USS Paul Revere
USS Paul Revere
(APA/LPA-248) was
an amphibious
transport ship in
the United States Navy.
She was named for
the early patriot,
Paul Revere.
Paul Revere was originally laid down as MA hull 27 on
15 May 1952 by the New York SB Corp.,
Camden, New Jersey; launched 11 April 1953 as
SS Diamond Mariner; sponsored by
Mrs. Franklin Ewers; delivered to MARAD
22 December 1953; operated by the
Prudential Steamship Corp. for MARAD; placed in
the Maritime Reserve Fleet
24 July 1954; acquired by the Navy 14 September
1956; classified APA-248 and
named Paul Revere 4 June 1957; converted by
Todd SB Corp., San Pedro, California;
and commissioned at Long Beach, California
3 September 1958,
Capt. Robert Erly in command.
Displacement: 16,828 tons
Length: 563 feet 6 inches (171.8 m)
Beam: 76 ft (23.2 m)
Draft: 27 ft (8.2 m)
Propulsion: single screw, geared
turbine powered, 19,250 hp.
Two B&W WT boilers, 620 PSI
Speed: 20 knots
Complement: 414
with accommodations for 1500 more combat troops
Armament: 4 × 3in (127 mm)/50 guns
Aircraft: up to 8 helicopters
U.S. Navy service After shakedown, Paul Revere
spent the next full year participating
in amphibious training operations: “Rock Shoals”
at San Diego in November 1958,
“Twin Peaks” at Camp Pendleton in February
1959, “PACNAMIDLEX” at Del Mar, California
in August, “Clear Ridge” off Calif. in September,
and “Totem Pole” at Kodiak,
Alaska during November. During 1960–1961,
she was assigned “Ready APA” duty,
in which she maintained on board, at all times,
a fully equipped and reinforced
battalion of landing troops to be put ashore on
short notice at any trouble spot
in the Pacific. On 21 March 1961 trouble flared
in Laos, and Paul Revere
commenced patrolling the waters off the coast
of Southeast Asia. She remained
in the area in a ready status for a total of fifty-four
days until tensions eased,
then resumed her normal South China Sea patrol.
In January 1962, after returning to the U.S.,
Paul Revere accomplished a most
dramatic rescue, when one of several helicopters
engaged in ASW exercises
plunged into the ocean. Operating several hundred
yards from the scene,
she launched a manned boat which returned the
three crewmen of the helicopter
to the ship for medical treatment, all in the space
of six minutes.
Following overhaul, she spent the remainder of 1962 in coastal amphibious
training operations in the San Diego area. The year 1963 saw her complete a
successful WestPac deployment and another rigorous schedule of training operations.
Departing San Diego on 28 January 1964 for her fourth WestPac deployment en route
to Pearl Harbor Paul Revere participated in “Coco Palm”, a merchant convoy sailing
exercise. From Pearl Harbor she sailed to Buckner Bay in preparation for one of the
largest amphibious operations since the end of World War II.
This exercise, called “Back Pack”, involved over 50,000 American and Nationalist
Chinese personnel and over 125 ships. It was conducted off the southwestern coast
of Taiwan and terminated 12 March. Paul Revere also participated in “Ligtas”,
a combined SEATO exercise in the Philippines during May, and operation “Minute Hand”,
conducted at Numazu, Japan in July. Returning to the states, she joined another
convoy exercise,
“Mad Bull”, and arrived San Diego 6 August. During 1964 the "Peter Rabbit"'s crew
saw action in N. Vietnam, as they destroyed
communications and fought their way back to the landing craft. These men were
part of the fire control tech team. They saved a lot of Marines as they fought their
way back by calling in fire support to take down the V.C. Paul Revere spent the first
seven months of 1965 conducting training operations
off the coast. Actually this is not quite correct: in March 1965 The Rabbit was
sent to Camp Pendleton, loaded Marines and went to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii for a
couple of weeks, then was sent to Yokosuka, Japan and to Okinawa to
offload troops. She returned to San Diego in late June - just in time for my
first daughter to be born on July 2nd 1965.
In August she lifted elements of the 1st Marine Division to Okinawa and during
October and November she transported personnel of South Korea’s famed
Tiger Division to Qui Nhon, South Vietnam from Pusan. It sounds pretty quick
and simple, actually it was neither. Quy Nhon or Qui Nhon (both: kwē nyôn)
, city (1989 est. pop. 201,972), SE Vietnam, on the South China Sea coast.
Quy Nhon is a growing commercial
and industrial center that produces textiles, processed food, and seafood; it
has a deepwater port and airport. On the railroad and coastal highway, it was
a naval station and military base during the Vietnam War. Its small fishing port
was dredged and improved by the United States military in 1965 and again by
the Vietnamese government in 1977.
The surrounding area was the scene of heavy fighting during the war, because
highway 1 (the coastal highway) ran
right past the city and the Hanoi Express
used to try to run the highway most nights causing numerous firefights and
some serious battles. The city was greatly swollen by refugees.
The peninsula just north of the city was Viet Cong territory (what was then
called Indian Country)in late 1965 and there were continuing operations
in that area as well. The neighboring city of An Nhon (formerly Binh Dinh)
was an old Annamese
capital. Ruins of the ancient Cham center of Cha Ban are nearby.
From 7–18 November Paul Revere conducted her first actual combat assault
as a unit involved in operation “Blue Marlin”, with Marine battalions embarked.
She was involved in a similar operation called “Double Eagle” at Quang Ngai
Province in January 1966 with Marines. She continued lift support for Marine
units in Vietnam through March and then
returned to San Diego 19 April. Paul Revere resumed coastal operations on
her return, until May 1967 when
she again deployed to the Far East. As a unit of the Amphibious Ready Group
off the coast of Vietnam she engaged in operations “Belt Drive”, “Fortress Sentry”,
“Formation Leader”, and “Knox”. She returned to San Diego 16 December and
commenced coastal operations. For meritorious service from 17 August 1967
to 11 November 1967 during sustained amphibious operations against communist
insurgent forces in the Republic of Vietnam, Paul Revere was awarded the
Meritorious Unit Commendation, the first ship of her type to receive the award.
During 1968 she participated in training cruises for Naval Reservists and Midshipmen,
including a special familiarization cruise for Sea Cadets. She also continued her
upkeep and training preparations for her next coming deployment in January 1969.
Deployed on 30 January 1969 , departing San Diego as part of ARG "Bravo"
(TG 76.5)in company with Tulare (LKA-112), Belle Grove (LSD-2), Alamo (LSD-33),
Cook (APD-130), Tortuga (LSD-26), and Valley Forge (LPH-8), bound, via Pearl Harbor
and Okinawa, for Southeast Asia. She arrived in her operating area off Vietnam
on 7 March and delivered her cargo in DaNang . Ports-of-call: Subic Bay, Buckner Bay,
Yokosuka, and Hong Kong. Participated in a series of "Keystone" operations
redeploying Marine Corps units beginning with Operation Keystone Eagle on 14 July
1969, when the 1st Battalion/9th Marines boarded the USS Paul Revere and sailed
for Okinawa in the first increment of America's withdrawal from South Vietnam.
Relieve of duty with ARG "Bravo" (TG 76.5) by USS Vancouver (LPD-2) on
29 August 69 at Subic Bay RPI before returning to San Diego.
Crossed equator on 9 Sept. 1970 and initated 'polywogs' into the Solemn
Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep while in route to Singapore.
In 1972 participated in the Easter Offensives. Castillia (L-21)
Paul Revere was decommissioned and struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 January 1980, and subsequently sold through the Security Assistance
Program to Spain on 17 January 1980, renamed Castillia (L-21). The Spanish
Navy decommissioned the ship on 6 June 1998 but her final disposition is unknown .
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of
American Naval Fighting Ships.
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