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

Photo # 80-G-K-556:  USS President Adams just prior to the Guadalcanal-Tulagi invasion, 1942

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

USS President Adams (AP-38, later APA-19), 1941-1974

USS President Adams, a 16,175-ton transport built as a civilian passenger-cargo ship at Newport News, Virginia, in 1940-41, was taken over by the Navy in June 1941. After conversion to suit her for military purposes, she was commissioned in November 1941. While at sea during her shakedown period on 25 December of that year, she engaged a German submarine but received no damage. Soon after that, President Adams was transferred to the Pacific for service in the war against Japan. She carried Marines to the south Pacific in July 1942 and the next month took part in the invasion of Guadalcanal and Tulagi. She continued to support the campaign to hold Guadalcanal until its successful conclusion in February 1943. Reclassified as an attack transport at that time, she was given the new hull number APA-19.

For the rest of 1943 and into 1944, President Adams played an active role in operations to drive the Japanese up the Solomon Island chain toward Rabaul. She participated in amphibious assaults on Rendova in July and on Bougainville in November 1943, as well as providing general transportation services in the region. In mid-1944, she was part of the Marianas invasion force, landing her troops on Guam in July and subsequently taking casualties back to Hawaii and the U.S. west coast. During 1945, President Adams took part in combat landings at Lingayen Gulf in January and Iwo Jima in February. She spent the rest of the Pacific War on logistics duties, then supported occupation activities and helped bring veterans home from the former war zone.

President Adams continued her transportation work in the Pacific until March 1947, then shifted to the Atlantic where she operated until February 1950. Returned to the Pacific at that time, the ship was decommissioned in June 1950. Transferred to the Maritime Administration in October 1958, she was retained in the National Defense Reserve Fleet into the 1970s. President Adams was scrapped in Taiwan in 1974.

This page features all our views of USS President Adams (AP-38, later APA-19).

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 #: 80-G-31836

USS President Adams (AP-38)


Photographed during amphibious exercises off the California coast, 7 April 1942.

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

Online Image: 123KB; 740 x 615 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-K-556 (Color)

USS President Adams (AP-38)

Probably at Noumea, New Caledonia, as seen from USS Wasp (CV-7) on the eve of the Guadalcanal-Tulagi invasion. Photo is dated 4 August 1942.
Note red lead primer showing through the boot topping along her waterline and large crowd of men on her decks.

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

Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 530 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-K-554 (Color)

USS President Adams (AP-38)

Photographed from USS Wasp (CV-7), at Noumea, New Caledonia, 4 August 1942. She is crowded with U.S. Marines, bound for the invasion of Guadalcanal.
USS Quincy (CA-39) is in the background.
Note President Adams' liferafts, landing craft and climbing netting.

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

Online Image: 93KB; 740 x 610 pixels

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

 


The following photographs were taken from USS President Adams:

Photo #: 80-G-32366

Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 12-15 November 1942


USS President Jackson (AP-37) maneuvering under Japanese air attack off Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942. In the center background is smoke from an enemy plane that had just crashed into the after superstructure of USS San Francisco (CA-38), which is steaming away in the right center.
Photographed from USS President Adams (AP-38).
Note the anti-aircraft shell bursts.

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

Online Image: 115KB; 740 x 610 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-32367

Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, 12-15 November 1942


Smoke rises from two enemy planes shot down during a Japanese air attack on U.S. ships off Guadalcanal, 12 November 1942. Photographed from USS President Adams (AP-38).
Ship at right is USS Betelgeuse (AK-28). That at left, barely visible beyond President Adams' structure, is USS Libra (AK-53). Smoke in the center distance appears to be a smoke screen.

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

Online Image: 68KB; 740 x 605 pixels

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

 


In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS President Adams (AP-38 and APA-19). 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-15968
    USS President Adams (AP-38) at anchor, circa early 1942.
    Starboard quarter surface view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-15969
    As 80-G-15968, but starboard bow surface view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-15970
    As 80-G-15968, but port broadside surface view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-15971
    As 80-G-15968, but surface view taken from directly ahead.

  • Photo #: 80-G-15972
    As 80-G-15968, but surface view taken from directly astern.

  • Photo #: 80-G-378101
    USS President Adams (AP-38) moored in a south Pacific harbor, circa August-December 1942. Taken by a USS Pensacola (CA-24) photographer. The photo was received by the Naval Photo Science Laboratory in June 1946.
    Starboard broadside surface view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-277248
    USS President Adams (APA-19) underway in Chesapeake Bay, 30 June 1945. Taken from a Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia, aircraft.
    Starboard bow aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-277249
    As 80-G-277248, but starboard broadside aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-277251
    As 80-G-277248, but port broadside aerial view, taken from about the level of the top of the ship's smokestack. The view looks into the light, leaving the ship somewhat silhouetted.

  • Photo #: 80-G-277252
    As 80-G-277248, but high aerial view, seen from somewhat ahead and to port.

  • Photo #: 80-G-277253
    As 80-G-277248, but starboard quarter aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-705610
    USS President Adams (APA-19) underway in harbor, circa 1945-46. The photograph was received by the Naval Photographic Center in June 1948.
    Starboard broadside 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."


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


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    Page made 22 February 2002