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USS Ashland (LSD-1)

Please see below for item level images and donated collections containing photographs of USS Ashland (LSD-1)

USS Ashland (LSD-1) was laid down on 22 June 1942 at Oakland, Calif., by the Moore Drydock Co.; launched on 21 December 1942; sponsored by Mrs. Jabez Lowell, the wife of Capt. Lowell who was then the inspector of naval material at San Francisco; and commissioned on 5 June 1943, Lt. Comdr. F. J. Harris in command.

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 to 5 February, USS Ashland (LSD-1) was involved in assaults on Kwajalein Island and on several of the other small islands in the atoll that bears the same name.

After a period of availability and operations in Hawaiian waters, the ship headed for the west coast of the United States. 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. USS Ashland (LSD-1) underwent repairs and held amphibious landing exercises before sailing with Task Group(TG) 33.1 for the assault on Yap and Ulithi. Shortly thereafter she returned to the United States and was placed out of commission, in reserve, in March 1946 at San Diego.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) was recommissiqned on 27 December 1950 and completed her shakedown training at San Diego in February 1951. From April to June 1955, the ship underwent repairs at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and then proceeded to Newport, R.I., for underway training. On 1 November, USS Ashland (LSD-1)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.

USS Ashland (LSD-1) was recommissioned on 29 November 1961. The ship was deployed to the Mediterranean on 3 January 1968. During July and August, the amphibious warship made visits to several east coast ports and embarked American and Australian midshipmen for a training cruise. During the deployment, she repeated her routine of amphibious landing exercises and port visits before returning to the United States in mid-1969. There, it was found that the repairs she needed to continue efficient operation would be prohibitively expensive. Therefore, USS Ashland (LSD-1) was decommissioned on 22 November 1969. 

For a complete history of USS Ashland (LSD-1) please see its DANFS page.