CHARACTERISTICS
(The following was
taken from the USS Ashland Organizational Book, dated March 30, 1953. This being some six and a half years
after Ashland was decommissioned in 1946, most of this information should remain
the same.)
The Landing Ship Dock
is a special amphibious type vessel designed to participate in assault landings
and to provide repair and dry docking services to certain types of amphibious
ships and craft.
(a) Principle
Dimensions of Hull:
1. Length
(Overall)........................................................
457'9"
2. Length between
perpendiculars..................................
454'0"
3. Beam (At
waterline)..................................................
72'0"
4. Draft
(D.W.L.)..........................................................
4'0"
5. Maximum
Speed.......................................................
15.5 Knots
6. Displacement (Light
Condition)................................
4,055 Tons
7. Displacement (Loaded
Condition).............................
7,404 Tons
8. Length of Dock
(Inside)............................................ 394'0"
9. Width of Dock (Fr.
29-112)......................................
44'0"
10. Width of Dock
(Fr. 15-29).......................................
24'0"
(b) Mast Head
Heights:
1. Main Truck Above main deck beading
....................
70'0"
2. Fore Truck above main deck
beading.......................
64'0"
3. Main Truck above top of black boot
topping ..........
86'0"
4. Fore Truck above top of black boot
topping............
86'0"
5. Top of highest radar above top of black
boot topping
98'0"
(c) Capacity Tables
of Tanks:
1. Ballast Tanks
(100%).......................
437.07 Tons
2. Ballast in Fuel Oil
Tanks.................. 1889.60
Tons
3. Fuel Oil Tanks
(95%).......................
1777.16 Tons
4. Reserve Feed Water Tanks
.............. 225.98
Tons
5. Fresh Water Tanks
........................... 126.42
Tons
6. Diesel Oil Tanks
(95%)....................
21.44 Tons
7. Gasoline (100%)
..............................
16.63 Tons
8. Fog Oil (95%)
.................................
21.44 Tons
.
(d)
Armament:
1. One (1) 5"/38 cal. open mount dual
purpose gun with 51 director, Mk. 14.
2. Two (2) 40mm Quad. AA Machine Guns with
51 directors, Mk. 14 sights.
3. Six (6) 40mm Twin AA Machine Guns with
51 directors, Mk. 14 sights.
4. Twelve (12) 20mm AA Machine Guns with
Mk. 14 sights.
(e) Ballast
System:
The clean ballast
system is served by four (4) single stage, 4,000 rpm, centrifugal pumps with 14
inch suction and 12 inch discharge connections, driven by four 43 H.P geared
steam turbines. The normal function
of the system is the ballasting and unballasting of the ship for the docking and
undocking of small vessels.
Valves marked "A-6"
to "A-10" inclusive are operated manually from either pump room. Twenty-three "B" valves are motor
operated but can be operated by hand.
Eight (C) valves and six (T) valves are hand
operated.
Tanks located below
the third deck are flooded by gravity or pumping and draining by pumping; tanks above the third deck are flooded
by pumping and drained either by gravity or pumping.
(f) Stern
Gate:
The ship is equipped
with a steel stern gate, hinged at the bottom, which can be lowered into the
water to permit small landing craft to enter the well deck when the ship is in a
ballasted condition.
(g) Water
Barrier:
A water barrier,
approximately 12 feet high, with a water tight gate provides a maneuvering space
for one LCU. This barrier is
located at frame 80. The purpose is
to keep equipment forward of Frame 80 dry while operating an LCU aft of Frame
80. The gate which is located in
the center can be lowered to provide a ramp for running vehicles into the
forward part of the well deck after the LSD has deballasted
sufficiently.
(h) Main
Propulsion:
The main propulsion
plant of this vessel consists of two steam boilers, two steam uniflow
reciprocating engines and two drive shafts with
propellers.
The boilers are
manufactured by Babcock & Wilson, having two drums, single pass, water type,
and are oil fired. The forced draft
is the closed fireroom type.
The main engines are
two uniflow marine engines manufactured by the Skinner Engine Co. They have five cylinders each and
develop 3700 Shaft Horsepower each at 210 rpm or a total of 7,400 shaft
horsepower.
There are two
propellers, 11'9" in diameter and with a 9'9" pitch.
(i) Electrical
Plant:
The ship's electrical
generating equipment consists of two (2), 300KW, General Electric turbo-electric
generators. Number 1 generator is
located in the starboard pump room at frame 51 together with it's
switchboard. Number two generator
is located in the port pumproom at frame 51 together with it's switchboard. Power is generated at 230 volts on a 3
wire balance coil system.
Emergency power is
supplied by a diesel driven 100KW Allis-Chalmer generator. This machine is equipped to start
automatically in the event of a power failure and transfer to the line
automatically when it has attained proper speed. This machine is located at frame 24,
compartment A-101-L. Switchboards
and fuse wiring are so arranged that any machine can be connected with anyone or
all of the three existing switchboards.
The system is versatile and satisfactory.
(Located in the
Emergency Generator Room is a bank of lead-acid batteries which provides the
power for starting the diesel driven generator. The generator is also the starter,
operating as a D.C. motor upon starting.
When the diesel engine starts, running under it's own power and attains
the proper RPM, the battery connection is disconnected and the starting motor
(the generator) becomes a generator. -Jimmie Barnes EM2,
1952-56)
AC power is supplied
by 2AC motor generator sets located in the starboard pump room at Frame 53. These machines are 10KVA capacity and
generate single phase current at 120 volts.
The IC generators are
operated singly and are equipped with a manual transfer switch which precludes
ppl. operation.
Radio & radar
equipment are supplied by 2 AC generators located in compartment A-202, frame 30
starboard. Power is generated
single phase at 220 volts on a three wire system. These machines are not equipped for
parallel operation.
Power to guns is
supplied by three (3), 440 volt, 3 phase, 312 KVA motor generator sets. Two of these units are located in the
port pump room at frame 51 and one is located at frame 51 starboard pump
room.
(j) Deck
Machinery:
A. Cranes - There are two (2) thirty-five
ton cranes, one starboard and one port located at frame 64. They are manufactured by M.L. Baynard
& Co., Inc. for operation on 230 VDC.
They can be equipped with a single or two (2) part
purchase.
B. Anchor Gear - There are two (2)
windlasses, one starboard and one port located at frame 10; of the vertical
shaft type with warping head and wildcat on separate shafts: A complete and independent machine for
each anchor. Two (2) 16,000 pound
Bower Stockless anchors with 180 fathoms to port and 120 to starboard of 2-5/8
inch steel link chain comprises the ground tackle.
C. Two (2) twenty-four (24) inch capstans
are located on the main deck, starboard and port at frame 105; one (1)
twenty-four (24) inch capstan on the second deck at frame 14 L. The motors are variable speed, compound
wound, 230 Volt D.C. An electric
brake is provided for holding the capstan barrel.
(k) Radio and Signal
Equipment:
Radio receiving
equipment consists of the following:
RAK
1
RBB
1
RBL
1
RAL
1
RBC
1
RBO
1
RAO
1
RBS 1
RDZ
1
BC-683-A 4
BC-603-DM
2
Radio transmitting
equipment consists of the following:
TCS-13 1
TDZ
2
BC-684-A
1
BC-604-BM 1
Miscellaneous radio
equipment consists of the following:
AN/SGC-1 1
RA-87 Rectifier
1
URA-8A 1
Model Ps-1 Rectifier
1
TT-23/SG 1
Model 15 Teletype Page Printer 2
The following
communication equipment is located in radio emergency:
Receivers -
RAK
1
RAL
1
Transmitters -
TBS 1
TCS
1
TBL 1
TCZ
1
Miscellaneous -
LM-18
1
Speech Amplifier unit CRV 50055 1
Portable BC-610
Transceivers
3
The following signal
equipment is located on the after part of the 03 deck:
Flag Bags - One on
port side, on the starboard side, each containing one full set of flags. Halyards are located immediately
above.
The following visual
signaling equipment is located on the upper bridge:
Four (4) - 12'
searchlights (two fwd port and starboard, and two aft port and
starboard.
One (1) - 24"
searchlight located aft just above the radar transmitter room. This searchlight has a remote control
located on the port side of the conning station just aft of the metal bulkhead
which separates the OOD station and the ladders which lead to the
Conn.
Two (2) remote
controls for the yardarm blinkers are located port and starboard side
forward.
One (1) remote
control for the NANCY beacon is located on the port side of the conning
station.
The following visual
signaling gear is located on the yardarm:
Two (2) - Yardarm
blinkers
Two (2) - NANCY
beacons type X3A
Miscellaneous
equipment is as follows:
Two (2) - C3A NANCY
Receivers
Two (2) - C3 NANCY
Receivers
Four (4) - NANCY
Receivers
Three (3) - Type "H"
hoods for NANCY signaling used with 12" searchlights.
(l)
Compasses
The master gyro
compass (a Sperry Mk 14 1A) is located on a flat in compartment B-407ET
(starboard engine room) and to starboard of centerline. Gyro repeaters are located as
follows:
a. Step by step
repeaters
1. Conning
Station
2. Pilot House
3. Port wing, navigation bridge
deck
4. Starboard wing, navigation bridge
deck
5. Captain's
Cabin
6. Secondary Conning
Station
7. Steering Engine
Room
8. Summary Plotting Board,
CIC
b. Synchro
repeaters
1. SU Radar
2. SA Radar
3. D.R.A. (CIC)
Magnetic compasses
are located as follows:
1. Conning Station (standard
compass)
2. Pilot house (steering
compass)
3. Secondary Conning
Station
The chart house is
provided with the following:
LORAN - Fada DAS-3
receiver indicator
FATHOMETER - NMC
recording-indicating fathometer, range (nominal) 3 to 4000
fathoms.
(m) Radar
Installation
Radar installations
are located in Combat Information Center and include an SU type surface search,
an SA type air search. A VD type
repeater is located on the open bridge.
DIVISIONAL
ORGANIZATION
Division
Operations
Rates Assigned
"O"
Communications Division
RM, TE, RD, ET
"N"
Navigations Division
QM, YN
Deck
"1st"
Deck
BM, Seamen
"2nd"
Deck
BM, Seamen
"G"
Gunnery
GM, FT, FC, Seamen
Engineering
"A"
Auxiliary Division
MM, EN, Firemen
"B"
Boiler Division
BT, Firemen
"M"
Main Engine Division
MM, Firemen
"E"
Electrical Division
EM, IC, Firemen
"R"
Repair Division
DC, FP, ME
Supply
"S"
Supply Division
SK, CS, DK, SH, SD,
TN, TA,
HM
Enlisted complement
and Allocation of Personnel for Peacetime. 18 November
1952.
Ratings - Total
300
E7
E6
E5
E4
E3
E2
E1
BM
2
3
3
4
QM
1
2
3
3
RD
1
2
3
3
QM
1
2
4
FC
1
1
1
ET
1
1
1
TE
1
RM
1
2
2
2
YN
1
1
1
PN
1
SK
1
2
2
DK
1
CS
1
2
2
3
SH
1
3
SN
40
42
MM
3
6
9
10
EN
1
2
3
4
MR
1
1
1
BT
1
3
5
6
EM
1
3
3
4
IC
1
1
ME
1
1
2
FP
1
2
2
3
DC
1
2
3
FN
22
FA
24
HM
1
1
1
1
SD
1
1
1
2
2
3
Totals
18
37
50
62
64
69
300
Enlisted Complement
and Allocation of Personnel for Wartime.
16 Feb. 1953.
Total
335
Ratings
E7
E6
E5
E4
E3
E2
E1
BM
2
3
3
6
GM
1
3
3
4
QM
1
2
3
4
FC
1
1
2
SN
40
SA
43
RM
1
2
2
2
ET
1
1
2
RD
1
3
5
DC
2
3
5
ME
1
2
3
FP
1
2
4
5
MM
3
6
9
10
MR
1
1
2
EN
1
2
3
4
EM
1
3
4
4
BT
1
4
5
5
FN
22
FA
24
YN
1
1
1
1
PN
1
SK
1
1
1
2
DK
1
SH
2
3
HM
1
1
1
2
TE
1
CS
1
3
3
5
SD
1
1
2
2
TN
3
TA
5
IC
1
1
Total
335
OFFICERS ASSIGNMENTS
TO DUTIES
Peacetime Allowance,
dated 20 February 1951
Billet
Description
CDR LCDR
LT
LTJG
ENS
WO
Commanding
Officer
1
Exec.
Off/Operations
1
Asst. Operations
1
Navigator
1
Communications
1
Engineering
Officer
1
Asst. Eng.
Officer
1 Mach
Elect. Officer
1 Elect
Damage Control
and
Repair Officer
1 Carp
1st Lt. &
Gunnery
1
Asst. Gunnery
1
Asst. 1st Lieut.
1 Bosn
Supply Officer
1
Disbursing
1
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Totals
1
1
1
2
4
2
4
Total all Officers -
14
Wartime Complement,
dated 15 June 1948
Billet
Description
CDR
LCDR
LT
LTJG
ENS
WO
Commanding
Officer
1
Executive
Officer
1
Operations Officer
&
Navigator
1
Communications
Officer
1
CIC Officer
1
First Lieutenant
1
1
1 Bosn
Gunnery Officer
1
Engineering Officer