Bermuda Triangle. A safe return to Little Creek ensued.

There, it was found that the repairs she needed to continue efficient operation would be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, Ashland was decommissioned on 22 November 1969. Her name was struck from the Navy List on 25 November 1969. She was sold to N. W. Kennedy, Ltd., of Vancouver, British Columbia in May 1970.

Ashland earned six battle stars for World War II service.

Laid down: 22 June 1942

Launched: 21 December 1942

Commissioned:

5 June 1943

27 December 1950

29 November 1961

Decommissioned:

March 1946

14 September 1957

22 November 1969

Struck: 25 November 1969

Fate: sold for scrap, May 1970

Displacement:

4,032 tons (light draft)

7,930 tons (loaded)

Length: 457 ft 9 in (139.52 m)

Beam: 72 ft 2 in (22.00 m)

Draft:

15 ft 5.5 in (4.712 m) fwd

16 ft 2 in (4.93 m) aft (loaded)

Propulsion:

2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, oil-fired

2 Skinner Uni-Flow reciprocating engines

Twin screws

Speed: 17 knots (31 km/h)

Endurance: 8,000 nmi. at 15 knots (15,000 km at 28 km/h)

Capacity: 22 officers, 218 men

Complement: 23 officers, 267 men

Armament:

1 × 5 in / 38 cal. DP gun

2 × 40 mm quad AA guns

2 × 40 mm twin AA guns

16 × 20 mm AA guns

USS Ashland (LSD-1) under way off Cape Henry, Virginia, 20 May 1953. She has been virtually unmodified since her commissioning 10 years before.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) under way, date and location unknown.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) moored pier side at Mare Island Navy Yard, Vallejo, California, 21 July 1943. Ashland was under repair at the shipyard from 23 June to 21 July 1943. She was dry docked in dock 2 from 10 July to 12 July 1943. The cruisers on the a joining piers are USS Minneapolis (CA-36) and USS Nashville (CL-43).

USS Ashland (LSD-1) moored pier side at Mare Island Navy Yard. Overhead view of Ashland's well deck, 21 July 1943.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) (stern view) departing Mare Island, 21 July 1943.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) off Mare Island, 21 July 1943.

Bow on view of USS Ashland (LSD-1) underway off Mare Island Navy Yard, 21 July 1943.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) underway off the coast of northern California.

USS Ashland (LSD-1), steaming in the Pacific during World War II. The dark lines on the aft portion of the hull were made by dirty water when the ship was ballasted down to load or unload cargo.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) under way, date and location unknown.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) under way, mid 1950s.

USS Ashland (LSD-1)under way, date and location unknown.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) under way in the harbor at Baltimore Maryland, date unknown.

USS Ashland (LSD-1), aerial view, circa 1965-66.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) with LCMs loaded in her well deck.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) underway, date and location unknown.

This series of photos shows USS Ashland docking a P5M Marlin seaplane in her well-deck as well as alongside.

These photos were taken 18 February 1957 near Baltimore. Ashland submerged her stern 14 ½ ft. to accommodate the P5M. Once the plane was aboard Ashland closed her well gate and pumped the well deck dry.

This demonstration was conducted by the Navy in conjunction with the Martin Co. of Baltimore. The experiment was conducted to help develop a suitable technique and equipment to handle P6M Sea master, 600 mph jet seaplane bomber being built by the Martin Co.

The photos were provided by Paul Regarding, whose father, as a P5M pilot, took part in the Navy's experiment to determine if LSD s could be adapted as seaplane tenders in the late 1950s.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) bell at "The Ashland," Senator Henry Clay's Estate, in Lexington, Facetted, Kentucky.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) memorial plaque at "The Ashland," Senator Henry Clay's Estate, in Lexington, Facetted, Kentucky.

USS Varuna (AGP-5): American Motor Torpedo Boat Tender

Varuna (AGP-5) with five PT boats alongside, date and location unknown.

LST-14 was laid down on 23 August 1942 at Neville Island, Pennsylvania, by the Dravo Shipbuilding Yard. She was launched on 9 December 1942, sponsored by Mrs. R. J. Mitchell. The ship renamed Varuna and designated AGP-5 on 13 January 1943.

She was completed as an LST by Dravo on 26 March 1943 and placed in reduced commission on that date. The ship was towed to Tampa, Florida, where she was converted to a motor torpedo boat tender (AGP), and was commissioned on 31 August 1943, Lieutenant Commander L. W. Borst, USNR, in command.

Following her shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico, Varuna sailed for the Pacific on 4 October and proceeded via Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the Panama Canal which she transited on the 22^nd. When two days out of Balboa, the ship left the convoy to receive an emergency appendectomy patient from LST-219. Following a successful transfer, and while steaming to rejoin the convoy, Varuna and LST-219 collided on 27 October. There were no casualties on either ship, but the damage sustained forced both vessels to return to Panama for repairs.

Dry-docked at Balboa from 9 to 20 November, Varuna got underway on 3 December for the Society Islands and arrived at Bora Bora on Christmas Eve. She remained there until the 28^th, when she got underway on the second leg of her passage, and arrived at Pago Pago, Samoa, on 2 January 1944.

However, Varuna did not linger long in Samoan waters, for she pushed toward Suva, Fiji Islands, on 5 January and then proceeded via Noumea, New Caledonia, and Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, to the Solomon Islands. She reached Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, on the 11^th and then moved to Tulagi where she unloaded her cargo of motor torpedo boat (MTB) base equipment.

Calling at Rendova harbor, Rendova Island, and later at Blanche harbor, Treasury Islands, Varuna conducted her first repair job on 17 February, when she repaired PT-105. She remained at the Blanche harbor base through the remainder of the month of February—repairing an average of four PT boats per day—before she shifted her operations to Nissan Harbor, Green Island.

Establishing the PT boat base at Green Island, Varuna was now situated at the base perhaps nearest to Japanese territory. Located half-way between New Ireland and Bougainville—both occupied by the Japanese and both well north of the nearest Allied bases—Green Island served as a staging area for the five MTB squadrons attached to Varuna. These PTs were earmarked to harass the Japanese seaborne supply lane from New Britain, New Ireland, and the Shortlands, and to assist in the blockade of Rabaul.

The ship's historian later recorded that it was while at Green Island that "Tokyo Rose" first mentioned Varuna. The vessel had been cut off from vital supplies while at Green Island and had been unable to get any more—or so said "Rose." Several days later, as the historian recounted, a PC came alongside to offer Varuna a share of her own meager stores. "The Varuna declined with thanks," the historian wrote, saying that "she had plenty of everything."

Varuna operated out of Green Island until 31 July, when she returned to the Treasury Islands for a twenty-day stay. Returning to Green, she loaded men and equipment of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron (MTB Ron) 27, and departed her erstwhile base on the 24^th, reaching Manus in the Admiralties two days later.

Although initially slated to stage from there, a change of plan routed Varuna and her PT boat to Mios Woendi on the northern tip of New Guinea. Departing Manus on 7 September, the MTB tender and her brood—MTB Rons 27 and 28—arrived at Mios Woendi on the 13^th, via Humboldt Bay, New Guinea.

For the next seventeen days, Varuna took on stores, fuel, water, and gasoline in preparation for her next operations and, in company with MTB Ron 27, departed for the Palaus. Arriving in Kossol Roads on 1 October, the MTB tender set up shop providing support services for the PTs which had been assigned the task of patrolling the large fleet anchorage there. In addition, the "Peter Tares" (PTs) were to patrol and blockade the Japanese-held island of Babelthaup and other small islands of the group.

Varuna received a "flash red" alert on the 30^th at 0855; and, while other ships got underway, she received orders to remain at anchor to act as communication link for screening vessels and the PTs and to render assistance as necessary. At 1220, the ship picked up a single twin-engined "Sally" coming in low and fast. It dropped one bomb near a floating drydock and roared on towards the anchored MTB tender. Varuna opened fire with 3-inch, 40-mm and 20-mm guns, repelling the attack by enveloping the plane in tracer fire and causing the attacker to veer off in the direction of Babelthaup.

Varuna remained at Kossol Roads until the day after Christmas 1944, when she sailed for San Pedro Bay, Leyte, arriving on 29 December. She remained in the bay until 25 January 1945, tending the boats from MTB Ron 27 and repairing boats from other squadrons engaged in the local operations against the Japanese. In addition, toward the end of this period, Varuna staged for the invasion of Olongapo and Subic Bay on the island of Luzon.

She served in this support role in the capture of the Olongapo region, tending and repairing "Peter Tares." As American forces began their march to recapture Manila and the Bataan Peninsula, Varuna's boats blockaded the Bataan shoreline, serving a dual purpose in keeping reinforcements from coming in and those trapped Japanese from getting out; blockading Corregidor and Fort Drum in Manila Bay; and patrolling the bay. This action continued until late in April, with Varuna remaining in Subic Bay until 5 May.

Following a period of repairs which included a dry-docking, the MTB tender anchored off Samar to prepare for the impending strike against the Japanese-held island of Borneo. Departing Samar on 23 June, Varuna steamed singly for Tawi Tawi in the Sulu Archipelago, arriving on 26 June. She spent the following day fueling and making repairs to boats from MTB Rons 10 and 27 before getting underway on the 28^th.

Arriving off Balikpapan on 1 July, Varuna found that rough seas in Makassar Strait made docking of the PTs to be almost impossible. Allied forces meanwhile rapidly secured a beachhead, forcing the Japanese defenders into the hinterlands, and minesweeping operations cleared a channel to the inner harbor of Balikpapan. There, Varuna again set up shop to tend her group of torpedo boats. Up to this point, the Japanese had made little resistance from the air; but, late in July, the enemy began nearly continual air attacks for five days running. On one such attack, bombs splashed astern of Varuna but far enough away so as to not cause any damage.

Her boats, during this period, conducted regular patrols off the Borneo coast and across Makassar Strait to the Celebes. Varuna tended her brood, supporting their harassing activities to the enemy until 0237 on 15 August 1945, when word came to cease offensive action. Two atomic bombs and increased Allied pressures had forced Japan to accept the unconditional surrender terms of the Potsdam Declaration.

Varuna subsequently proceeded for Bobon Point, Samar, to assist in the decommissioning of PT boats. Arriving on 10 September, the MTB tender spent the next two months in the Philippines supporting this activity. On 20 November, she sailed for the United States and proceeded—via Guam, Pearl Harbor, and the Panama Canal—to New York City. Decommissioned on 4 January 1946, Varuna was struck from the Navy List on 1 May 1946 and sold to Stavenger Tankrederi for scrap soon thereafter. (Note: Paul Silverstone's U.S. Warships of World War II claims Varuna became the mercantile Guarauna in 1947.)

Varuna received four battle stars for her World War II services.

Displacement: 3,960 tons.

Length: 328 feet.

Breadth: 50 feet.

Draft: 13 feet inches.

Speed: 12 knots.

Complement: 283.

Armament:

one 3-inch

eight 40-mm

eight 20-mm

Class: Portunus

Service

Third Fleet: October 1943-February 1944.

COMNORSOLS (Seventh Fleet): February-May 1944.

Third Fleet: May-December 1944.

Seventh Fleet: December 1944-August 1945.

COMPHILSEAFRON: August-November 1945.

Varuna (AGP-5) probably photographed in late 1943, either after completion of conversion in September or in the Canal Zone in December. The original caption describes her camouflage pattern as the "green color system."

USS Varuna (AGP-5) at Green Island tending her flock of PT boats.

USS Varuna (AGP-5).