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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USNS General D. E. Aultman (T-AP-156)
ex
 USAT General D. E. Aultman (1946 - 1950)
 USS General D. E. Aultman (AP-156) (1945 - 1946)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Delta - November - India
 NDNI
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons



Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal - Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Second Row - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Europe clasp) - National Defense Service Medal
Third Row - Korean Service Medal - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal

USS General D. E. Aultman (AP-156) was maned by the US Coast Guard during WWII
General G. O. Squier Class Transport:
  • Laid down. date unknown, as a Maritime Commission type (C4-S-A1) hull, under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 713) at Kaiser Shipbuilding Inc., Yard No. 3, Richmond, CA.
  • Launched, 18 February 1945
  • Acquired by the US Navy and commissioned, USS General D. E. Aultman (AP-156), 20 May 1945, CAPT. Stephen P. Swicegood, USCG, in command
  • During World War II USS General D. E. Aultman (AP-156) transported passengers in both the Asiatic-Pacific and Europe-Africa-Middle East Theaters
  • Following World War II USS General E. E. Aultman was assigned to Occupation service in the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater from 20 to 27 September 1945
  • Decommissioned, 15 March 1946, at Oakland, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 28 March 1946
  • Delivered to the Maritime Commission
  • Transferred, 30 August 1946, to the US Army Transportation Service
  • Commissioned, USAT General D. E. Aultman
  • Reacquired by the US Navy, 1 March 1950 and assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS)
  • Placed in service as USNS General D. E. Aultman (T-AP-156)
  • Placed out of service, and returned to the Maritime Administration, 4 June 1958, for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Suisun Bay, Benecia, CA.
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 1 December 1959
  • Merchant Service
    Title transfer to Sea-Land Services, Inc., 6 November 1967
    Converted to a containership by Willamette Iron & Steel Co., Portland, OR. in 1968
    Sold to Reynolds Leasing Corp., 11 June 1975
    Final Disposition, resold by Reynolds for scrapping to Taiwan, 11 December 1986
    Specifications:
    Displacement 9,950 t.(lt) 17,250 t.(fl)
    Length 522' 10"
    Beam 71' 6"
    Draft 26' 6"
    Speed 16.5kts.
    Complement
    officers 32
    enlisted 324
    Troop Accommodations
    officers 228
    enlisted 3,595
    Cargo Capacity
    70,000 Cu. ft. (non-refrigerated)
    Armament
    four single 5"/38 dual purpose gun mounts
    four twin 1.1" gun mounts (replaced by two twin 40mm AA gun mounts)
    sixteen single 20mm AA gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    13,300 Bbls NSFO
    Propulsion
    one Westinghouse geared turbine
    two Babcock & Wilcox header-type boilers 465psi 765°
    double Westinghouse Main Reduction Gears
    three turbo-drive 400Kw 240V D.C. Ships' Service Generator
    single propeller, 9,000shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USS General D. E. Aultman (AP-156)
    Aultman 113k
    Namesake

    Dwight Edward Aultman, born 2 February 1872 at Allegheny, Pa., graduated from the Military Academy in 1894 and was commissioned 2d Lieutenant, Field Artillery. During the Spanish-American War, he fought in the Battle of San Juan Hill and at the siege of Santiago Aultman served at various posts until World War I when he was an artillery commander in France, participating in the Aisne-Marne and St. Mihiel offensives. He received the Distinguished Service Medal, and returned to the United States in 1919 as Commanding General, Camp Knox Ky.
    Digital ID: ggbain 37428 Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division    		 Bill Gonyo
    Aultman 40k USS General D. E. Aultman (AP-156) arriving at Portland, OR. loaded with returning GIs during Operation "Magic Carpet", circa 1945. Tommy Trampp
    Aultman 825k USS General D. E. Aultman (AP-156) on the Willamette River arriving at Portland, OR. with returning GIs during Operation "Magic Carpet", October 1946. Aboard were 3499 officers, nurses and soldiers from the Okinawa area.
    Photo by Frank Sterrett, "The Oregonian"    		 Paul Ferguson and
    Paul Webber courtesy Alexander T. Bielecki and his grandson, Joshua Cushman.
    USAT General D. E. Aultman
    Aultman 57k USAT General D. E. Aultman in San Francisco Bay, loaded with troops. She appears to be returning military personnel to the states during Operation "Magic Carpet", circa 1946. Michael Adams

    Army nurses, Lt. Potts, Capt. Sorensen, Capt. Partwood, and troops enroute from South Korea to Hawaii (Contributed by Tommy Trampp)
    General D.E. Aultman General D.E. Aultman General D.E. Aultman General D.E. Aultman General D.E. Aultman
    General D.E. Aultman General D.E. Aultman General D.E. Aultman General D.E. Aultman General D.E. Aultman General D.E. Aultman
    USNS General D. E. Aultman (T-AP-156)
    Aultman
    092215621    		 150k USNS General D. E. Aultman (T-AP-156) arriving at Naval Station Subic Bay, Philippines, to discharge men of Mobile Construction Battalion Three (MCB-3), 2 October 1951.
    U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command. Photo # 80-G-437387 by AF3 J.G. Johnson.         		Robert Hurst
    Aultman 152k USNS General D. E. Aultman (T-AP-156) underway, date and location unknown. Bill Striegel PHCM USN Ret.
    Aultman
    092215619    		 191k USNS General D. E. Aultman (T-AP-156) underway, date and location unknown.
    U.S. Navy MSTS     		Nicholas Tiberio
    Aultman
    092215620    		 242k USNS General D. E. Aultman (T-AP-156) in bound from sea passing under the Golden Gate Bridge at San Francisco Ca., date unknown.
    U.S. Navy MSTS         		Nicholas Tiberio
    Merchant Service Sealand Corp.
    Aultman 457k Ex-USNS General D. E. Aultman (T-AP-156) underway as the Sea-Land Lines containership SS Portland outbound on the Weser River from Bremen, Germany in August 1970. Photo by Gerhard Mueller-Debus

    USS General D. E. Aultman (AP-156)
    Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
    Commanding Officers
    01CAPT. Swicegood, Stephen Preston USCG20 May 1945 - 12 August 1945
    02CAPT. Thiele, Edward Hodges USCG12 August 1945 - 15 March 1946
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    MARAD Vessel History Database
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
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    Last Updated 5 December 2025