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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
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WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 99242:  USS Bayfield at Charleston, S.C., January 1950

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Bayfield (APA-33), 1943-1969

USS Bayfield, first of a class of 16,100-ton attack transports, was built at San Francisco, California. Constructed as a C3-S-A2 freighter under Maritime Commission contract, she was acquired by the Navy at the end of June 1943, placed in reduced commission and steamed via the Panama Canal to Brooklyn, New York, where she was converted to an amphibious warfare ship. Completed and commissioned in November 1943, with a U.S. Coast Guard crew, Bayfield engaged in training and received repairs until February 1944, when she sailed for the British Isles. The following three months were spent prepararing for the invasion of France. Her conversion had fitted her with special command facilities, and during the June 1944 Normandy Operation she was flagship for the "Utah" Beach landings. Moving to the Mediterranean in July, a month later Bayfield participated in the invasion of southern France. The transport returned to the U.S. for overhaul in September 1944.

Bayfield went to the Pacific in November and spent the next two months in amphibious training in Hawaiian waters. In February 1945 she landed Marines on Iwo Jima and, at the beginning of April took part in the Okinawa invasion with a force that simulated landing operations in an effort to confuse the island's Japanese defenders. Bayfield was employed for the rest of the Pacific war on logistics functions. During the last four months of 1945 and in early 1946 she supported the occupation of Japan and Korea, as well as bringing war veterans home as part of Operation "Magic Carpet".

In June and July 1946 Bayfield was present for the atomic bomb tests at Bikini, in the Marshall Islands. She remained active in the Pacific until nearly the end of the decade, then went to the Atlantic. However, in mid-1950 the Korean War brought her back to the Far East, where she operated off the embattled peninsula until May 1951. She made a voyage to and from Japan in September 1951 and deployed again to Korea during 1952. Bayfield continued to cruise regularly to the western Pacific during the rest of the 1950s and nearly through the 1960s. Her involvement with events in southeast Asia began with participation in Operation "Passage to Freedom" in August and September 1954, resuming in 1967 when she served as a floating barracks at Danang, South Vietnam, carried Marines to and from the combat zone and took part in landing operations. In late June 1968, after two decades and a half of active service, USS Bayfield was decommissioned. She was sold for scrapping in September 1969.

This page features, and provides links to, all the views we have concerning USS Bayfield (APA-33).

For other images related to this ship, see:

  • USS Bayfield (APA-33) -- During Operation " Passage to Freedom", 1954


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

    Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

    Photo #: NH 99241

    USS Bayfield
    (APA-33)

    Off the New York Navy Yard, 21 November 1943.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

    Online Image: 74KB; 590 x 715 pixels

     
    Photo #: 80-G-252377

    Normandy Invasion, June 1944


    USS Bayfield (APA-33), flagship for the "Utah" Beach landings, lowers LCVPs for the assault, 6 June 1944.
    USS LST-346 is partially visible beyond Bayfield's stern, and USS Nevada is in the far right distance.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 95KB; 740 x 615 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-252391

    Normandy Invasion, June 1944


    USS Bayfield (APA-33), flagship for the "Utah" Beach landings, loading landing craft on "D-Day", 6 June 1944.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 73KB; 740 x 615 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: NH 99242

    USS Bayfield
    (APA-33)

    At Charleston, South Carolina, on 4 January 1950. She is proceeding to Pier D-5 at the Charleston Naval Shipyard to embark troops of the Third Division, from Fort Benning, Georgia, to participate in Operation "Protrex".

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

    Online Image: 100KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 99243

    USS Bayfield
    (APA-33)

    Photographed on 6 February 1952.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

    Online Image: 72KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 99156

    USS Bayfield
    (APA-33)

    In the Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal, on 5 December 1962.
    Photographed by Joyl (?) O. Fox.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 89KB; 740 x 630 pixels

     
    Photo #: 80-G-252688

    Normandy Invasion, June 1944


    Two LCS(R) boats from USS Bayfield (APA-33) and USS Joseph T. Dickman (APA-13) moored together off "Utah" Beach, 10 June 1944.
    Photographed by Combat Photo Unit Eight (CPU-8).

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 106KB; 740 x 615 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: 80-G-252689

    Normandy Invasion, June 1944


    An LCVP landing craft pulls alongside two LCS(R) boats off "Utah" Beach, 10 June 1944. The LCS(R) are from USS Bayfield (APA-33) and USS Joseph T. Dickman (APA-13).
    USS LCT-533 is passing by in the right middle distance, followed by a "Rhino" tug (RHT).
    Photographed by Combat Photo Unit Eight (CPU-8).

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

    Online Image: 86KB; 740 x 615 pixels

    Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

     
    Photo #: NH 97060

    Hungnam Evacuation, December 1950


    Marines boarding USS Bayfield (APA-33) at Hungnam, for transportation out of North Korea.
    Note details of the Marines' packs. Man at left is carrying a Russian Mosin-Nagant carbine in addition to his M1.
    This photograph was released by Commander, Naval Forces Far East, under date of 20 December 1950.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

    Online Image: 100KB; 590 x 765 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 99244

    USS Bayfield
    (APA-33)

    Offloading a Jeep into a LCM, 1952.
    The original picture caption, released by the Public Information Office of Commander Naval Forces, Far East under date of 27 October 1952, reads: "Operation Decoy's Preparation --- A jeep is lowered into an awaiting LCM during pre-operation Decoy exercises. In the Operation, UN forces sailed to the beaches of Kojo, North Korea, and brought out enemy troops so that Naval surface artillery, combined with Marine, Air Force and Navy air units could smash them."

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

    Online Image: 132KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 99245

    USS Bayfield
    (APA-33)

    Six of the ship's LCVP cross the line of departure, en route to White Beach, during amphibious exercises on 18 November 1961.
    USS Page County (LST-1076) is in the background, with LCU-1499 beyond her stern and LCU-1613 to the right.

    Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

    Online Image: 130KB; 740 x 610 pixels

     
    Photo #: NH 63796-KN (color)

    USS Bayfield (APA-33)

    Photograph of a plaque of the ship's insignia, received between the later 1950s and the mid-1960s.

    U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

    Online Image: 103KB; 660 x 675 pixels

     


    In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Bayfield (APA-33). The following list features some of these images:

    The images listed below are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections.
    DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".



  • Photo #: 80-G-208011
    USS Bayfield (APA-33) underway on course 264 in position 37-00N; 74-41W, 2 December 1943. Photographed from an blimp of squadron ZP-14, flying at an altitude of 200 feet.
    Port broadside aerial view (somewhat toward the stern).

  • Photo #: 80-G-256030
    USS Bayfield (APA-33), flagship of Rear Admiral Don Moon, probably taken off Normandy in June 1944. Taken by Combat Photo Unit 11.
    Starboard bow surface view, taken from the gun tub of another ship.

  • Photo #: 80-G-285297
    USS Bayfield (APA-33) underway in the vicinity of Hampton Roads, Virginia, 29 October 1944. Photographed from an aircraft based at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
    Port quarter aerial view. The ship is painted in Camouflage Measure 32, Design 3D.

  • Photo #: 80-G-285298
    As 80-G-285297, but aerial view taken from directly astern.

  • Photo #: 80-G-285300
    As 80-G-285297, but port broadside (somewhat toward the bow) aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-285301
    As 80-G-285297, but port bow aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-285302
    As 80-G-285297, but aerial view taken from directly ahead and slightly to starboard. A flock of small craft is following astern, in "V" formation.


  • Photo #: USN 1045253
    USS Bayfield (APA-33) making low speed. Photo was received by the Naval Photographic Center in December 1959, but was probably taken several years earlier.
    Port broadside aerial view.

  • Photo #: USN 1046311
    USS Bayfield (APA-33) underway. Photo was received by the Naval Photographic Center in December 1959, but was probably taken several years earlier.
    Port quarter aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-629562
    USS Bayfield (APA-33) leaving San Diego, California, 19 October 1953.
    Low aerial view taken from directly ahead and slightly to port.

  • Photo #: 80-G-629563
    As 80-G-629562, but starboard bow low aerial view.

  • Photo #: USN 1078633
    USS Bayfield (APA-33) in September 1957.
    Starboard bow surface view.

  • Photo #: USN 1093421
    USS Bayfield (APA-33) underway in a harbor, 27 September 1963. Photographed by PH2 Sylvia Thomas.
    Port quarter surface view.


    Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center.

    The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval Historical Center's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".


  • For other images related to this ship, see:

  • USS Bayfield (APA-33) -- During Operation " Passage to Freedom", 1954


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    Page made 9 April 2004