USS Casa Grande


USS Casa Grande
USS Casa Grande (LSD-13) at Hampton Roads 1951.
USS Casa Grande at Hampton Roads in 1951
History
United States
NameUSS Casa Grande
NamesakeCasa Grande Ruins National Monument in Arizona
Awarded10 September 1942
Laid down11 November 1943
Launched11 April 1944
Commissioned5 June 1944
Decommissioned6 October 1969
Stricken15 April 1976
FateSold for scrap, 6 April 1992
General characteristics
Class and typeCasa Grande-class dock landing ship
Displacement
  • 7,930 tons (loaded),
  • 4,032 tons (light draft)
Length457 ft 9 in (139.52 m) overall
Beam72 ft 2 in (22.00 m)
Draft
  • 8 ft 2+1⁄2 in (2.502 m) fwd,
  • 10 ft 1⁄2 in (3.061 m) aft (light);
  • 15 ft 5+1⁄2 in (4.712 m) fwd,
  • 16 ft 2 in (4.93 m) aft (loaded)
Propulsion2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 2 Skinner Uniflow Reciprocating Steam Engines, 2 propeller shafts – each shaft 3,700 hp (2,800 kW), at 240 rpm total shaft horse power 7,400, 2 11 ft 9 in diameter, 9 ft 9 in pitch propellers
Speed17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Range8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Boats & landing
craft carried
  • 3 × LCT (Mk V or VI)
  •   each w/ 5 medium tanks or
  • 2 × LCT (Mk III or IV)
  •   each w/ 12 medium tanks or
  • 14 × LCM (Mk III)
  •   each w/ 1 medium tank
  •   or 1,500 long tons cargo or
  • 47 × DUKW or
  • 41 × LVT or
  • Any combination of landing vehicles and landing craft up to capacity
Capacity22 officers, 218 men
Complement
  • 17 officers, 237 men (ship);
  • 6 officers, 30 men (landing craft)
Armament
Aircraft carriedmodified to accommodate helicopters on an added portable deck

USS Casa Grande (LSD-13) was a Casa Grande-class dock landing ship of the United States Navy, named in honor of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument near Coolidge, Arizona.

The ship was originally authorized under the Lend-Lease Act as BAPM-5, the fifth of seven British Mechanized Artillery Transports, to be named HMS Portway (F144). Reclassified a Landing Ship Dock, LSD-13, on 1 July 1942, the contract for LSD-13 was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newport News, Virginia, on 10 September 1942. Renamed HMS Spear, LSD-13's keel was laid down, on 11 November 1943. While under construction, LSD-13, Rushmore (LSD-14), and Shadwell (LSD-15) were reassigned back to the United States. The ship was renamed Casa Grande, and, as the first of her class in the U.S. Navy, gave her name to the class.

Casa Grande was launched 11 April 1944, sponsored by Mrs. G. Delapalme; and commissioned 5 June 1944.