USS Weiss (APD 135 - LPR 135)

USS WEISS was named in honor of Marine Sergeant Carl Walter Weiss who was killed in action in November 1942 at Guadalcanal. He was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty.

USS Weiss APD 135 photo taken in1964 off the coast of Vietnam

Photo taken from the USS Winston AKA 94 in 1964 off the cost of Vietnam.
Courtesy James E Johnson BMC Ret. - View a larger version of this photo (1Mb)

USS Weiss DE-547, a John C. Butler class destroyer escort, was cancelled on 5 June 1944 before completion, and her materials were scrapped. The name Weiss however, was concurrently reassigned to DE-719 a Rudderow class destroyer-escort.

WEISS was one of 13 Rudderow Class DEs that where redesignated and laid down as Crosley Class High-speed Transports (APDs) which involved extending the DE's superstructure out to the ship's sides to accommodate transporting troops and UDT teams. Four LCA's were nested in pairs on each side amidships and were stowed under boom-headed luffing davits on the 'boat deck'. Also, a derrick was stepped from a short lattice mast aft for handling military loads,

WEISS was originally designated to be built at the Philadelphia PA Naval Shipyard, but DeFoe showed their expertise in building DEs faster than most shipyards at the time as they used the "rollover" method of building. She was laid down by Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City Mich. on October 4 1944. She was classified as a high speed transport, APD-135. and launched February 15, 1945

She was commissioned at New Orleans July 7, 1945 by Lt. Comdr. Thomas D. Morris, in command, and sponsored by Mrs. Anna Weiss.

USS WEISS was one of the most versatile of all amphibious warfare ships. Specializing in hit-and-run landing operations, her primary mission in an amphibious operation was to serve as a control ship and a high speed transport for Underwater Demolition Teams and combat Marines. Able to steam at better than 20 knots, she was also equipped to participate in anti-submarine warfare and shore bombardment.

Upon entering active service, WIESS was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet. She participated in various amphibious exercises and such special duties as escort vessel to the Presidential Yacht WILLIAMSBURG during the Bermuda Cruise taken by President Harry S. Truman in 1946. Her first tour ended in May 2 1949 when she was decommissioned at Charleston, South Carolina and put in "moth balls" at Green Cove Springs, Florida.

With the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, WEISS was recommissioned on October 14 1950. While operating in in North Korean waters she carried Underwater Demolition Teams on special reconnaissance operations and fired more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition during an operation in support of United Nations forces. This second leg of her career ended with her decommissioning on March 2, 1958 at San Francisco CA and laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet, San Francisco Group, Treasure Island Naval Station.

But WEISS had not yet seen the last of active duty! In November 20 1961, she was again recommissioned and assigned to Amphibious Squadron Three, with San Diego as her home port. After almost a year of local operations in the San Diego area, WEISS again turned toward the open sea and commenced a tour of the Western Pacific which included operations in Vietnam and Thailand.

Shortly after returning to San Diego in May of 1963, she steamed to Portland Oregon arriving August 1963. In Portland, WEISS underwent modernization under the FRAM II program. With greatly increased ASW and communications capabilities, WEISS completed post-FRAM trials in January 1964 and returned to San Diego. After a Period of extensive training, WEISS deployed to the Western Pacific as a unit of Amphibious Squadron Three becoming part of the U.S. Seventh Fleet on 20, July 1964.

San Diego Naval Station 1967

While under the operational control of CTF 76, WEISS continued to demonstrate her diversified role. She acted as a communication relay ship, delivered freight and mail to numerous ships on extended at-sea operations, carried medical evacuees, transferred chaplains and acted continually as an ASW screen ship. Weiss was at sea continuously from 22 August until 3 October while operating in support of CTF 76. She was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Vietnam) for her service during this period.

Weiss underwent another overhaul late in 1966 at Bethlehem Shipyard in San Francisco. During my time aboard WEISS (August 1966 - July 1969) she made two West Pac cruises which included operations in Vietnam. On January 01, 1969, WEISS was reclassified as LPR-135 ( Landing Personnel and Reconnaissance)

Last decommissioned January 1970 at Orange, Texas... along with the other 5 LPRs, after a transit from San Diego through the Panama Canal. WEISS was stricken September 15 1974, and was sold July 28, 1975 to J.R. Steel, Inc. of Houston, TX for $79,002.00 to be scrapped.

If you can provide more information about WEISS I'd like to hear from you. email: Steven@hiwwpoh.com

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