Return to Naval Historical Center home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 98702:  USS President Hayes in San Francisco Bay, circa late 1945 or early 1946

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

USS President Hayes (AP-39, later APA-20), 1941-1973

USS President Hayes, a 16,000 ton transport, was built as a civilian passenger-cargo ship at Newport News, Virginia, in 1939-41. She was acquired by the Navy in July 1941 and placed in commission on 15 December of that year. Soon after entering service, President Hayes was sent to the Pacific, where she spent the first months of 1942 evacuating non-essential personnel from Hawaii to the west coast and conducting amphibious exercises. In July the transport steamed to the south Pacific and early in August 1942 landed Marines on Tulagi during the first of the Navy's many World War II amphibious invasions. She supported the Guadalcanal campaign by bringing up supplies and personnel until the Japanese abandoned that island in February 1943. In that month, she was reclassified as an attack transport, receiving the new hull number APA-20.

President Hayes' south Pacific service continued through 1943 and well into 1944. In addition to logistics operations, she landed combat troops on Rendova in July 1943, Bougainville in November 1943, and Emirau in March 1944. Moving to the central Pacific theater in June and later to the Philippines, she participated in the invasion of Guam in July 1944 and Leyte in October. In 1945, President Hayes took part in the Okinawa campaign and performed general transportation duty. During the last four months of the year she supported the occupation of Japan and brought veterans home as part of Operation "Magic Carpet".

As a unit of the Naval Transportation Service, President Hayes carried service personnel and their dependents around the Pacific from early 1946 until she was decommissioned in June 1949. She was part of the Navy's Pacific Reserve Fleet until transferred to the Maritime Administration in October 1958 and remained in "mothballs" in that agency's custody until sold for scrapping in February 1973.

This page features all our views of USS President Hayes (AP-39, later APA-20).


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-457907

USS President Hayes (AP-39)


Loading supplies, probably at San Diego, California, during the first half of 1942.
The lighter YC-362 is alongside, with partially disassembled aircraft on board.

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

Online Image: 57KB; 740 x 580 pixels

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

 
Photo #: NH 97749

Guadalcanal Campaign, August 1942 - February 1943


U.S. Marine Corps LVT(1) amphibian tractors move toward the beach on Guadalcanal Island.
This view was probably taken during the 7-9 August 1942 initial landings on Guadalcanal.
Ship in the background is USS President Hayes (AP-39)

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 107KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 98702

USS President Hayes (APA-20)


In San Francisco Bay, California, circa late 1945 or early 1946.

Donation of Boatswain's Mate First Class Robert G. Tippins, USN (Retired), 2003.

U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Online Image: 78KB; 740 x 550 pixels

 
Photo #: 19-N-26562

USS President Hayes (AP-39)


View of the ship's forward half, taken while she was at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, 2 January 1942.
Note the embarkation ladder and boat boom stowed on the hull side, and the kingposts and booms forward of the bridge structure.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 129KB; 740 x 615 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-26563

USS President Hayes (AP-39)


View of the ship's after half, taken while she was at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, 2 January 1942.
Note the landing craft davits on her superstructure and the LCV landing craft alongside, below the lowered after davits.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 113KB; 740 x 615 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-26559

USS President Hayes (AP-39)


View from overhead, looking forward from just off the starboard quarter, while the ship was at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, 2 January 1942.
Note the after 3"/50 guns in the lower part of the image, and men handling a container of garbage at the head of the gangway nearby.
The lighter YF-244 is alongside the battleship in upper left.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 162KB; 590 x 765 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-26561

USS President Hayes (AP-39)


View from overhead, looking forward from just off the starboard side amidships, while the ship was at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, 2 January 1942.
Note her large smokestack, with a rather small exhaust at its after end, ship's bell mounted on the smokestack base, and the landing craft davits on the midships' superstructure.
The lighter YF-244 is alongside the battleship at left.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 180KB; 740 x 620 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-26557

USS President Hayes (AP-39)


Scene on board, while the ship was at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, 2 January 1942. The view looks aft from just below the forward gun position, with a motor launch and boat stowage cradles in the foreground.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 137KB; 740 x 620 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-26560

USS President Hayes (AP-39)


Scene on board, while the ship was at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, 2 January 1942. The view looks forward from the bridge, with an open hatch in the foreground, cargo-handling gear and a motor launch beyond. The elevated 3"/50 gun platform at the bow is beyond the boat.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 180KB; 740 x 615 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-26558

USS President Hayes (AP-39)


Scene on board, while the ship was at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, 2 January 1942. The view looks forward from the after gun position, with cargo-handling booms visible on kingposts and associated winches nearby.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 164KB; 740 x 615 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-81337

USS President Hayes (AP-39)


View of the ship's port side amidships, taken while she was at the U.S. Naval Drydocks Hunters Point, San Francisco, California, on 19 January 1945.
Note the LCVP landing craft stowed below davits amidships and on deck by the kingposts; 20mm gun positions atop the kingposts, cargo-handling gear on deck, and life rafts with provisions casks.
Circles mark recent alterations.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 127KB; 740 x 615 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 19-N-81335

USS President Hayes (AP-39)


View of the ship's port side amidships, taken while she was at the U.S. Naval Drydocks at Hunters Point, San Francisco, California, on 19 January 1945.
Note the LCVP landing craft stowed below davits amidships and life rafts with provisions casks hung on the ship's side.
Circles mark recent alterations.

Photograph from the Bureau of Ships Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

Online Image: 97KB; 595 x 765 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 Hayes (AP-39 and APA-20). 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-15888
    USS President Hayes (AP-39) at the Norfolk Navy Yard, Virginia, 2 January 1942.
    Port bow surface view, with much shipyard clutter in the background.

  • Photo #: 80-G-464375
    USS President Hayes (AP-39) underway in February 1942.
    Starboard bow aerial view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-31519
    USS President Hayes (AP-39) in harbor, 4 May 1942.
    High aerial view from directly off the ship's bow.

  • Photo #: 80-G-279224
    USS President Hayes (APA-20) at anchor, 17 March 1947.
    Aerial view, taken from directly off the ship's stern.

  • Photo #: 80-G-279225
    As in 80-G-279224, but taken from almost directly off the ship's bow.

  • Photo #: 80-G-279227
    USS President Hayes (APA-20) underway, 18 March 1947.
    Low aerial view, taken from off the ship's port side, somewhat toward the bow.

  • Photo #: 80-G-279229
    USS President Hayes (APA-20) at anchor, 17 April 1947.
    Low aerial view, taken from off the ship's starboard quarter.

  • Photo #: 80-G-279223
    USS President Hayes (APA-20) underway, 18 April 1947.
    High aerial view, taken from almost directly over the ship.

  • Photo #: 80-G-279226
    USS President Hayes (APA-20) underway, 23 April 1947.
    Surface view, taken from off the ship's port side.

  • Photo #: 80-G-279228
    USS President Hayes (APA-20) underway, 23 April 1947.
    Aerial view, taken from off the ship's starboard bow.

    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."


    Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

    Page made 23 January 2002
    New image added 22 July 2003